There are 3,238 western films on the site, released from 1903 to 2026, and 270 of them are ranked. The best-rated is The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948, 98 Metascore) and the biggest box office hit is The Revenant (2015) with $533M worldwide. The 1950s were the busiest decade with 556 releases. Raoul Walsh has directed more notable western films than anyone else on the site (14).
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) is the best-rated western movie on the site with a Metascore of 98 (92/100 on the critics-and-audiences blend that ranks it), ahead of Ride the High Country (1962) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1967). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
#1 of 270 western films Best-rated western movie
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
98 Metascore $5M worldwide
Also near the top: Ride the High Country (1962, 92 Metascore) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1967, 90 Metascore).
About The Treasure of the Sierra MadreThe top 12 of 270 ranked western films. Ranked by Echo Score; 10 of these 12 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. 4 of the top 12 were released in the 1960s.
1948 · Adventure, Drama · 2h 6m
No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
1962 · Drama, Western · 1h 34m
Dir. Sam Peckinpah No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
1967 · Adventure, Western · 2h 41m
Dir. Sergio Leone No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
1969 · Action, Adventure · 2h 15m
Dir. Sam Peckinpah No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
2018 · Western, Documentary · 1h 52m
Dir. Robert Greene
1956 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 59m
Dir. John Ford No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
1939 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 36m
Dir. John Ford No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
1962 · Drama, Western · 2h 3m
Dir. John Ford No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
1950 · Western · 1h 25m
Dir. Henry King No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
2007 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 2m
Dir. Ethan Coen No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
1959 · Action, Drama · 2h 21m
Dir. Howard Hawks No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences
2023 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 43m
Dir. Daniel Goldhaber
A Town Called Purgatory (2025), released Dec 9, 2025, is the latest western release with a score, box office or a plot summary on the site. 1 western film has been released so far in 2026.
Released: Dec 9, 2025 A Town Called Purgatory 2025 · Drama · 90 Echo 
Released: Dec 5, 2025 Frontier Crucible 2025 · Drama 
Released: Nov 7, 2025 Long Shadows 2025 · Drama · 71 Echo 
Released: Jul 18, 2025 Eddington 2025 · Comedy · 68 Echo 
Released: Jul 11, 2025 Forgive Us All 2025 · Drama · 28 Echo 
Released: Jun 13, 2025 The Unholy Trinity 2025 · Action · 47 Echo 
Released: May 23, 2025 Trail of Vengeance 2025 · 83 Echo 
Released: May 22, 2025 Heads or Tails? 2025 
Released: May 6, 2025 Broke 2025 · Drama · 87 Echo 
Released: May 2, 2025 Rust 2025 · 60 Echo 
Released: Apr 18, 2025 Sod & Stubble 2025 · Drama · 84 Echo 
Released: Apr 11, 2025 Gunslingers 2025 · Action · 30 Echo The Revenant (2015) is the highest-grossing western movie with $533M worldwide, ahead of Detective Chinatown 1900 (2025) at $500.3M. These 10 hits alone hold 40% of all western box office on the site. Grosses judged to be data errors are left out.
Number 1 
Number 2 
Number 3 $8.2B earned worldwide by the 331 western films with a reported gross
The 1950s were the busiest decade with 556 western films, ahead of the 1960s (530). Under each column is the decade's best-rated film, from Stagecoach (1939) to How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023). Films without a release date are not counted here.
Stagecoach 93 Metascore The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 98 Metascore The Searchers 94 Metascore Ride the High Country 92 Metascore 
McCabe & Mrs. Miller 93 Metascore 
The Long Riders 68 Metascore 
Unforgiven 85 Metascore No Country for Old Men 92 Metascore Bisbee '17 88 Echo How to Blow Up a Pipeline 85 Echo Raoul Walsh has directed 14 notable western films, more than anyone else on the site, ahead of John Ford (11); Jack Elam leads the cast list with 37 roles. Only notable films count: those with a score, box office, an award nomination or 1,000+ votes.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) is the most-awarded western film with 18 wins from 41 nominations, including wins at the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. Across every award body on the site, western films have won 160 of 607 nominations.
