Many view the Western as a genre of the past. Which is both warranted and, frankly, altogether untrue. Of course Westerns had much more appeal in the early 20th century, both from an entertainment perspective (the action and adventure, the genre’s mythical quality) and as a reflection of the United States’ changing societal landscape (expansion and settlement in the Old West, post-war optimism). Naturally, changing tastes and cultural shifts led to a decline in interest in the genre—but not outright exclusion. In recent years, we’ve seen important Westerns from the likes of Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight) and Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon) dominate the zeitgeist. Of all the United States’ contributions to the art form, Westerns have had the largest impact on world cinema, influencing filmmakers from Akira Kurosawa to Sergio Leone, from Lucio Fulci to Wong Kar-wai.

The Western is such a staple of American cinema that it seems a monumental, perhaps impossible task to identify the “best” contributions to the genre. Nevertheless, that’s just what this list aims to do. Not only will it discuss the most important pieces of the Western genre’s history, but I will personally be ranking the 25 best Westerns I’ve ever seen. Next to film noir, the Western is my favorite genre. Side by side, I find both styles of cinema to be fascinating reflections of the United States’ changing cultural 20th century tides. The mythic qualities of the best Westerns feel transcendent — and when you watch a great Western, it’s unlike anything else you’ll experience in cinema. So I will do my best to honor this timeless genre as I rank what I believe to be the best Westerns of all time.









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