The Western genre, despite being seemingly cut-and-dry, has a storied history behind it. Born out of the myths and misconceptions that crafted a romantic view of the American frontier, Westerns have since become a staple film genre. As a mythological landscape with plenty of worldly influences, you can find a Western that tackles any subject you can think of. This is doubly so for the plethora of Westerns currently available on Max.
Survival stories, stagecoach races, gratuitous gunfights, and more occupy Max's expansive Western offerings, bolstered by the terrific legacy content of Turner Classic Movies. If you're aching for a modern take on the genre, or if you want to see where it began, here are just a handful of the best Westerns currently streaming on Max.
An Eastern Westerner
Likely the oldest Western on Max, An Eastern Westerner is an intriguing example of not only early Westerns, but of genre parodies as well. Originally released in 1920, Harold Lloyd plays a New Yorker finding himself against all odds when he draws the ire of a villainous tycoon. To save the town, and to win the heart of a woman he's fallen in love with, he'll have to put his hedonistic lifestyle aside and embrace the "wild" part of the "wild west."
Silent comedies are all about physical performances, and Harold Lloyd was no slouch in this department. Known for his extensive gags and daredevil stunts, his collaboration with Hal Roach — who would also produce the highly-influential comedy duo Laurel and Hardy — will certainly fill a unique niche in Max's Westerns.
The Long Riders
Aside from being a great film, 1980's The Long Riders was a novel one too for its famous casting choices. It centered around the escapades of the infamous James-Younger Gang led by outlaws Jesse James and Cole Younger. The gang also included many pairs of brothers. As a stroke of genius, the film cast four sets of real actor brothers to play the four prominent sets of brothers in the film.
As a result, James and Stacy Keach played Jesse and Frank James, David, Keith, and Robert Carradine played the three Younger brothers, while Dennis and Randy Quaid played the Millers, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest played Charley and Robert Ford. A novel concept that paid off, the film is a great watch and still a critical hit with an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Last Outlaw
Its release during the early '90s, when so many other iconic Westerns like Unforgiven and Wyatt Earp were released, sadly relegated the TV film The Last Outlaw to the realms of insignificance. In such legendary company, not many people even remember the 1993 movie starring Mickey Rourke and a much younger Dermot Mulroney.
It followed the emotional journey of the retired Colonel Graff, who begins a life of crime when his wife and kids are murdered during the Civil War. He recruits his old men, and they begin a string of successful robberies. However, when his once closest ally (Mulroney) assumes control and ousts him, Graff joins the authorities again and starts going after his old gang. A great watch if you've never seen it, the film has since been hailed as one of the most underrated Westerns of the decade and has built up a cult following.
The Kid
Critics may not have loved it all that much, but there was certainly enough for Western fans to enjoy about The Kid. This 2019 film starred Ethan Hawke as its lead and featured a rarity in Chris Pratt as a villain. The story centers around a young boy named Rio and his teenage sister as they go on the run after Rio kills his abusive and alcoholic father.
Pratt plays their violent uncle who is furious that he's brother's been murdered. Along the way, Rio encounters Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) and lawman Pat Garrett (Hawke). Adding to his woes, Rio now finds himself caught between these two and their dangerous chess game as they try to outwit each other.
Never Grow Old
It barely ever gets a mention since it wasn't a big budget film. However, 2019's Never Grow Old is a Western that was loved by critics. It currently holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That's certainly impressive for a genre that still clings to the high standards of its legends like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne.
Never Grow Old featured a talented cast that included Emile Hirsch in the lead and a great supporting performance from John Cusack. The film tells the tried and tested story of a peaceful town being thrown into disarray when a violent gang arrives and begins taking over. As the town deteriorates into a cesspool of blood and immorality, its undertaker must choose between money and his family's safety as the death toll keeps rising.
The Gold Rush
Remember when we said that there are Westerns out there for all tastes? If you're the kind of film buff that can still appreciate the brilliance of Charlie Chaplin and what made his famous silent films so genius, The Gold Rush is for you. The 1925 silent film from the iconic actor that defined an entire era of cinema was old-school entertainment at its best. There's a reason why the film holds a 93% audience rating and a 100% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes's famed Tomatometer where professional critics rate a film.
Another outstanding performance from the great Chaplin himself, this one sees him chase the Klondike Gold Rush when he gets stuck in a cabin during a blizzard with a fugitive. Falling for a lovely barmaid, our hero's luck gets better when he also meets a prospector there. Of course in modern times, a silent black and white film from a forgotten time may not be to everyone's tastes. However, the film is an iconic that perfectly illustrates the comic genius of the time in a Western setting.
Dead Man
You may confuse Dead Man for being older than it actually is. This psychedelic Western starring Johnny Depp would release in 1995, telling the story of an accountant on the run after committing a murder. However, after a brief encounter with a Native American named "Nobody," our accountant finds himself at the center of a spiritual reawakening. Filmed exclusively in black-and-white, Dead Man would also be directed by Jim Jarmusch (Paterson, Only Lovers Left Alive).