| # | Film | Wins | Nominations | Won at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brokeback Mountain 2005 · 41 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 18 | 41 |
|
| 2 | No Country for Old Men 2007 · 31 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 17 | 31 |
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| 3 |  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969 · 23 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA | 15 | 23 |
|
| 4 | The Revenant 2015 · 23 nominations · Won at Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Actor Awards (SAG) | 12 | 23 |
|
| 5 |  Dances with Wolves 1990 · 28 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, DGA Awards | 11 | 28 |
|
| 6 |  High Noon 1952 · 15 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes | 8 | 15 |
|
| 7 | Unforgiven 1992 · 19 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA | 7 | 19 |
|
| 8 | Django Unchained 2012 · 18 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 7 | 18 |
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| 9 |  Sweet Country 2018 · 11 nominations · Won at TIFF, AACTA Awards | 7 | 11 |
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| 10 | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1948 · 7 nominations · Won at Oscars | 5 | 7 |
|
English is the biggest source of western films with 2,364 (73%), followed by Italian (315) and Spanish (142). In all, 8 languages have ten or more western films.
23% of western films are also tagged drama, the most common pairing, followed by action (18%) and comedy (16%). A film can carry several genres, so the shares overlap.
23% 749 films
18% 591 films
16% 533 films
11% 363 films
8.8% 284 films
4.2% 137 films
4.2% 135 films
3.8% 124 films
975 western films have a full plot summary and 42 have the ending explained. Below are the best-rated ones not already listed above, led by In Searching (2018) and Unforgiven (1992).
36 articles on the blog are tagged western; the newest is “Americana (2025) Review & Opinions: Critics and Fans Weigh In on Performance, Storytelling, and Reception” from August 15, 2025.
August 15, 2025
Explore how critics and audiences responded to the 2025 thriller Americana, analyzing performances, storytelling, and its place in modern crime cinema. Dive into fan reactions, critic reviews, and overall reception of this black market artifact adventure.
July 19, 2025
Eddington Review 2025: Critical Reception and Fan Opinions on the Debut Thriller
Explore the diverse reviews and opinions surrounding Eddington, the debut film by Sam Carter, as critics praise its compelling storytelling and intense performances, while fans debate its pacing and realism in this gripping political drama.
June 9, 2025
Rust (2025) Reviews and Opinions: Analyzing Critic Reception and Fan Reactions
Explore the varied reactions to 'Rust', focusing on critic reviews and fan opinions surrounding its dramatic storytelling and character performances. Discover how this film fits into the larger franchise context.
December 25, 2024
The Art of Mixing Genres in Modern Cinema
Discover how mixing genres in modern cinema challenges traditional storytelling and enriches audience experiences, revealing the creativity behind today's most compelling films.
December 23, 2024
Analyzing the Role of Prop Design in Film
Explore the crucial role of prop design in filmmaking and its impact on storytelling, character development, and movie merchandising through our in-depth analysis.
December 9, 2024
The Role of Casting in Shaping Film Narratives
How casting shapes a film's story, from lead actors to supporting roles and cameos, with examples from Lincoln and Black Panther.
Filter all 3,238 western films by decade, year, language, box office, plot summaries and after-credits scenes on the full list, which opens with the 270 ranked ones, best first. The best-first lists hold ranked films only: the Italian-language list has 3 of the 315 Italian western films.
Quick answers about western movies from the numbers on this page: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) is the best-rated, The Revenant (2015) is the biggest hit and the 1950s were the busiest decade.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948, 98 Metascore) is the best-rated western movie on What's After the Movie, followed by Ride the High Country (1962, 92 Metascore) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1967, 90 Metascore). Ranked by Echo Score; 10 of these 12 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
See the top 12The Revenant (2015) has earned $533M worldwide, the most of any western film on the site; Detective Chinatown 1900 (2025) is second with $500.3M.
Western box office chartsThe site lists 3,238 western films. 270 of them are ranked, 331 have reported box office and 975 have a plot summary. A film counts as western when western is one of its genres.
Browse all western moviesThe 1950s, with 556 western films, ahead of the 1960s (530). The decade's best-rated western film is The Searchers (1956, 94 Metascore).
Raoul Walsh, with 14 notable western films; the best-rated of them is They Died with Their Boots On (1942). Notable films have a score, box office, an award nomination or 1,000+ votes.
Raoul Walsh19 western films on the site have a scene during or after the credits, so it is worth staying seated. Each film page says whether there is one.
Ranked western movies with an after-credits sceneFilms released from 2017 on are ranked by their Echo Score, our 0–100 rating; older films by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. To be ranked a film must run at least an hour and have a score, box office, an award nomination or enough votes, so shorts and obscure uploads stay out of the lists.
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