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 Salvation

31. The Salvation

Drama Western Classic Western Historical Drama
6.7

20141h 32min

Belgium, Brazil

Director: Kristian Levring

In 1870s America, a peaceful American settler kills his family's murderer which unleashes the fury of a notorious gang leader. His cowardly fellow townspeople then betray him, forcing him to hunt down the outlaws alone.

Themes

Resource exploitation, Revenge cycles, Frontier justice vendetta, Corruption oil interests, War veteran trauma, Betrayal complicity

Available on

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

Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and, when Robert and his brother sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Idolization vs distrust, Jealousy and ambition, Pursuit of bounty, Performative violence, Fame vs mythmaking

Available on

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

The Homesman

33. The Homesman

Western Drama Revisionist Western Historical Drama
6.6

20142h 2min

United States, France

Director: Tommy Lee Jones

When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy. Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs, to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women head east, where a waiting minister and his wife have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Violence and survival, Authority and betrayal, Gendered duty, Prairie isolation, Frontier independence

Available on

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

The Good, the Bad, the Weird

34. The Good, the Bad, the Weird

Action Adventure Comedy Western Epic Action
7.2

20082h 10min

South Korea

Director: Kim Jee-woon

The story of three Korean outlaws in 1930s Manchuria and their dealings with the Japanese army and Chinese and Russian bandits. The Good (a bounty hunter), the Bad (a hitman), and the Weird (a thief) battle the army and the bandits in a race to use a treasure map to uncover the riches of legend.

Themes

Survival through violence, Rivalry and deception, Greed vs loyalty, Frontier lawlessness and improvisation, Treasure versus reality, Empire power and influence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
AMC Plus Apple TV Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Proposition

35. The Proposition

Action Adventure Crime Drama Thriller
7.3

20051h 44min

Australia, United Kingdom

Director: John Hillcoat

In 1880s Australia, a lawman offers renegade Charlie Burns a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows, Charlie must hunt down and kill his older brother, who is wanted for rape and murder. Venturing into one of the Outback's most inhospitable regions, Charlie faces a terrible moral dilemma that can end only in violence.

Themes

Frontier justice, Deception and coercion, Power and restraint, Moral compromise under threat, Violence as bargaining chip, Kinship loyalty under pressure

Available on

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

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

36. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Adventure Crime Drama Mystery Western
7.3

20052h 1min

United States, France

Director: Tommy Lee Jones

When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of Pete Perkins, the latter is reminded of a promise he made to bury his friend, Melquiades Estrada, in his Mexican home town. He kidnaps Norton and exhumes Estrada's corpse, and the odd caravan sets out on horseback for Mexico.

Themes

Loyalty versus duty, Promises under pressure, Border violence and impunity, Grief and vengeance, Surreal encounters and danger, Survival in harsh terrain

Available on

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

Open Range

37. Open Range

Western Drama Action Revisionist Western Epic Action
7.4

20032h 19min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Kevin Costner

A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Frontier justice vs law corruption, Land control and open-range livelihood, War memories shaping choices, Communal defiance and town resistance, Retirement and reinvention after violence

Available on

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

Appaloosa

38. Appaloosa

Drama Western Crime Revisionist Western Police Procedural
6.7

20081h 55min

United States

Director: Ed Harris

Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow.

Themes

Rancher power and fear, Loyalty and trust under duress, Frontier justice and order, Vigilantism vs formal authority, Gender dynamics and survival, Community resilience under threat

Available on

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

Unforgiven

39. Unforgiven

Western Revisionist Western
8.2

19922h 10min

United States

Director: Clint Eastwood

William Munny is a retired, once-ruthless killer turned gentle widower and hog farmer. To help support his two motherless children, he accepts one last bounty-hunter mission to find the men who brutalized a prostitute. Joined by his former partner and a cocky greenhorn, he takes on a corrupt sheriff.

Themes

Duty vs violence, Revenge and consequences, Frontier justice, Corruption of authority, Legacy of violence, Protecting family under threat

Available on

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

Hidalgo

40. Hidalgo

Western Adventure Globetrotting Adventure Modern Western
6.7

20042h 16min

United States, Morocco

Director: Joe Johnston

Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world...

Themes

Trust and betrayal, Guilt over violence, Cultural clash in competition, Endurance as test, Rivalry across cultures, Legacy and belonging

Available on

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