12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (2025)

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12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (1)

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12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (2)

The Western genre is one of the oldest and cherished film genres to ever enter the landscape of cinema and successfully transitioned into the Talkies, only growing immensely popular among movie goers. With a monumental legacy and array of classics such as High Noon, The Searchers and, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the western genre continues to thrive today, inspiring current filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, who have kept the iconic genre at the forefront of cinema.

Throughout the years, there have been countless notable Westerns that have entertained and thrilled audiences, but some, including Rio Bravo, Once Upon a Time in the West, and No Country for Old Men, reign as spectacular contributions to the western genre. Out of all the noteworthy titles, such as True Grit, Unforgiven, and Django Unchained, the following are 12 Western films that are credited by many as genuine masterpieces.

12 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960)

Directed by John Sturges

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (3)

John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven is a signature Western classic, featuring an ensemble cast including Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Eli Wallach, and follows a gripping story of self-preservation and redemption. When a small town is taken over by a ruthless outlaw, Calvera (Wallach), and his men, the townspeople resort to hiring a group of skilled gunmen to run him out of town and end his reign of terror.

The Magnificent Seven is an American remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film, Seven Samuari, with a Western backdrop, deeming it to be a unique work of cinema. Unlike Kurosawa's film, The Magnificent Seven isn't drenched in heavy suspense, but instead has a touch of light humor and charm that softens the film's overall intensity and action. Between the vivid backdrop of the desolate desert and the collection of exceptional performances, The Magnificent Seven ranks as a marvelous entry in the Western genre.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (4)

The Magnificent Seven

Approved

Western

Action

Adventure

Drama

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Release Date
October 12, 1960

Director
John Sturges
Cast
Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach

Runtime
128 Minutes

Main Genre
Western

Writers
William Roberts, Akira Kurosawa, Walter Bernstein, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

11 'Rio Bravo' (1959)

Directed by Howard Hawks

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (5)

Western icon, John Wayne, stars as a no-nonsense sheriff, John T. Chance, who locks up a gunslinger, Joe Burdette (Claude Atkins), after killing a man. When word reaches Burdette's brother (John Russell) about his arrest, he arrives with a group of men, threatening to break Joe out. With the help of a former sharpshooter (Dean Martin), a baby-faced cowboy (Ricky Nelson) and a wily elderly man (Walter Brennan), Chance fights to defend the jail until reinforcements arrive.

Howard Hawks' classic Western, Rio Bravo, has a distinctive formula that strays from the traditional story structure and is defined as a "hang out" movie, relying on the characters' personal growth to move the story along instead of action. Despite not being an overly saturated action Western, Rio Bravo stands out for its character development and riveting performances, as well as its memorable scene of Martin and Nelson's musical number, "My Rifle, My Pony and Me."

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (6)

Rio Bravo

Passed

Drama

Western

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Release Date
April 4, 1959

Director
Howard Hawks
Cast
John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan

Runtime
141 Minutes

Main Genre
Drama

Writers
Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett, B.H. McCampbell

10 'High Noon' (1952)

Directed by Fred Zinnemann

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (7)

High Noon is a vital classic of the Western genre starring Gary Cooper as a marshal, Will Kane, who is about to retire when he learns that an outlaw who he put behind bars has been released and plans on taking his revenge on the marshal. Despite his plans, Kane's sense of duty and loyalty keeps him from leaving and decides to face the outlaw even if he has to do it alone.

High Noon is the definitive example of a revisionist Western and has also been credited as one of the most influential Westerns of the 1950s. The movie is also noted for introducing the now-common theme of the man-alone as Cooper's character fails at recruiting any of the townspeople to help him, setting High Noon even further apart from the traditional Western. High Noon went on to receive seven Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars, including Best Song, Best Film Editing, and Best Actor for Cooper.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (8)

High Noon

PG

Drama

Western

Release Date
June 30, 1952

Director
Fred Zinnemann

Cast
Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly, Otto Kruger

Runtime
85 Minutes

Main Genre
Western

Writers
Carl Foreman, John W. Cunningham

9 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' (1962)

Directed by John Ford

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (9)

John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance goes beyond the ideal Western hero and conveys one man's selfless choice to bow out for the greater good of humanity. The film opens with a U.S. Senator, Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart), arriving in the town of Shinbone to attend the funeral of his friend, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). When the towns' reporters press Stoddard about his connection to Doniphon, the Senator recalls when he first arrived in town as a young lawyer and his encounter with a notorious outlaw, Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).

The Man Who Liberty Valance is a gripping Western with an unusual non-linear story structure and a riveting cast which also includes Vera Miles, Andy Devine, and Edmund O'Brien. The film went on to make Oscar history by being one of the few Westerns to earn a nomination for Best Costume Design for the infamous designer, Edith Head. Film critic, Roger Ebert, gave The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance four out of four stars, claiming it to be Ford's most thoughtful and pensive Western.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (10)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Approved

Western

Drama

A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.

