The Searchers is certainly one of the best westerns of all time, and there are a handful of excellent films that pair well with the John Wayne classic. Released in 1956, it marks the peak of the collaboration between Wayne and director John Ford, and was arguably the high point of the entire decade.

With its beautiful cinematography and stunning color imagery, The Searchers utilized all the newest technology of the time to tell its story. Speaking of the story, it diverges from the rest of John Wayne’s best movies because it casts him ostensibly as a villain. Wayne was never better than when he played the raging and vengeful Ethan Edwards.

Though many of the concepts in The Searchers are common in westerns in general, the 1956 film put such a fine point on them that any film that followed was subtly inspired by John Ford’s vision. While it might be one of the best ever, there are still plenty of great westerns that deserve a spot alongside The Searchers.

10

The Violent Men (1955)

Westerns from the 1950s were usually glossy and slick, but The Violent Men introduced a much-needed edge. The Glenn Ford and Barbara Stanwyk film also stars Edward G. Robinson, and it borrows a lot of concepts from hard-boiled noir films, befitting its all-star cast. Nevertheless, it’s still a solid western too.

The Violent Men involves revenge, infidelity, and a lot of fighting, several ideas that are also central to The Searchers. Though it’s much rougher around the edges, it is still a rich and complex story that makes it more like the aforementioned John Wayne film than the usual ’50s western fare.

9

The Man From Laramie (1955)

James Stewart isn’t best remembered for his western roles, but the Hollywood legend sure left his mark on the genre. The Man from Laramie is Stewart at his best, and is a classic western story with added intrigue in the form of a mystery. Westerns are typically pretty straightforward, but the 1955 film has some interesting twists.

Stewart’s Will Lockhart is trying to figure out who is selling guns to the Apaches, but gets embroiled in a much larger conflict. While Ethan in The Searchers is violent and evil in his dogged determination, Lockhart is a focused force for good. The Man from Laramie doesn’t have as much to say, but it’s still an exciting watch.

8

One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

The 1960s was a transformative period for westerns, but the early years of the decade still produced a ton of traditional films. Marlon Brando was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars when he headlined One-Eyed Jacks, and it offered a different side of the noted method actor. Not only did he direct, but he got to play a more traditional hero.

One-Eyed Jacks is so great because of how it subverts expectations. Like The Searchers, revenge is the heart of the story, but that revenge is derailed by a fascinating love story. Acutely aware of western tropes, the movie finds ways to explore the conventional themes without getting lost in cliches.

7

The Salvation (2014)

The United States doesn’t have a monopoly on great westerns, and The Salvation hails from Denmark. Starring Mads Mikkelsen as an unconventional western hero, the film feels classic, but also has a unique tone because it wasn’t made in the Hollywood system. It’s character-driven, but still has a lot of the beloved western trappings of action and adventure.

There is a larger message to The Salvation, and it is quite similar to the one found in The Searchers. An act of violence inspires revenge which then inspires retaliation, which keeps the cycle going until all the characters are corrupted. It’s far from perfect, but the Danish film is a nice change of pace from the typical western staples.

6

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

One of the few sincere westerns made during an era that was hostile towards the genre, The Outlaw Josey Wales continued Clint Eastwood’s cowboy winning streak. The tale of revenge and desperation stretches across the American frontier, and Eastwood proved himself to be a deft director in what was the fifth feature he helmed.

Like The Searchers, The Outlaw Josey Wales is set in the aftermath of the Civil War and touches on the emotional trauma left behind by the bloody conflict. However, Wales is completely justified in his revenge, and is presented as the hero. The movie is of a similar epic scale, though it does feature a lot more action.

5

Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)

Spaghetti westerns had a lot more flair than their American counterparts, and Once Upon a Time in the West is truly the pinnacle of the subgenre. Sergio Leone’s epic all centers around a highly sought-after plot of land, and the violent machinations of those who want to possess it. Everything is more exaggerated, and the violence isn’t toned down.

Released more than a decade after The Searchers, Once Upon a Time in the West represented a new phase for the western genre, and is just as influential as the earlier film. Though the plot isn’t anything like John Wayne’s classic, the beautiful cinematography and use of “western” vistas makes the films equally stunning.

4

True Grit (2010)

The original 1969 film was one of the last great John Wayne movies, but 2010’s adaptation of True Grit stuck closer to the source material. Told from the perspective of a precocious young girl out for revenge, the western adventure has elements of fable and coming-of-age beats as well.

By decentering Rooster Cogburn, the 2010 remake has more power than its predecessor, and is able to dig deeper into Charles Portis’ original themes. It is a revenge story like The Searchers, but it is also much more complex. It allows the audience to decide if Mattie’s quest is morally correct, and never turns her or Rooster into the villain.

3

Unforgiven (1992)

Westerns rebounded in the 1990s, due in large part to the release of films like Unforgiven. The Clint Eastwood film lives up to its тιтle, and is a gritty revenge story that also has notes of introspection about the concept of vigilante justice. While many had given up on westerns, Unforgiven was another evolution in Eastwood’s career in the genre.

There are a lot of similarities between The Searchers and Unforgiven, and both films feature protagonists taking justice into their own hands while essentially losing sight of what they were after in the first place. However, the latter film is a lot grittier, opting for a less stylized approach to the American West.

2

Shane (1953)

Alan Ladd’s life may have been tragically short, but he still made a big impact on westerns. There’s no denying that Ladd’s best film was 1953’s Shane, and it’s also one of the greatest films of the entire 1950s. Every bit a tale of classic cowboy heroics, Shane features an unpretentious story that’s anchored by wonderful Western vistas.

The reluctant gunfighter has become a common trope, but Shane is really where the cliche took root. Ladd’s тιтle character is nothing like Wayne’s Ethan, and Shane is quite different from The Searchers in general. However, it’s a must-watch for fans of the latter because it represents the genre in the ’50s, and walked so that The Searchers could run.

1

Red River (1948)

John Ford wasn’t the only great director that John Wayne worked with, and his collaborations with Howard Hawks are equally classic. 1948’s Red River was a first for Wayne, and it’s really where he played a heel for the first time in his career. Known for playing cowboys with clean faces and cleaner souls, Thomas Dunson is the polar opposite.

A perfect cowboy story, Red River is about a cattle drive and the interpersonal drama therein. Ethan Edwards is just as iconic as Dunson, but Wayne couldn’t have starred in The Searchers if it wasn’t for Red River. It’s also just an excellent western that has value in all aspects of its production, from the writing to the cinematography.