Western backdrop

Western movies

Tales of the American frontier, outlaws, and lawmen, set against the rugged backdrop of the Wild West.

Subgenres include: Classic Western, Revisionist Western, Spaghetti Western.

The Rider

1. The Rider

Drama Western Coming-of-Age Drama Modern Western
7.4
20181h 43min

Overview

Once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, and a gifted horse trainer, young cowboy Brady is warned that his riding days are over after a horse crushed his skull at a rodeo. In an attempt to regain control of his own fate, Brady undertakes a search for a new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of the United States.

Themes

Economic hardship, Masculinity under pressure, Family obligation vs independence, Disability and agency, Work and identity, Caregiver strain

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sweet Country

2. Sweet Country

Western Crime Thriller Drama Revisionist Western
6.9
20181h 53min

Overview

In 1929, an Australian Aboriginal stockman kills a white station owner in self-defense and goes on the lam, pursued by a posse.

Themes

Class inequality, Frontier justice, Abuse of power, Racial tension, Legal ambiguity, Gender violence

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hostiles

3. Hostiles

Drama Western History Adventure Historical Drama
7.2
20172h 14min

Overview

A legendary Native American-hating Army captain nearing retirement in 1892 is given one last assignment: to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory back to his Montana reservation.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Duty versus mercy, Old enmities resurfacing, Frontier violence and retaliation, Justice under duress, Settlement and displacement tensions

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown

4. Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown

Animation Family Mystery Comedy Western
6.8
20171h 20min

Overview

When the Scooby gang visits a dude ranch, they discover that it and the nearby town have been haunted by a ghostly cowboy, Dapper Jack, who fires real fire from his fire irons. The mystery only deepens when it’s discovered that the ghost is also the long lost relative of Shaggy Rogers!


In a Valley of Violence

5. In a Valley of Violence

Western Action Epic Action Revisionist Western
6.1
20161h 44min

Overview

The story of a drifter named Paul who arrives in a small town seeking revenge on the thugs who murdered his friend. Sisters Mary Anne and Ellen, who run the town's hotel, help Paul in his quest for vengeance.

Themes

Loyalty under strain, Revenge and consequences, Vigilante justice, Past violence haunting present, Frontier moral codes, Law vs vengeance

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Magnificent Seven

6. The Magnificent Seven

Adventure Action Western Epic Action Revisionist Western
6.9
20162h 12min

Overview

Looking to mine for gold, greedy industrialist Bartholomew Bogue seizes control of the Old West town of Rose Creek. With their lives in jeopardy, Emma Cullen and other desperate residents turn to bounty hunter Sam Chisolm for help. Chisolm recruits an eclectic group of gunslingers to take on Bogue and his ruthless henchmen. With a deadly showdown on the horizon, the seven mercenaries soon find themselves fighting for more than just money once the bullets start to fly.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Power and exploitation, Frontier justice under siege, Greed vs community, Collective defense dynamics, Moral ambiguity under violence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hell or High Water

7. Hell or High Water

Western Crime Drama Modern Western Heist
7.6
20161h 42min

Overview

A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's farm in West Texas.

Themes

Poverty and family duty, Economic risk and crime, Debt foreclosure pressures, Land and livelihood under threat, Protecting dependents under duress, Moral ambiguity of survival

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Brimstone

8. Brimstone

Thriller Western Drama Revenge Thriller Revisionist Western
7.0
20162h 28min

Overview

In the menacing inferno of the old North-American West, Liz is a genuine survivor who is hunted by a vengeful preacher for a crime she didn’t commit.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Silence and communication, Gendered violence and exploitation, Religious coercion and violence, Survival under persecution, Retributive justice

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Jane Got a Gun

9. Jane Got a Gun

Western Action Drama Modern Western Psychological Drama
5.9
20151h 38min

Overview

After her outlaw husband returns home shot with eight bullets and barely alive, Jane reluctantly reaches out to an ex-lover who she hasn't seen in over ten years to help her defend her farm when the time comes that her husband's gang eventually tracks him down to finish the job.

Themes

Survival through improvisation, Protecting family under siege, Loyalty and shifting allegiance, Violence as defense, Past relationships shaping choices, Frontier isolation and danger

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Revenant

10. The Revenant

Western Drama Adventure Modern Western Historical Drama
8.0
20152h 37min

Overview

A seasoned frontiersman who knows every rule of the wild is crushed, broken, and left for dead in a wilderness that suddenly obeys none of them. Stripped of his weapons, allies, and power, he must crawl through the frozen frontier as both nature and man hunt him down.

Themes

Trust under duress, Loyalty under pressure, Moral ambiguity, Revenge and violence, Nature as adversary, Survival under betrayal

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.