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Release Date
April 22, 1962

Director
John Ford
Cast
James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine

Runtime
123 Minutes

Main Genre
Western

Writers
James Warner Bellah, Willis Goldbeck, Dorothy M. Johnson

8 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)

Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (11)

The neo-Western, No Country for Old Men, is a homage to the classic Western with a sinister touch and one of the best Western villains played by Javier Bardem. Josh Brolin stars as Llewelyn Moss who, while out hunting, comes across a drug deal gone bad and a bag of unclaimed cash. When Moss tries to take off with the loot, he is unaware that a sadistic madman (Bardem) is hot on his tail, with a dedicated lawman (Tommy Lee Jones) not too far behind them.

No Country for Old Men is a highly intense game of cat and mouse that keeps audiences on high alert and entirely invested from start to finish. The film is a subtle homage to the classic Western with its traditional dynamic of a ruthless outlaw in search of a lone gunman, but with a modernized twist of suspense and violence. No Country for Old Men earned eight Academy Award nominations, winning four Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Supporting Actor.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (12)
No Country for Old Men

R

Thriller

Drama

Crime

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.

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Release Date
November 21, 2007

Director
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Cast
Kelly Macdonald, Woody Harrelson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones

Runtime
122 minutes

Writers
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

7 'Django Unchained' (2012)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (13)

Quentin Tarantino's 2012 revisionist Western, Django Unchained, is a compelling tribute to the spaghetti Western genre but isn't without the director's traditional use of violence and bloodshed. Jamie Foxx stars as the titular character, a slave who is acquired by a German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), who agrees to help Django find his wife in exchange for helping him bring in some of the West's most wanted outlaws.

Django Unchained went on to become Tarantino's highest-grossing film of all time and is noted for its bold style and dark humor, solidifying it as a modern Western masterpiece. Most might think Django Unchained is just a violent film set in the South, but Tarantino captures the heart and soul of the spaghetti Western with an array of intriguing characters and an insightful plot, making the film so much more than just a bloody visual spectacle.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (14)
Django Unchained

R

Adventure

Drama

Western

Comedy

With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.

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Release Date
December 25, 2012
Director
Quentin Tarantino
Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Christoph Waltz

Runtime
165 Minutes

Main Genre
Western
Writers
Quentin Tarantino

6 'Stagecoach' (1939)

Directed by John Ford

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (15)

John Ford's 1939 Western classic, Stagecoach, is primarily known for launching John Wayne's film career as a leading man, but it is also recognized as one of the first Westerns that transcends the traditional formula of the genre. The film follows a group of passengers traveling in a stagecoach from Arizona to New Mexico and must cross through dangerous territory. Their journey becomes more treacherous when Ringo Kid (Wayne) escapes from prison, forcing a U.S. Marshal to accompany the stagecoach and find the outlaw before it's too late.

Stagecoach was a massive hit, earning praise for Ford's masterful direction and Wayne's mesmerizing performance that would change the course of his career forever. Today, the film is regarded as one of the most influential films of all time and, according to This is Orson Welles by Welles and Peter Bogdanovich, Welles stated that he watched Stagecoach every night for over a month in preparation for his feature debut, Citizen Kane. "It was almost like going to school."

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (16)

Stagecoach

Not Rated

Western

Adventure

Stagecoach follows a diverse group of passengers traveling through dangerous territory under the looming threat of attack. As they face external perils on their way to Lordsburg, each character's personal story unfolds, revealing hidden depths and forging unexpected connections, ultimately shaping their shared journey and individual destinies.

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Release Date
March 3, 1939

Director
John Ford
Cast
Claire Trevor, John Wayne, George Bancroft, Andy Devine, Thomas Mitchell, John Carradine, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, Louise Platt, Tim Holt, Tom Tyler, Chief John Big Tree, Yakima Canutt, Francis Ford, William Hopper, Chris-Pin Martin, Paul McVey, Jack Pennick, Harry Tenbrook, Whitehorse

Runtime
96 Minutes

Main Genre
Western

Writers
Dudley Nichols

5 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968)

Directed by Sergio Leone

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (17)

Once Upon a Time in the West is the first installment of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time trilogy and features two of Hollywood's biggest stars, Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, in triumphant against-type roles. The film is set in an old Western town, Flagstone, where there's only one piece of property with water on it, and when a railroad baron desires the land, he sends a gunslinger, Frank (Fonda) to scare the property owner off. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger (Bronson) soon arrives in town with a score to settle with Frank, setting a wheel of revenge and greed into unsettling motion.

Initially, Once Upon a Time in the West earned mixed reviews, but in recent years, it has gained immense support and is considered to be a vital cult classic of the spaghetti Western genre. Fonda and Bronson are an absolute force and significant duo, delivering riveting performances that are the core appeal of this classic. Once Upon a Time in the West also showcases Leone's legendary expertise and mastery in the genre and has been claimed to be one of the director's finest films.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (18)

Once Upon a Time in the West

pg-13

Western

Drama

A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.

