The Best Westerns To Watch On Netflix
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While it is not quite the dominant film genre it used to be, there are many Western movies on Netflix (one of the best streaming services to subscribe to today) that prove epic shootouts, foreboding acoustic guitar chords, and a fair share of 10-gallon hats still make for a great cinematic time. At the moment, the best movies on Netflix under said category are primarily more modern productions and some even take place in modern times, but they are just as exciting as any old-school classic from Hollywood’s Silver Age. Take a look at all the best Western movies that a Netflix subscription can offer.
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
The search for their village’s kidnapped local doctor (played by Lili Simmonds) leads four men (played by Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, and Matthew Fox) to come face-to-face with a tribe of cannibals.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: In addition to being a modern Western masterpiece, writer and director S. Craig Zahler’s Bone Tomahawk also counts as one of the best horror movies on Netflix for scenes of haunting brutality.
Stream Bone Tomahawk on Netflix.
The Hateful Eight (2015)
An assortment of mean, ugly, nasty folks take refuge from a ferocious snowstorm at a cabin where nothing is quite as it seems in post-Civil War America.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: The jury might still be out on what is the best Quentin Tarantino movie under the Western category, but The Hateful Eight – also available as a four-hour miniseries cut on Netflix – makes a great case with its stunning performances by its star-studded cast and suspenseful mystery plot.
Stream The Hateful Eight on Netflix.
Stream The Hateful Eight: Extended Version on Netflix.
Back To The Future Part III (1990)
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) must travel back to 1885 to rescue Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd).
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: The third installment of, arguably, the all-time greatest time travel movie franchise, Back to the Future Part III, takes our heroes and the audience back to Western genre’s heyday with thrilling gunfights, a train chase, and more.
Stream Back to the Future Part III on Netflix.
Rango (2011)
Scheming chameleon Rango (Johnny Depp) becomes an unlikely hero when he is appointed sheriff of a struggling village
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Winner of the 2012 Oscar for Best Animated Feature, Rango has the makings of an old-school Western, but filtered through the unique vision of director Gore Verbinski, spiced up with some cheeky humor, and brought to life with characters who are, literally, animals.
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
A troubled teen (played by Caleb McLaughlin) is sent to live with his estranged father (played by Idris Elbra) in Philadelphia, where he is introduced to the city’s community of Black horse riders.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Based on a true story, Concrete Cowboy is unlike any other Western on Netflix (or elsewhere, even), being a modern-day coming-of-age drama set in a modern, urban setting, but with a certain tone and imagery that firmly cements its place in the genre.
Stream Concrete Cowboy on Netflix.
The Quick And The Dead (1995)
Mysterious sharpshooter Ellen (Sharon Stone) enrolls in a small village’s annual gun-slinging tournament, but her real target is the town’s ruthless leader, Herod (Gene Hackman).
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Essentially a series of spine-tingling gun duels wrapped in an old-fashioned revenge tale, The Quick of the Dead is not just one of director Sam Raimi’s best movies, but one of the best Westerns of the ‘90s.
Stream The Quick and the Dead on Netflix.
Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher (2021)
A Native American cattleman (played by Martin Sensmeier) contends with great struggles while attempting to establish his own ranching empire along the Chisholm Trail.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Following his roles in 2016’s The Magnificent Seven and HBO’s Westworld, Sensmeier leads his own Western movie as the real-life Montford T. Johnson in Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher – an inspiring biopic from director Nathan Frankowski.
Stream Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher on Netflix.
The Killer (2017)
Diogo Morgado plays a lone, vengeful drifter who becomes a hired gun to a tyrannical Frenchman in 1940s Brazil.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Not to be confused with another Netflix original movie from David Fincher, writer and director Marcelo Galv?o’s The Killer is the platform’s first Brazilian film and really packs a punch with its brutal gunfighting sequences.
The Big Ugly (2020)
After discovering his girlfriend murdered, a London mobster (played by Vinnie Jones) sets his sights on the son of his boss’ new business partner: a West Virginia oilman.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: From co-writer and director Scott Wiper, The Big Ugly is part British crime drama, part Neo-Western, and all badass revenge tale.
Stream The Big Ugly on Netflix.
A Million Ways To Die In The West (2014)
Cowardly farmer Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is forced to become the hero he couldn’t be after he falls for the mysterious Anna (played by Charlize Theron) in the late 1800s.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: MacFarlane leads his second feature-length effort as a director, A Million Ways to Die in the West, which sends up the Western genre in the Family Guy creator’s signature style.
Stream A Million Ways to Die in the West on Netflix.
Strange Way Of Life (2023)
Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke play former lovers who reunite when one needs the other’s help liberating his son, who has been accused of murder.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Writer and director Pedro Almodóvar's 31-minute short film, Strange Way of Life, is a far more suspenseful and action-packed Western with LGBTQ+ themes than Brokeback Mountain.
Stream Strange Way of Life on Netflix.
The Power Of The Dog (2021)
Charismatic, but belligerent, ranch worker Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes unexpectedly close to his new sister-in-law’s son (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee).
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Jane Campion became the third woman to earn the Best Director Oscar for helming Netflix’s stirring adaptation of Thomas Savage’s novel, The Power of the Dog, which also stars Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst in Oscar-nominated roles.
Stream The Power of the Dog on Netflix.
The Harder They Fall (2021)
Jonathan Majors stars as a slick outlaw who learns that an enemy from his past (played by Idris Elbra) is being released from prison.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Co-writer and director Jeymes Samuel’s Netflix original The Harder They Fall may bear a familiar plot description, but – with its stunning aesthetic and predominantly Black cast – it’s one of the most refreshingly unique Westerns in a long time.
Stream The Harder They Fall on Netflix.
The Furnace (2017)
A young Afghan man (played by Ahmed Malek) joins forces with a bushman (played by David Wenham) on the run with stolen gold in 1890s Australia.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Not all of the best Westerns are set in the American West, as writer and director Roderick MacKay’s The Furnace can vouch for.
Stream The Furnace on Netflix.
The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Joel and Ethan Coen returned to the Western genre with this collection of six tales set in the Old West – including one of a traveling entertainment promoter, another about a pair of bull-headed bounty hunters, and one of a gunman who likes to sing.
Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Even those who would not claim classic cowboy tales as their primary cup of tea can be whisked into the Coen Brothers’ underrated Netflix original, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – an anthology that incorporates a unique mix of traditional Western themes with startling violence, offbeat comedy, and even an Oscar-nominated musical number.
Stream The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix.
We reckon that, for anyone who calls themselves a fan of Western movies, it would be in their best interest to check out these movies on Netflix.
