Some Western movies are perfect for beginners. Since the days of classic Hollywood тιтans like John Wayne and John Ford, the Western genre has offered audiences some of the best stories in cinema. From the classic singing cowboys of the 1930s to gritty revisionist tales of revenge starring Clint Eastwood, the genre has been defined by its complex characters and commentary on human nature. Naturally, some of these movies aren’t an ideal way for a newbie to get into the West.

Western movies can sometimes be daunting to new fans, and the genre has slowly turned into one of the most niche corners of cinema after dominating the industry for some time. While some movies are understandably alienating to people looking for an entry point, others are just exciting and relatable enough to provide a great doorway into the genre. From action-packed tales of vengeance to triumphant adventure movies, certain films are an excellent gateway to the Wild West.

8

Silverado (1985)

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan

The 1980s were a decade that saw audience interest in Westerns drop to an all-time low, with only a handful of films really leaving their mark on the genre. One of those films was Lawrence Kasdan’s Silverado, an adventurous team-up between four gunfighters as their fates are intertwined in the тιтular town. Rather than being a wholly original premise, the film instead uses each of its four heroes to channel classic Western tropes, making it almost a roadmap into the genre.

Silverado takes some of the most popular and interesting tropes of the Western genre and fuses them, from the ensemble of heroes to the final showdown in the middle of town. However, rather than ending on a bleak note like some of its contemporaries, the movie channels a sense of triumph, making it one of the few serious modern Westerns that can be enjoyed by all ages.

7

The Quick and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ (1995)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ took the image audiences had of the Wild West to extremes. It revolves around a small town whose tyrannical ruler holds an annual shooting tournament, offering his enemies a chance to gun him down should they be skillful enough. If the film’s premise wasn’t enough to reel in modern audiences, its impressively star-studded cast should be. Not only does it feature Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, and Russell Crowe at the height of their respective careers, but it also casts Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his first major roles.

The Quick and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ gives audiences a kind of Western gunfighter battle royale, a concept that has proven successful in everything from video games to comic books. From its line-up of dynamic characters and a compelling villain to placing revenge at the heart of the story, the movie doesn’t expect its audience to know much about the Old West. Instead, it gives them a simple tournament-focused story and a villain they can love to hate.

6

Tombstone (1993)

Directed by George P. Cosmatos

To say that the Earps, particularly Wyatt, are bona fide legends of the Old West would do a disservice to the place they hold in the history of both the genre and the period. A family of noted gamblers, sharpshooters, and lawmen, they ensured their names would become synonymous with Western history when they ignited a war with the Cowboy gang. In George P. Cosmatos’ 1993 hit Tombstone, audiences are landed at the heart of the brothers’ time in Arizona, and the events that led up to Wyatt’s vendetta ride.

For an entire generation of Western fans, Tombstone was the movie that got them into the genre, citing the story’s blend of action and revenge in the Old West. Ditching the slower pacing of films from decades past, the movie instead capitalizes on its unmatched star power, memorable script, and flashy action sequences to win the love of viewers. At a time when the genre seemed to be on the way out, this all-star action movie almost single-handedly pushed Westerns back into the public consciousness.

5

3:10 To Yuma (2007)

Directed by James Mangold

Character-driven stories have always been at the heart of the Western genre, and few movies prove that as well as James Mangold’s 3:10 to Yuma. Based on the story by Elmore Leonard, the film follows a Civil War veteran’s mission to take a captured outlaw to a train bound for prison, with the criminal’s gang standing in the way. The heart and soul of the story is how the integrity and courage of the film’s hero, Dan Evans, affects the nihilistic villain, Ben Wade, keeping the audience glued to the screen to see how their story will end.

As one of the greatest movie remakes of all time, 3:10 to Yuma guarantees an emotional ride into the heart of the Old West, one whose story centers around character development. Playing on the talents and on-screen chemistry of Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, the film’s story could work in any setting, making its message a timeless one.

4

Django Unchained (2012)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino has made no secret of the influence of gritty Spaghetti Westerns on his career. In 2012, he was finally able to channel that pᴀssion into his own Western, a spiritual succession to Sergio Corbucci’s Django: Django Unchained. Like so many of his films that take inspiration from classics, he made sure to make the story his own, following a hero who is freed from slavery and begins his quest to find and rescue his wife.

Considering its record as the biggest box office haul in the Western genre, it can safely be stated that Django Unchained appealed to mainstream audiences in a way few of its contemporaries did. This success came in large part thanks to the devoted fan base of director Quentin Tarantino, some of whom had their first exposure to the Wild West thanks to their love of his movies.

3

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

In 1960, The Magnificent Seven began a Hollywood trend of borrowing the stories of Japanese cinema, in this case translating Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai into a tale of gunfighters. In 2016, a fresh trend of remaking classics inevitably led to a new Magnificent Seven, one that focuses on a band of diverse heroes protecting a small town from a predatory industrialist. From the start, the film ᴀssembles a variety of popular tropes in the genre, from heroes coming out of retirement to the few stepping up to protect the many.

The remake of The Magnificent Seven very much achieved what the original did in ᴀssembling some of the decade’s biggest action stars for a blockbuster epic. While the original is still held in higher regard by Western fans, the timeliness of the remake, coupled with its well-known cast, makes it a much better entry point. With the aid of far superior special effects, the film offers an engaging, fast-paced last stand, one that only requires a surface-level understanding of the West from viewers.

2

Unforgiven (1992)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

After almost single-handedly mastering the Western genre’s revisionist movement, Clint Eastwood directed his final story set in the Old West: Unforgiven. Centered around a pair of retired gunfighters taking on a bounty, the film sheds the genre’s glorification of violence for a more sobering look at the consequences of it. Here, Eastwood doesn’t play a cool and mysterious gunslinger, but rather a man haunted by his past deeds. At every turn, its complex characters offer a fresh perspective on the West, offering commentary on morality and the imperfections of its era.

While complexity and nuance can sometimes be a stumbling block for audiences in the Western genre, Unforgiven makes it its greatest strength. Shredding the romanticized vision of the Old West through masterful genre deconstruction, the film gives audiences an honest look at the setting, one that perfects the moral ambiguity of the era. Here, fans are reminded that good and evil can often be a question of perspective, making for a poignant match of genre, star, and message.

1

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Directed by Sergio Leone

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly concludes the genre-defining “Dollars Trilogy” in epic fashion, following the Stranger on a quest into the heart of the Civil War in search of buried treasure. In its eponymous trio of characters, the movie gives viewers a look at the defining archetypes of the genre the mysterious drifter antihero, the unpredictable outlaw, and the ruthless villain. It’s ultimately the film’s epic adventure that makes it so appealing to the mainstream, showing the beauty and scale of its setting.

No movie redefined the Western genre as well as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which infused humor, action, adventure, and war all into one grand masterpiece. For audiences who enjoy an immersive look at the West, they have no grittier a hero than Eastwood’s Stranger, no better director than Sergio Leone, and no finer composer than Ennio Morricone. When all the elements are put together, coupled with a brilliant villain and stunning backdrop, the genre has a timeless classic.