One suitable way to chill out after a long day at work is to watch a Western movie in the evening before you go to the land of dreams. We’re talking about one of the most important movie genres out there, as Westerns have relied on historical events and characters more than pretty much any other genre.
In Western movies, cowboys, outlaws, and settlers are the main categories of people who are under the spotlight. The action usually takes place between the late eighteenth century and late nineteenth century.
We’ve made a list of some of the best Western movies of all time, but don’t blame us if you can’t find your favorite one! Therefore, feel free to add at least some of these movies to your watchlist:
Rio Bravo (1959)
The famous movie director and actor Quentin Tarantino said that Rio Bravo is one of his all-time favorite movies, and that’s a reason strong enough to give this movie a chance if you haven’t done so already. Rio Bravo has names like John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson in the cast, and it tells the story of a sheriff from a small town who enlists the help of a drunk and young gunfighter to keep someone in jail.
Rio Bravo reaches an incredible Metascore of 93 on IMDb.
Winchester ’73 (1950)
Directed by Anthony Mann, Winchester ’73 tells the story of the rifle with the same name. James Stewart, Shelley Winters, and Dan Duryea are some of the main actors in the cast. This movie is over 70 years old, but one fact about Westerns is that they’re like good wine: the older they are, the better.
Django Unchained (2012)
Having some imposing names in the cast, such as Jamie Foxx as the main role of Django, Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie, Samuel L. Jackson as Steven, or Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schulz, Django Unchained also deserves a place in this list. The movie tells the story of a liberated slave willing to rescue his wife from a merciless plantation owner.
The film reaches an 81 Metascore on IMDb and a rating of 8.4.
The Shootist (1976)
Directed by Don Siegel, The Shootist tells the story of a gunfighter who doesn’t have too much time left to live. He wants to find a non-painful and dignified way of dying.
John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and Ron Howard are in the cast.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The action in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is set in the early 1900s. The title refers to the leaders of an outlaw squad.
The movie won 4 Oscars (21 wins and 15 nominations), which means that words are pretty much useless at this point.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
This movie, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, presents the life stories of Eli Sunday and Daniel Plainview as they embark on their adventures across parts of California in the early twentieth century.
‘There Will Be Blood’ has a huge Metascore on IMDb: 93.
The Revenant (2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio is in the main role of Hugh Glass, a frontiersman who gets brutally assaulted by a grizzly bear. Despite getting severely injured, Hugh is eager to prevail against John Fitzgerald (played by Tom Hardy), who betrayed and abandoned him.
Thanks to ‘The Revenant,’ DiCaprio won the Oscar for best acting performance in a leading role.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ is directed by Sergio Leone, and it presents the adventures of a stranger with a harmonica who has to join forces with a desperado to protect a woman from the wrath of an assassin.
The movie impressed the world when it came out over half a century ago, as it gained 5 wins and 5 nominations.
Surely many more Western movies could have made it to this list, which is why we invite you to tell us your own personal favorites in the comment section!