"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

Western cinema is one of the defining hallmarks of American film. From the mythic and epic adventures of cowboys and lawmen to scintillating tales of crooked gunslingers on the run, the genre has become a cultural pillar of the nation’s identity through its characters, stories, themes, and imagery. While Western cinema continues to excel today, there are plenty of exceptional pictures from decades long past that have not only aged phenomenally but grown greater over time.

From the works of American icons like John Wayne and Gary Cooper to the raw and ragged grit of spaghetti Western cinema, each of these films has transcended their eras to become quintessential Western stories. Some of these films thrived upon release, becoming Oscar-winning box office hits, while others have come from more humble beginnings to drastically improve over time. All 10 of these Westerns, however, have a proven ability to just keep getting better as the years roll on.

10)'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969)

Director: George Roy Hill

An immortalized classic of 60s cinema that thrives off the back of the iconic pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid follows its two eponymous, real-life figures through an adventure of crime and chaos. When their crew’s attempted train robbery goes wrong, the titular outlaws flee to Bolivia with their companion, Etta Place (Katharine Ross), in an effort to escape legal punishment, but they find themselves being pursued by an indomitable posse of hired lawmen.

The film only garnered mixed reviews upon release, but it has come to be celebrated as a vibrant and inventive Western with its noteworthy use of comedy and music, while also imbuing the typically stoic genre with some interesting romantic beats. With these intriguing sensitivities and subversive qualities, the film is just as unique within the genre today as it was way back in 1969, which is an impressive achievement given its status as an all-time classic. It has somehow managed to age majestically while still being a product of its time, a mystifying yet captivating balance that has seen it become an iconic and timeless Western film.

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

Director: John Ford

A Western that has aged phenomenally thanks to its inward gaze, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance focuses on Senator Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) as he attends the funeral of Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), a local of a small, nondescript town. Speaking with reporters, who are baffled as to why a U.S. senator would attend such a seemingly irrelevant man's funeral, Stoddard reflects on his past when, as a lawyer, he worked alongside Doniphon to stand against the ruthless outlaw, Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).

One of John Ford’s greatest movies, it has excelled as an analysis of the mythic qualities of the heroes of the West, what impression their actions have on an audience, and how the genre walks a line between civilized justice and anarchy. As modern audiences have grown more aware of the problematic yet often romanticized history Westerns made legends out of, the film's core focus has only become more resonant over time. Additionally, it also features three stars who have all transcended their own eras, becoming timeless icons of the screen whose collaboration gives the film a captivating appeal to modern movie lovers.

8)'For a Few Dollars More' (1964)

Director: Sergio Leone

While the first of Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Western achievements, A Fistful of Dollars, was a special film, it is the successor, For a Few Dollars More, that truly sees the "Dollars" Trilogy begin to grasp the punchy appeal that has established it as one of cinema's greatest achievements. Clint Eastwood stars as a bounty hunter on the trail of the outlaw El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté). As he pursues the criminal and his gang, he forms a partnership with Col. Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), who has his own interest in crossing paths with El Indio.

A spaghetti Western that can only be described as exemplary, For a Few Dollars More features Eastwood and Van Cleef at the top of their game, while Volonté's turn as the sadistic yet remorseful El Indio marks one of the most intriguing villains in the genre. It excels as a simple story told incredibly well, primarily because it is propped up by Leone's immaculate sense of grit, fun, and drama, and features a riveting score from Ennio Morricone. Its allure has only grown stronger over the years as it has elevated to become a true classic of all cinema and one of the greatest Westerns of all time.

7)'The Wild Bunch' (1969)

Director: Sam Peckinpah

The Wild Bunch marks a fascinating Western in regard to how audiences engaged with the genre in its heyday, and how the public's sensitivities have evolved in the years since. Following a group of aging outlaws as they plan to carry out one last big heist before retiring, only to end up in a savage border town, the film became a significant talking point upon release due to its frequent and graphic violence.

While some were quick to dismiss it on account of this, The Wild Bunch has continued to endure as a landmark feature in the context of American Western cinema for its somewhat polarizing effect. As the attitude of general audiences towards violence has changed over time, ithas earned greater appreciation for its confronting story and bold themes. In a similar vein to many of the spaghetti Westerns of the time, The Wild Bunch has a striking ugliness to it that gives it an immersive and brutal authenticity. The approach also makes the harsh tone and violence of the movie that much more apparent, even to the more desensitized viewers of the modern day.

6)'Stagecoach' (1939)

Director: John Ford

A hit film of 1939, Stagecoach will always be famous as the film that cemented John Wayne as a movie star. The Western drama follows the passengers of a stagecoach voyage from Tonto to Lordsburg, a trek made all the more hazardous by the ever-present threat of the Apache warriors in the area. As tensions rise, and conflicts spark between each of the distinct personalities on the journey, the group finds itself having to work together or face death.

