1.Unforgiven (1992)
A Gene Hackman film makes a second appearance on the list. Unforgiven is about vigilante justice dialed to 11. After two cowboys disfigure a female worker, the others put a contract on the two men.
When two groups of gunfighters arrive to collect the reward, they clash with each other and the sheriff. Besides Gene Hackman, the movie stars Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Clint Eastwood. Have to love films where women stand up in one form or another.
2. True Grit (2010)
Another Western featuring a strong female lead thanks to Hailee Steinfeld’s spunky performance as Mattie. In True Grit, after an outlaw murders her father, Mattie hires an alcoholic lawman to help her get payback. Besides Hailee Steinfeld, it has Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, and a pre-Thanos, Josh Brolin.
3. Cat Ballou (1965)
If you are a fan of heavier comedy and laughs akin to Mel Brooks films, Cat Ballou is perfect. Jane Fonda stars as the Cat, and she seeks payback again after a man murders her father. With the help of a drunken gunman (Lee Marvin), some lovesick guys, and a pair of musicians that pop up repeatedly to sing her theme song, this movie is like the full-on comedy version of True Grit.
4. Bad Girls (1994)
Bad Girls has a quartet of madam workers leaving the bordello they work at to find a better life. Unfortunately, Pinkerton detectives and some of their past follow closely behind. Starring Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Drew Barrymore, and Andie MacDowell, the film has drama, action, and all the girl power one could hope for.
5. Tombstone (1993)
With classic names in Westerns played by stars like Kurt Russell, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, and Val Kilmer, it’s easy to see why film fanatics recommend Tombstone to the Western averse. Wyatt Earp, Morgan, and Virgil put their guns up and settled down. But when a gang of cowboys comes to wreak havoc, they step up to restore order.
6. Silverado (1985)
The best Westerns have vengeance and a villain you cannot stand with fantastic action. Silverado stars Scott Glen, Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, and Danny Glover as a group of men who help settlers track down who robbed them. When they arrive in the town of Silverado, they find a crooked sheriff and powerful rancher with whom a few had history.
7. The Quick and The Dead (1995)
Several movie fans refer to this as a “gateway Western.” A woman gunslinger (played by Sharon Stone) arrives at a town seeking vengeance on the town’s mayor. It also stars Gene Hackman, plus a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe early in their careers. Easy to love a Western with a strong female lead delivering judgment.
8. Young Guns (1988)
I watched Young Guns on repeat as a child, so much so that my mom forbade me from watching it for a year. I loved the action, dialogue, and occasional comedy. It stars Emilio Estevez, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Keifer Sutherland as a group of young cowhands taken in by an older man. When someone murders him, they seek vengeance. A coming-of-age Western, the movie was so popular that Warren G immortalized a piece of the dialogue in his song “Regulate.”
9. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
If you’re a Daniel Craig fan, prepare to delight in Cowboys & Aliens. With a shackle on his wrist and no memory, Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wanders into a town controlled by a colonel, played by Harrison Ford. He joins forces with townsfolk, Apache warriors, and outlaws when aliens arrive to combat the threat. If you love sci-fi but need to ease into Westerns, this is the one for you.
10. Django Unchained (2012)
Django Unchained has action and plenty of comedic moments brought largely by Christoph Waltz’s Dr. King Schultz. This Quentin Tarantino film stars Jamie Foxx as Django. After Dr. Schultz buys and frees Django, the pair team up to find and free Django’s wife (Kerry Washington), an imprisoned worker on a plantation run by Mr. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). As this is a Tarantino film, expect fast action and tons of gory fun with a love story at its heart.