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Release Date
December 20, 1968

Director
Sergio Leone
Cast
Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti

Runtime
166 Minutes

Main Genre
Western

Writers
Sergio Leone, Sergio Donati, Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci

4 'True Grit' (1969)

Directed by Henry Hathaway

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (19)

True Grit is a thrilling Western with an all-star cast including John Wayne, Robert Duvall, and Glen Campbell, and features a pair of two unlikely characters who go out in search of justice and redemption. Kim Darby takes on the role of 14-year-old Mattie who, after her father is murdered by a hired hand, Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey), hires a wily U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Wayne), to track Chaney down in dangerous territory.

In 2010, the Coen Brothers remade True Grit with Jeff Bridges as Cogburn and while it is one of the best remakes to date, it can never surpass the impact of the original film. Wayne ultimately breathes life in Cogburn, giving the character distinguishing characteristics of charm and grit and a menacing presence that only the Duke could achieve on the silver screen, earning the star the Oscar for Best Actor. True Grit is celebrated for its unpredictability and moments of amusement and sentiment, ultimately deeming it to be a vital Western masterpiece.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (20)
True Grit

G

Adventure

Drama

Western

A determined young girl enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger to track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory. As the unlikely trio ventures into dangerous lands, their quest for justice is complicated by their differing motives and the harsh realities of the Wild West.

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Release Date
June 11, 1969

Director
Henry Hathaway
Cast
John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Jeremy Slate, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper

Runtime
128 minutes

Main Genre
Western

Writers
Charles Portis, Marguerite Roberts

3 'Unforgiven' (1992)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (21)

Unforgiven is a gripping Western directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, who ranks as one of the most iconic stars of the Western genre. Eastwood stars as a former gunslinger, William Munny, who learns of a hefty bounty on the heads of two men who brutally attacked a woman, permanently disfiguring her. Munny and his friend, Ned (Morgan Freeman) decide to do one more job and set out for the town of Big Whiskey, where they receive far from a warm welcome from the town's corrupt sheriff (Gene Hackman).

Unforgiven is a beautiful summary of Eastwood's talents both behind and in front of the camera, as well as a fitting nod to the traditional Western tale. The film effectively conveys the cruel and lawless Wild West without cutting any corners against a raw, gritty backdrop that effortlessly lures audiences in without losing its hold. Unforgiven is one of the few Westerns to dominate the Academy Awards, winning four of its nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Hackman.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (22)
Unforgiven

R

Western

Drama

Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."

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Release Date
August 7, 1992
Director
Clint Eastwood
Cast
Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Anna Thomson, David Mucci, Rob Campbell, Anthony James, Tara Frederick, Beverley Elliott, Liisa Repo-Martell, Josie Smith, Shane Thomas Meier, Aline Levasseur, Cherrilene Cardinal, Robert Koons, Ron White, Mina E. Mina, Henry Kope, Jeremy Ratchford, John Pyper-Ferguson

Runtime
130 Mins

Main Genre
Western

Writers
David Webb Peoples

2 'The Searchers' (1956)

Directed by John Ford

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (23)

John Ford's The Searchers is a crucial classic Western that has been regarded by many as one of the greatest films of all time. John Wayne stars as a war veteran, Ethan Edwards, who, after his family is brutally murdered by Native Americans, sets out to find his nieces who are rumored to still be alive and being held captive. Along the way, Edwards spirals into a darkness haunted by obsession and loneliness that becomes more of a threat to him than the unpredictable wilderness surrounding him.

The Searchers is without question one of the best Westerns to ever grace the silver screen and is noted for Ford's exceptional on-location shots and striking cinematography. While the film as a whole was groundbreaking in the craft of cinema, the role of Ethan Edwards has been immortalized as one of the most compelling portraits of a man whose own worst enemy is himself. In 2008, the American Film Institute ranked The Searchers as the number one best Western film of all time, earning its spot on this definitive list of Western masterpieces.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (24)

The Searchers

Western

Adventure

Drama

An American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.

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Release Date
May 26, 1956

Director
John Ford
Cast
John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood

Runtime
119 minutes

Writers
Frank S. Nugent, Alan Le May

1 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966)

Directed by Sergio Leone

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (27)

Clint Eastwood reprises his iconic role as the Man With No Name in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which was the third and final installment of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. The film opens with Eastwood's character, who has formed a profitable partnership with an outlaw, Tuco (Eli Wallach), but when Blondie (as Tuco calls him) almost leaves the man for dead, the two decide to part ways. Before they separate, they find a dying Confederate soldier who tells them about a fortune buried in a graveyard. When Tuco learns the name of the graveyard and Blondie learns the name of the grave, the two are forced to stay together and must get to the gold before a ruthless mercenary, Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef), gets there first.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, is undeniably one of the best and most influential spaghetti Westerns in cinema history. It is celebrated for its vivid cinematography, exhilarating performances, and a hauntingly beautiful musical score composed by Ennio Morricone. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is also known for its iconic final scene, which features the trio in a suspenseful stand-off in the graveyard, riddled with quick close-up shots panning between each character, leading up to one of the most climatic finales in any Western film.

12 Western Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces, Ranked (28)
The Good the Bad and the Ugly

R

Adventure

Western

Release Date
December 23, 1966

Director
Sergio Leone
Cast
Eli Wallach, Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov

Runtime
161
Main Genre
Adventure

Writers
Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone, Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli

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