From its golden years to the multiple revivals over the course of cinema history, western movies are some of the most effective genres when it comes to portraying raw action, dramatic showdowns, and questions of justice. All of that set to a stunning desert backdrop and clad with cowboy attire.

The genre first rose in the silent film era (1890s), was neglected for a bit with the advent of sound, and really started to take off and join mainstream culture again in the 1930s. And they are still going strong today.

Featuring stars such as Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, and James Stewart, here are the ten best Western films ever made, listed by Vulture:

10. Meek’s Cutoff (2010)

86% on Rotten Tomatoes

Meek’s Cutoff tells the story of a group of settlers and their guide, Stephen Meek, who became lost in the Oregon desert in 1845. As their supplies dwindle and their faith in Meek erodes, the group’s internal dynamics shift, especially when they capture a Native American.

The film explores themes of survival, distrust, and the harsh realities of pioneer life, with a focus on women’s roles and the impact of the environment. It stars Michelle Williams as our main heroine and Stephen Meek as the title character, supported by Will Patton, Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano.

9. The Naked Spur (1953)

100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Anthony Mann’s film The Naked Spur tells the story of Howard Kemp (James Stewart), a bounty hunter obsessed with capturing murderer Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan), who he blames for stealing his ranch. He enlists the help of two suspicious strangers, a prospector and a dishonourably discharged soldier, to track down Vandergroat and collect the bounty. Greed and distrust fuel the uneasy alliance as they pursue Vandergroat through the rugged Colorado landscape.

The Naked Spur was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was added to the United States National Film Registry in 1997—being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

8. Rio Bravo (1959)

96% on Rotten Tomatoes

The first John Wayne film of this list, Rio Bravo, sees him portray Sheriff John T. Chance, who faces a challenge when he arrests a murderer, Joe Burdette, and his wealthy brother, Nathan, tries to get him released. Chance fortifies the jail, and with the help of a drunk ex-deputy, a disabled man, and a young gunfighter, holds off the Burdettes’ attempts to free Joe. The film culminates in a standoff and a shoot-out as Chance defends his prisoner and the law.

Directed by Howard Hawks, Rio Bravo was crafted in response to the earlier High Noon (1952) - where a community abandons its hero, which Wayne himself considered anti-American - offering a counterpoint to its political allegory by portraying hard self-reliance and moral strength.

7. The Wild Bunch (1969)

91% on Rotten Tomatoes

Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch is often cited as one of the grittiest Westerns ever made. It follows a group of ageing outlaws who plan one last score as the American frontier begins to modernise in 1913. When their robbery attempt goes wrong, they escape to Mexico and become entangled in the Mexican Revolution.

The film is famous for its slow-motion shootouts and unflinching violence, which shocked audiences at the time but helped welcome the modern era of Westerns. William Holden stars as Pike Bishop, the gang’s leader, alongside Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan. Despite initial controversy, The Wild Bunch was nominated for two Academy Awards and is today considered a landmark in revisionist Westerns, breaking with genre tradition by embracing moral ambiguity.

6. Red River (1948)

100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift, Red River chronicles the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail. Wayne plays Thomas Dunson, a tough, authoritarian rancher, while Clift plays his adopted son, who eventually challenges his father’s leadership.

The film explores the tension between tradition and progress, and is noted for its deep character study and psychological drama. Red River was one of the first Westerns to give Wayne a more morally complex - less purist - role. It was preserved in the National Film Registry in 1990 and is considered one of Hawks’ most accomplished films.

5. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

85% on Rotten Tomatoes

Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs Miller contrasts with the traditional Western narrative with a story that centres on a gambler (Warren Beatty) and a brothel madam (Julie Christie) trying to establish a business in a wintry Pacific Northwest town. The film is characterized by its atmospheric visuals, Leonard Cohen’s mournful soundtrack, and its critique of capitalism and masculinity.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond used a technique known as “flashing” to give the film its distinctive soft, muted look. Despite initial mixed reviews, McCabe & Mrs. Miller has grown in support over time and is now widely considered one of the most poetic and nuanced Westerns ever made. It was only selected for preservation in the National Film Registry many years later, in 2010.

4. Stagecoach (1939)

100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Directed by John Ford, Stagecoach was the film that elevated John Wayne to stardom. The story follows a group of strangers traveling together by stagecoach through dangerous Apache territory. Wayne plays the Ringo Kid, an escaped outlaw with a noble heart, who proves himself a hero during the perilous journey.

Stagecoach was groundbreaking for its use of Monument Valley, in the Arizona-Utah border, as a filming location, setting the visual template for countless Westerns. It also revolutionised the genre by combining action with complex character arcs. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, winning two. Another fun fact: Orson Welles claimed he watched Stagecoach over 40 times while preparing to direct Citizen Kane.

3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

96% on Rotten Tomatoes

Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West stands as one of the genre’s most visually striking entries. A sprawling epic of revenge, greed, and progress, the story pits a mysterious harmonica-playing gunslinger (Charles Bronson) against a brutal killer (Henry Fonda, in a rare villain role) and a determined widow (Claudia Cardinale).

The score by Ennio Morricone is considered one of the greatest film soundtracks ever composed, and the opening sequence - nearly 10 minutes with no dialogue - was iconic at the time. Though it underperformed in the U.S. on release, Once Upon a Time in the West was a massive hit in Europe and has since become a critical favourite.

2. Unforgiven (1992)

96% on Rotten Tomatoes

Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven is a revisionist Western that deconstructs the myth of the noble gunman. Eastwood plays William Munny, a retired outlaw who takes on one last job to kill two cowboys who mutilated a prostitute. Beside him are Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and the Schofield Kid, both drawn into a bloody confrontation with a brutal sheriff (Gene Hackman).

It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (Hackman). Unforgiven marked a final farewell to the classic Western hero archetype that was once the norm.

1. The Searchers (1956)

87% on Rotten Tomatoes

John Wayne’s performance in The Searchers is often cited as his best. Directed by John Ford, the film follows Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran who embarks on a years-long quest to rescue his kidnapped niece (Natalie Wood) from a Comanche tribe. The film is notable for its exploration of racism, obsession, and the thin line between heroism and vengeance. Ethan is not portrayed as a traditional hero - his actions are often fueled by hate, and his morality is ambiguous.

Shot in Monument Valley, the cinematography is iconic, and the final scene - Ethan framed in a doorway, isolated and unwilling to rejoin society - has become one of the most remarkable images in American cinema. The Searchers wasn’t initially recognized as a masterpiece, but its influence grew over time. It has since been named the greatest American Western by the American Film Institute and regularly features on critics’ lists of the best films ever made.

About its top choice, the Vulture list comments: "Wayne delivers a terrifying performance as a lost soul who uses revenge to excuse the darkness and prejudice already inside him. Through that prejudice, Ford began to address the genre’s treatment of Native Americans, not by softening the actions of the Comanches but by having Ethan respond to monstrous acts with even more monstrous behaviour".