Featuring a soundtrack composed by Neil Young, Dead Man is easily one of the more eclectic Westerns in Max's library. If you want a bit more soul-searching in your Western adventure, along with a lot more weirdness, this may be the film for you.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a historical drama adapts the titular 1970 book by Dee Brown. Set shortly after the bloody Battle of the Little Bighorn, we follow multiple different characters as history starts to unfold, with one being Charles Eastman, a Sioux doctor who became the first Native American certified in conventional medicine. We also get the perspective of Sitting Bull himself, the Lakota leader who led the resistance at Little Bighorn to begin with.
The amount of material covered here is nothing to scoff at. There's a genuine effort to display the exploitation and grief that the Lakota tribe experienced during the 1860, and though it is technically classified as a "TV film," some of what is depicted is indescribable. As an HBO original, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee remains a stunning part of Max's library.
Deadwood: The Movie
Any Western fan who hasn't seen HBO's Deadwood is doing themselves a disservice. It's short, three season run is perfect for weekly binging, and while the series would ultimately be canceled before wrapping up it's story, Deadwood: The Movie serves as the climactic conclusion to the series. Ten years after the end of season three, a majority of Deadwood's ensemble cast returns as old rivalries are set ablaze amid the seas of change.
Known for its legendary usage of profanity and breathtaking visuals, Deadwood is an essential Western series for any enthusiast of the genre. Created by David Milch, who would later write for HBO's True Detective, Deadwood is easily what put actors like Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant on the map, along with winning multiple Emmy Awards for its costume and set design.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Paul Newman and Robert Redford both lead Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a film that sees a pair of infamous outlaws caught up in the quickly changing times of the 1890s. As the wild west turns into the "not so wild" west, Butch and Sundance are tasked with escaping the country in order to flee the punishment for their lengthy crime sprees.
As a Western to watch for newcomers of the genre, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid features some amazing chemistry between Newman and Redford in a two-hour adventure. It's a film that time has also been incredibly gracious to, as middling reviews during its time of release has given way to positive reappraisals. The film is even being adapted into a streaming series for Prime Video.
The Missing (2003)
Directed by Ron Howard, and co-starring Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones, The Missing may strike a familiar chord for Western fans. A single mother of two discovers that her daughter has been captured by a group of Apache rebels, leading her to track down her estranged father for assistance. If she wants to rescue her daughter, she must mend her past wounds and reforge the connection between her and her long-lost relative.
A slow-burner at around two hours, The Missing is a story carried by the weight of its two leads, twisting a familiar story with the wide expanse of the frontier. Being a large-scale production, the set design and costumes also feel period-appropriate, captured with beautiful cinematography via Salvatore Totino (Spider-Man: Homecoming, 65).
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Directed by James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), 3:10 to Yuma is an outlaw Western that tells the story of Ben Wade, a vicious murderer finally apprehended in the deserts in Arizona. When Dan Evans, a farmer fallen on hard times, volunteers to take Wade on the "3:10 to Yuma" for his trial, the two will be forced to cooperate as they enter a battle of wits and bullets.
James Mangold's first genuine Western film is a real doozy, featuring both Russell Crowe and Christian Bale as our opposing leads. Suffice it to say, if you enjoyed Mangold's reflective take on Marvel's Wolverine (Logan) or his similar film tackling the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari (Ford v Ferrari), there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy his trek to the American frontier. If that's not enough of a sell, there's also a 15-minute-long gunfight towards the end. While the original is an old-school classic, this remake is arguably even better.
Stagecoach (1939)
While John Ford's Westerns may spark some controversy due to his depictions of Native Americans, there's no doubt that his works would leave a major impact on both the Western genre and filmmaking as a whole. Case in point, Stagecoach, an essential 1930s film which was shot on location near the border between Arizona and Utah.
Led by John Wayne, a decision that would be crucial to getting the film made, Stagecoach follows a group of nine people riding a stagecoach through the hostile territories of the frontier. Cited by Orson Welles as a nearly perfect film, one that directly inspired the creative process for Citizen Kane, Stagecoach is still a Western is still worth seeing for the multiple conventions it would establish in contemporary filmmaking.
The Shooting
Originally released in 1966, Monte Hellman's The Shooting is notable for two major things: being one of Jack Nicholson's first feature films, and for being the progenitor for a new, subversive subgenre of Westerns. Considered to be one of the first "acid Westerns," The Shooting sees two men hired by a nameless woman to accompany her on a perilous journey, all while a gunman dressed in all-black gives chase.
Nicholson plays the villain here, acting alongside Millie Perkins (The Diary of Anne Frank), Will Hutchins (Sugarfoot), and Warren Oates (The Wild Bunch). Shot on an incredibly low budget while using exclusively natural lighting, The Shooting is a deliberately sparse film that emphasizes the strange and surreal, potentially influencing future "weird Westerns" like Dead Man.
I Shot Jesse James
I Shot Jesse James is a film about the man who shot Jesse James, Bob Ford. It's a simple premise, but underneath it is a surprisingly thoughtful film that sees Ford stricken with guilt for his actions. In the vain hope of marrying his girlfriend, he travels to Colorado as a means to escape his town's derision and deal with his increasing stress. While some may dislike the amount of melodrama found throughout, others may find it an interesting predecessor to a similar film in 2007 directed by Andrew Dominik, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
As the directorial debut of the great Samuel Fuller, this surprisingly-psychological film features John Ireland giving it his all in an introspective performance. The only chief complaint is that it may move a bit too fast compared to similar films, with break-neck pacing at a slim 81 minutes.