Much like the world of superhero and blockbuster science fiction films that everyone lives in today, the western movie genre defined Hollywood for generations, with actors like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and so many more legends making names for themselves with their iconic hero roles. The films generally followed a similar formula, with a hero overcoming a villain to earn their wealth or renown.
While the western isn't as popular as it once was, directors like Quentin Tarantino still love the genre and continue to find new ways to revolutionize it with films like Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight. Fans on Ranker have voted on what they believe to be the best western movies ever.
Rio Bravo (1959)
The 1959 classic film Rio Bravo is ultimately a product of its time, with a Hollywood production involving the combination of several great movie stars in John Wayne, Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin. Historically, movies that combine great talent are often successful, and director Howard Hawks saw to it that Rio Bravo was no exception.
Wayne, who plays town Sheriff John T. Chance, enlists the help of his Hollywood film star friends to defend the town against the impending group of criminals. Knowing reinforcements are on the way, the heroes hold for a last stand.
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
Another all-time great pairing of celebrities sees Robert Redford and Paul Newman join forces for a bittersweet adventure of action and friendship between two outlaws. The film is written by legendary screenwriter and author William Goldman and is often cited as one of the greatest screenplays written.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has terrific visuals and some thrilling chase sequences, with relentless armed men hot on the trail of the outlaws the entire film, with their horses stampeding through the desert. The film is considered one of the best gunslinger movies of all time.
True Grit (1969)
Another example of a John Wayne western masterpiece, True Grit was so iconic that it was remade into the 2010 version by the Coen Brothers. The original had a terrific cast, also featuring Dennis Hopper, Glen Campbell, and Kim Darby.
Like the remake, True Grit follows the tale of a 14-year-old girl who seeks vengeance on the man who killed her father, hiring a U.S. Marshal she believes to have "true grit" to track down the killer. The film's cinematography features some incredible landscape shots with the grainy touch of '60s filmmaking.
The Searchers (1956)
John Wayne again? Absolutely. Like Al Pacino or Robert De Niro with crime films, the stars of the '50s and '60s built their portfolios with westerns. The Searchers features John Wayne, as well as his son, Patrick Wayne.
The Searchers offers particularly violent scenes compared to other western films of its time, as well as a more psychological approach to the genre with social themes. John Wayne doesn't play his typical western hero, but rather a highly flawed individual, subverting expectations for what the film will be.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
This time, John Wayne is paired with another legendary actor, James Stewart. Stewart, who was known mainly for It's A Wonderful Life as well as the films of Alfred Hitchcock, wasn't as well known for westerns as other film stars of the time.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, like The Searchers, was directed by John Ford, and again is one of the more introspective westerns, making an examination of the genre and the history it mythologizes.
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Another film so legendary that it was recently remade by Hollywood is The Magnificent Seven. Ironically, the original is also a remake, since it's based on the Akira Kurosawa film, Seven Samurai. The story Kurosawa told with samurai is retold with western heroes, including actors Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen.
The film, recently remade with Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington, has also been the reference point for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. The original film's popularity came similarly to an Avengers film would currently, as it featured stars teaming up for big ensemble action.
Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone has one of the greatest casts of all western movies and by far the best mustaches. The film features Sam Elliott, Kurt Russell, and Val Kilmer in their acting primes, looking to settle down happily with their families after years of action.
Of course, in any film where characters are simply looking to settle down for a peaceful life, something must disrupt it. The gunslingers must fight their way back to the peace they desire so dearly, making for one of the most epic western action films.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Clint Eastwood was already known for being Dirty Harry as well as the "Man with No Name" when he made The Outlaw Josey Wales, adding another iconic character to his list. A classic tale of western revenge set during the civil war sees Josey Wales embark on an adventure filled with violence.
One of Eastwood's earliest directing works, the film explores themes of trauma and loss. Like usual, the more complex and storied westerns take the cake for the most popular, as the best westerns tend to deconstruct the genre and its tropes.
Unforgiven (1992)
Speaking of films directed by Clint Eastwood that deconstruct the western genre, Unforgiven is often considered a neo-western. The film, which sports a terrific cast of Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris, won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1993.
Unforgiven laid the blueprint for the modern western, as directors like Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, and Paul Thomas Anderson have based their westerns on similar explorations of violence and the mythology of the genre. Not to mention, the movie is just plain thrilling, with great dialogue and great characters.
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is such a classic, there's no surprise it ranks highest for fans. When thinking of a western standoff, few films can come to mind so quickly, as the final showdown is so engrained in pop culture. The epic score by Ennio Morricone has been used in commercials, trailers, and more.
The film is an epic, existing on a larger scale than movies of its kind, and especially more so than the films it follows up. Despite its greatness as a standalone film, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is the third part of a trilogy, starting with A Fistful of Dollars. All three parts of Sergio Leone's trilogy are regarded as excellent and The Man with No Name is considered one of the best western protagonists.