With 2024 marking Stagecoach’s 85th anniversary, the Western classic stands as one of the earliest staples of the genre, one that makes exceptional use of an excellent cast and the picturesque Monument Valley. The Oscar-winning picture remains a cherished gem of Hollywood history, not only as a pioneering achievement for one of the medium's greatest genres, but as a story told with a divine timelessness as well. It is a testament to its quality that, while it is heralded as a catalyst of Western cinema as we know it today, it doesn’t rely on that accolade to be an engrossing watch for modern audiences.

5)'Unforgiven' (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood

While a 1992 release may make it a relatively new movie in the context of Western film, Unforgiven has still aged flawlessly over the decades, with its impact and coarseness making it feel, if anything, more relevant today than it did 30 years ago. Very much a catalyst of the ‘90s resurgence in Western cinema, and the long-spanning audience interest in revisionist Westerns at large, the famous film follows a retired, once-notorious gunfighter as he takes up arms again having fallen upon desperate times. Teaming up with a fellow retired outlaw and a boastful young gunslinger, he sets out to collect a bounty on a cowboy who disfigured a prostitute.

Stripping back Hollywood’s characteristic glamour, Clint Eastwood delivers a Western that is brutal and mean, depicting the old West as a time of savage violence and its heroes as weary and ruthless. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and has remained at the pinnacle of revisionist Western cinema ever since its release, an achievement that has only grown more impressive as the subgenre continues to expand in new and interesting directions.

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

Director: Sergio Leone

There are plenty of Western fans who view Once Upon a Time in the West to be Sergio Leone’s magnum opus, and it is easy to see why. The sweeping epic centers around Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale), a prostitute who, when her new husband is murdered, inherits a plot of land that is vital to the railroad. When the railroad tycoon's sadistic henchman, Frank (Henry Fonda), sets out to murder Jill as well, she finds unlikely allies in the outlaw framed for her husband’s death and a mysterious, harmonica-playing drifter with a score to settle.

With a duration of 166 minutes, it is an almighty picture, but it fills every second of its run with a weighted grandiosity that gives every moment a feeling of urgent gravitas. Admittedly, Ennio Morricone's score plays a huge part in establishing that enormous aura. Capable of leaving audiences awestruck while still delivering an emotionally rousing story of violence, greed, and revenge, Once Upon a Time in the West is a hallmark of spaghetti Western cinema that has grown more revered over time.

3)'The Searchers' (1959)

Director: John Ford

Viewed by many to be the greatest film of John Wayne’s career, The Searchers is a timeless Western classic thanks to its embracing of confronting, darker ideas surrounding its central heroes. Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, an abrasive Civil War veteran who returns home to Texas where his family is attacked by Comanches. When Ethan learns his niece may still be alive as their captive, he sets out with his adopted son on a long trek to rescue her, with the moral conviction of both men being tested on the journey.

John Ford’s outlook on frontier life was never bleaker nor more merciless than in The Searchers. The breathtaking visual display lends itself to a spectacle of immense grandeur that offers a powerful setting for Wayne’s compelling performance, with his Ethan Edwards a bitter and racist, yet undeniably intriguing figure. The film’s coarse and confronting nature has made it an ever-relevant Western that continues to appeal to new audiences and remains one of the most challenging yet rewarding viewing experiences in the genre.

2)'High Noon' (1952)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

One of the first films to intrinsically challenge the fabric of the Western genre, High Noon follows Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) as he learns a criminal he arrested has been released from prison and is setting out to murder him for revenge. While his new wife implores him to leave town before the killer arrives, Kane feels duty-bound to defend the town, but his efforts to round up a posse to support him fall unexpectedly flat and he is left to confront his violent adversary alone.


It was a popular film upon release and even went on to win four Oscars, but High Noon was still a contentious picture, with Western icon John Wayne labeling it “the most un-American thing I have ever seen in my whole life.” Today, however, it marks something of a daring origin of the revisionist Western genre with its introspective focus on the genre's integral themes like law and order, honor, and civilized decency rising up against savagery and evil. Its subversive nature has aged immaculately, making High Noon a film viewed in even greater light today than it was upon release in 1952.

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

Director: Sergio Leone

Whereas the tropes of traditional American Western movies have become somewhat outdated, the spaghetti Westerns of the 60s flaunt a grit and rawness that has seen them appeal to new fans with every passing generation. Perhaps no film in the genre embodies this like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It follows two reluctant allies, each of whom knows one half of the whereabouts of a stash of gold. As they trek across a Civil War-torn America in search of the hidden wealth, they find themselves being pursued by a sadistic mercenary.

Viewed by many to be a flawless film, it has endured as a cinematic icon courtesy of its spellbinding score, epic scope, rugged performances, and its breathtaking scenery. It is undoubtedly the greatest spaghetti Western of all time, while its proven timelessness makes it quite possibly the best film the Western genre has ever produced, one that continues to get better as time passes by. Its constant presence in pop-culture through references, parodies, and homages has also seen it remain a relevant picture that is of interest to younger audiences.