21 Best Western Movies to Watch

It’s often said that history is told by the victors. Thankfully, this isn’t the case in The Good Lord Bird, which tracks the tumultuous events preceding the Civil War, as led by real-life abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke). 

Some viewers might already be familiar with the story of how Brown "saved" slaves, but with Black teenager Henry (Joshua Caleb Johnson) as the narrator, history is repositioned and recounted through a fresh new lens. Nuanced questions about slavery, abolition, and even the revered Brown himself are brought up by Henry and his kin, such as: how much of the movement is driven by justice and how much of it by guilt? Should the white savior be absolved or are his intentions inevitably marred by ego?

Accompanying this thought-provoking tale are richly detailed costumes and backdrops, impressive cameos by historical and celebrity figures, and of course, career-defining performances by Hawke and newcomer Johnson. 

Genre: Drama, Western

Actor: Beau Knapp, Daveed Diggs, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Jack Alcott, Mo Brings Plenty, Nick Eversman

Rating: TV-MA

It's a miracle that an animated series like Samurai Jack was ever made—much less allowed to endure—on a children's network: barely any dialogue, action that approaches the realm of the avant-garde, and storytelling that doesn't rely on jokes or moral lessons. For its first four seasons that aired from 2001 to 2003, it barely had a plot to speak of either, becoming a Sisyphean series of adventures through an increasingly strange universe that only emphasized Jack's determination to finish his greater mission. And the more that the titular samurai would face off against his stoic robot adversaries, the more visually expressive these fights would get, the show constantly finding new ways to communicate purely through gorgeous, minimalist animation.

Only in the show's unexpected fifth season (released much later in 2017) did Samurai Jack really commit to telling a story and developing the protagonist as an actual character—putting him through a crisis of faith and having him face his repeated failure through the show's previous seasons. The results weren't flawless, with a rushed conclusion and a romantic interest who never quite came into her own. But it would be difficult to overstate how ambitious this whole project was: a genuine sci-fi/fantasy epic that never compromised on its vision.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Western

Actor: Greg Baldwin, Grey DeLisle, Phil LaMarr, Tara Strong, Tom Kenny

There is no shortage of craft and ambition in The English, a miniseries that employs tropes of classic Westerns, like the soulful anti-hero and the loyal sidekick, but also twists them enough to make them feel fresh. For instance, instead of typical cowboys, we have as our leads Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), an aristocratic Englishwoman, and Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a native who also served in the US army. Both of them are terribly out of place in the Wild West, but they’re fueled with the kind of vengeful drive that leads to bloody outcomes, which are themselves staples of the genre. 

The English is sweeping, both in scope and scenery, and solemn. Fans will appreciate how seriously the show treats the genre, and they'll take pleasure in its familiarity, from the twisty mysteries and brutal disputes to the gritty backdrops and arid vistas. In this instance, the show’s ambition perfectly fits the genre. 

Genre: Drama, Western

Actor: Chaske Spencer, Ciarán Hinds, Cristian Solimeno, Emily Blunt, Julian Bleach, Malcolm Storry, Nicholas Aaron, Rafe Spall, Rod Rondeaux, Stephen Rea, Toby Jones, Tom Hughes, Tonantzin Carmelo, Valerie Pachner

Knowing better than to dwell on its title character's early life in bondage, Lawmen: Bass Reeves grants him his freedom early on and establishes him as a man of inherent dignity and complex emotion. Even in the first two episodes watched for this review, Reeves (thanks to a stellar performance by David Oyelowo) is defined by a wide range of relationships and skills—all of which is unified in the character's realization that emancipation has not automatically led to peace, and that America remains a relatively lawless land. It's all handsomely mounted, with high production values and a willingness to breathe through quiet moments that give its somewhat obligatory western action the gravity it needs.

Genre: Drama, History, Western

Actor: Barry Pepper, David Oyelowo, Demi Singleton, Dennis Quaid, Donald Sutherland, Forrest Goodluck, Grantham Coleman, Lauren E. Banks

Rating: TV-MA