With the likes of Dances With Wolves being nominated for 12 Academy Awards, and winning 7 of those, and Unforgiven receiving 9 nominations and winning Best Picture and Best Director, the 1990s had some truly remarkable Western movies. Among all these critically acclaimed entrants to the genre, many others were left serially underrated by comparison.
Whatever your tastes, the '90s had many great Western movies of all types to choose from. Here's a look back at some very good westerns released in the '90s that perhaps didn't receive as much praise as they ought to have.
Updated on August 8th, 2023 by Federico Furzan: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
14 Quigley Down Under (1990)
Right at the beginning of the decade, Quigley Down Under saw Tom Selleck playing a sharpshooting cowboy who uses a modified rifle for deadly effect. His exploits take him to Australia, and here the plot sheds some light onto the plight of the indigenous aboriginal people of that region.
While the film received mixed reviews and wasn't much to write home about at the box office, all in all, it was a very solid movie with a great tale of a reluctant hero, aptly played by Selleck. It seems to have been largely forgotten these days but remains one of the most underrated westerns of the '90s.
13 Bad Girls (1994)
Bad Girls was a 1994 western that centered around four female protagonists. With a great cast that included Drew Barrymore and Andie MacDowell, the film should have probably done better. Far from a traditional Western that used a strong male protagonist, this film took a different approach.
It told the tale of four sex workers who go on the run after they kill a client who abuses one of them. While critics agreed that this was a solid idea, the film itself was panned. Given the rise of feminism in the modern world, the film was probably underrated as it was released at a time when such concepts weren't as easily celebrated as they are today.
12 Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
Given the sensitive manner in which representation in film is treated today, Geronimo: An American Legend is one of those Western movies that certainly deserves another look. It was released in 1993, and it was a box-office flop and a critical failure too.
A fictional account of the Apache Wars told through the diplomatic tension between the Apache Leader, Geronimo, and an American First Lieutenant, the story held great significance in light of how traditional Westerns had often portrayed Native Americans. It also featured the likes of a brilliant Wes Studi as Geronimo, Gene Hackman, Jason Patric, and even a young Matt Damon. Yet, despite having all this going for it, the movie still flopped hard.
11 The Last Outlaw (1993)
HBO's made-for-TV film The Last Outlaw was released in 1993. It featured a stellar cast led by Mickey Rourke and supported by Dermot Mulroney. The film had a solid plot that saw a former hero turned outlaw after his family is killed during the Civil War.
With Rourke going on to far greater heights in his career, most considered his turn in this Western a pretty forgettable one. The film garnered lukewarm reviews and has largely been forgotten despite being quite a decent movie, all things considered.
10 Dead Man (1995)
Classified as an "acid western," Dead Man saw a rare box office flop from Johnny Depp as he played the lead in this bizarre genre approach by Jim Jarmusch. A massive failure, the film was also considered by critics to be too artistic, casting too many cultural allusions, such as those to the poet William Blake.
It was also shot entirely in monochrome. In the process, much of its meaning and depth was lost, and it left audiences and critics underwhelmed. Despite this, the film was praised for its cultural accuracy when it came to some of its depictions of Native American culture and probably suffered from being released in the wrong time period since some of its nuanced aspects would have been better received today than they were back then.
9 Ride with the Devil (1999)
Famed director Ang Lee isn't usually associated with Westerns, so in 1999, no one really expected much when he made Ride with the Devil. To say that the film tanked is an understatement. It reportedly made just over half a million dollars against a $38 million budget.
Despite this, the film received generally positive reviews proving that it was probably one of the most underrated westerns ever made. Starring Tobey Maguire, it was classified as a revisionist Western film and some people hailed it for its gritty nature and multi-layered story.
8 Young Guns II (1990)
The sequel to the 1988 film, Young Guns II saw most of the original cast reunite. It again follows the exploits of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid (played by Emilio Estevez). While the first movie wasn't that well critically received, it was a hit with audiences. Young Guns II seemed to have suffered from audience fatigue.
Its critical response dropped even lower, as did its popularity with audiences. However, like the first film, it wasn't bad at all and may have fared better as a standalone film without having to live in the shadow of its predecessor. The rock hit Blaze of Glory by Jon Bon Jovi was composed for this film, and the rock star actually has a cameo in it.
7 Purgatory (1999)
Closing out the 20th century, came a unique Western film called Purgatory in 1999. It was distinct in the sense that it blended some traditional genre elements with other outlandish ones such as horror and fantasy. Despite this ambitious goal, anyone who's seen it will likely agree that it was a great little movie and thoroughly entertaining.
Since it was a made-for-TV film and released on the TNT Network, it never found as much acclaim as more mainstream westerns from its time. Regardless, due to its creativity and execution, Purgatory is probably one of the most enjoyable westerns you'll come across if you're searching for a variation in the genre.
6 The Quick and The Dead (1995)
Consider a film that's directed by Sam Raimi, and has a cast that includes Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, and Gary Sinise. Seems like nothing can go wrong, right? The 1995 western The Quick and the Dead somehow managed to underwhelm audiences despite its credentials.
In a commercial sense, it was profitable without being anything special. Critically, it received mostly mixed-to-lukewarm reviews. However, the film enjoys a cult following and is one of the most enjoyable Westerns around. The ensemble cast, the great plot, and some memorable moments make it a noteworthy '90s Western. Despite this, the film remains underrated and isn't often spoken of in discussions of great Western films. If you haven't seen it, The Quick and the Dead is definitely one to try out for anyone that loves the genre or has strong female leads.
5 El Mariachi (1992)
Before Desperado, Robert Rodriguez started his Mexico Trilogy with El Mariachi, a cool neo-western that tells the story of a traveling musician who's mistaken for a criminal and everyone starts hunting the hell out of him.
This one has a Guinness record of being the film with the lowest budget to reach $1 million in box-office sales. El Mariachi constitutes a masterpiece in economical filmmaking, as Rodriguez made this one with the resources he had at hand and nothing else.
4 The Newton Boys (1998)
A western directed by Richard Linklater? As weird as it sounds conceptually, The Newton Boys is actually a decent film that depicts the lives of the notorious bank robbers who still hold the record for the most successful in US history.
Critics and audiences were divided as the film lacks Linklater's emotionally-driven style of directing. However, it featured an all-star cast of actors not known for starring in Westerns, which included
Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Skeet Ulrich, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dwight Yoakam, and Julianna Margulies.
3 Wyatt Earp (1994)
Wyatt Earp is not an obscure film. But among Kevin Costner's collection of westerns, it stands as the most underrated. With a running time of 3+ hours, the story about the lawman Earp isn't as friendly as Tombstone, which released only 6 months before this one and exploded at the box office.
The films both even basically told the same story. The casting is impressive (Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Michael Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, etc) and the score by James Newton Howard is among his best.
2 City Slickers (1991)
Sure, it's a comedy, but City Slickers pays enough tribute to the Western genre to be considered a worthy variant of the world of cowboys. Directed by Ron Underwood, City Slickers tells the story of three friends from the city who go on a cattle drive to reconnect with each other.
This is the only Academy Award winner in the list, as Jack Palance got the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Curly, the cool boss that teaches the city boys a lesson.
1 Ravenous (1999)
Antonia Bird's Ravenous isn't usually categorized as Western due to its close relationship with horror, but the first half of the film undeniably runs on the tropes of the genre. It tells the story of a regiment going on a rescue mission in the 19th century.
They encounter a cannibal who won't stop eating them all. Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle star in the underrated horror western that was a bomb at the box office but has developed a cult following that has elevated its horror status over the years.