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.

Tombstone

41. Tombstone

Western Action Revisionist Western Epic Action
7.8

19932h 10min

United States

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Legendary marshal Wyatt Earp, now a weary gunfighter, joins his brothers Morgan and Virgil to pursue their collective fortune in the thriving mining town of Tombstone. But Earp is forced to don a badge again and get help from his notorious pal Doc Holliday when a gang of renegade brigands and rustlers begins terrorizing the town.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Power and legitimacy, Illness and mortality, Frontier law and order, Mob justice vs law, Vendetta and violence

Available on

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

Dead Man

42. Dead Man

Drama Fantasy Western
7.5

19952h 1min

United States, Japan

Director: Jim Jarmusch

On the run after committing murder, an accountant encounters a strange Native American man who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.


When rancher and single mother of two Maggie Gilkeson sees her teenage daughter, Lily, kidnapped by Apache rebels, she reluctantly accepts the help of her estranged father, Samuel, in tracking down the kidnappers. Along the way, the two must learn to reconcile the past and work together if they are going to have any hope of getting Lily back before she is taken over the border and forced to become a prostitute.

Themes

Frontier violence and survival, Intergenerational estrangement, Reluctant alliances, Abduction and rescue, Protection of captives, Distant border pressures

Available on

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

Manitou's Shoe

44. Manitou's Shoe

Western Comedy Adventure Modern Western Parody
6.7

20011h 25min

Germany

Director: Michael Herbig

Abahachi, Chief of the Apache Indians, and his blood brother Ranger maintain peace and justice in the Wild West. One day, Abahachi needs to take up a credit from the Shoshone Indians to finance his tribe's new saloon. Unfortunately Santa Maria, who sold the saloon, betrays Abahachi, takes the money and leaves. Soon, the Shoshones are on the warpath to get their money back, and Abahachi is forced to organize it quickly.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty under pressure, Treasure motive, Disguises and misdirection, Alliances and rivalries, Frontier conflict

Available on

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

Dances with Wolves

45. Dances with Wolves

Adventure Drama Western
8.0

19903h 1min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Kevin Costner

Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar tries to commit suicide—and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.


Ravenous

46. Ravenous

Adventure Western Horror Comedy
6.9

19991h 41min

Czechia, Mexico

Director: Antonia Bird

Upon receiving reports of missing persons at Fort Spencer, a remote Army outpost on the Western frontier, Capt. John Boyd investigates. After arriving at his new post, Boyd and his regiment aid a wounded frontiersman who recounts a horrifying tale of a wagon train murdered by its supposed guide – a vicious U.S. Army colonel gone rogue. Fearing the worst, the regiment heads out into the wilderness to verify the gruesome claims.


Legends of the Fall

47. Legends of the Fall

Drama Western Romance War Action
7.5

19942h 13min

United States

Director: Edward Zwick

In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow lives on a ranch in the wilderness with his sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel. Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family are bound by loyalty, tested by war, and torn apart by love, as told over the course of several decades in this epic saga.

Themes

World war i trauma, Loss and loyalty, Sibling relationship tensions, Duty versus family

Available on

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

Shanghai Noon

48. Shanghai Noon

Adventure Action Comedy Western Globetrotting Adventure
6.6

20001h 50min

United States, Hong Kong SAR China

Director: Tom Dey

Chon Wang, a clumsy imperial guard, trails Princess Pei Pei when she's kidnapped from the Forbidden City and transported to America. Wang follows her captors to Nevada, where he teams up with an unlikely partner, outcast outlaw Roy O'Bannon, and tries to spring the princess from her imprisonment.

Themes

Frontier justice, Duty vs desire, Belonging and loyalty, Cross-cultural alliance, Honor among outlaws, Power and autonomy

Available on

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

Ride with the Devil

49. Ride with the Devil

Drama War Romance Western
6.7

19992h 18min

United States

Director: Ang Lee

Ride with the Devil follows four people who are fighting for truth and justice amidst the turmoil of the American Civil War. Director Ang Lee takes us to a no man's land on the Missouri/Kansas border where a staunch loyalist, an immigrant's son, a freed slave, and a young widow form an unlikely friendship as they learn how to survive in an uncertain time. In a place without rules and redefine the meaning of bravery and honor.


Cannibal! The Musical

50. Cannibal! The Musical

Comedy Western Thriller
6.9

19961h 37min

United States

Director: Trey Parker

Heading through Colorado Territory in search of gold and women, Alferd Packer and his group of bemused companions find themselves lost, starving and musically inspired by the obstacles they confront along the way, including a die-hard Confederate cyclops, a trio of surly trappers, a tribe of Japanese-speaking "Indians," and ultimately, each other.