Westerns are an esteemed favorite of American cinema. They have the ability to transport the audience back to simple times, when good old-fashioned moral codes and blood-pumping confrontations defined a generation of movies. Even though the topics may seem dusty as time goes on, the genre retains the heart and spirit of the West.
Today, critics’ reviews on sites like Rotten Tomatoes are an ideal way to figure out if a movie is worth our precious time. A perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes is rare because it takes real magic to earn raving comments from every single critic. The movies on this list seem to have everything a fan of the Western genre admires – gripping stories of humanity, complex moral ambiguity, unforgettable characters, stunning vistas of the gold sand, and iconic showdowns.
Without spoiling it for you already, here is a list of nine phenomenal Western movies that earned a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes with their unparalleled cinematic storytelling.
9 Winchester ’73 (1950)
One of the earliest films to show the iconic Winchester rifle in all its glory, this Western noir follows the journey of a prized 1875 model rifle as it passes down many owners and lands after it is stolen from the hands of its owner, Lin McAdam. From a shooting contest to an all-out range war, the rifle is an unforgettable part of the story about fighting and scheming men.
A Powerful Performance from Jimmy Stewart
Winchester ‘73 scored a unanimous 100% rating on 28 reviews, most of which applauded James Stewart’s embodiment of Lin. With his powerful performance and under the taut direction of Anthony Mann, it is as if the movie captured lightning in a bottle. The simple premise, which sees men fighting men for a rifle, becomes the perfect canvas for exploring the Wild West in post-World War II America. Honored by the National Film Registry, Winchester ‘73 is truly an influential Western. Stream Winchester ‘73 on Starz.
8 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Set in revolutionary Mexico, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre follows two broke American drifters, Dobbs and Curtin, who team up with an old and tough prospector, Howard to search for gold in the Sierra Madre mountains. As fortune smiles on them, more seeds of greed and paranoia are sown, and the treasure threatens to destroy the three men’s partnership and lives.
A Western Revolution
Also selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre revolutionized the Western genre with its complex and unromantic view of human nature. At its core, it is a cautionary tale of the darkness and greed that belies humanity. With Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and Walter Huston (writer-director John Huston’s father) at the helm, the movie leaves an indelible mark. The film scored 100% critical acclaim and was marked as a “darkly humorous morality tale.” Rent The Treasure of the Sierra Madre on Apple TV.
7 Fort Apache (1948)
In Fort Apache, Henry Fonda plays Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday, an arrogant and heedless man posted to a remote Western output. As he commands the U.S. cavalry’s Fort Apache, he locks horns with the highly respected veteran Captain Kirby York, who was supposed to take the spot and advocates working with, not against, the Apache people. As tensions rise, a lethal showdown is anticipated.
A Star-Studded Cast
Directed by John Ford and featuring fantastic performances from Fonda, John Wayne, Ward Bond, and Shirley Temple, Fort Apache is the first film in the director’s “Cavalry Trilogy.” The following two films also center around Wayne’s character. Unsurprisingly, the movie is recognized because of its wide vistas. But Fort Apache is one of the first few Westerns that focused on flawed human behaviors that fueled wars. Still resonant today, it holds a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 critic reviews. Rent Fort Apache on Apple TV.
6 Red River (1948)
Thomas Dunson is a driven cattle baron who has worked hard to get where he is. Determined to lead a cattle drive to Missouri along the perilous Chisholm Trail, he comes to a head with his reluctant adopted son, Matt Garth. The latter believes in fair treatment of both men and cattle, while Dunson has a tyrannical nature and shows no mercy to those who defy or delay him. As pressure mounts, the film bursts into a dramatic confrontation.
Controversial, but Memorable
Critics of the time praised director Howard Hawks’ sublime direction, as well as the intense performances from John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. Both Wayne and Clift draw out the profound internal and external conflicts of their characters with mesmerizing ease, and portray the changing American frontier with creative substance. Red River received some controversy at the time, but its 100% on Rotten Tomatoes demonstrates the film’s ability to captivate old fans and new. Stream Red River on MGM+.
5 Stagecoach (1939)
Stagecoach
- Release Date
- March 3, 1939
- Director
- John Ford
- Cast
- John Wayne , Andy Devine , Thomas Mitchell , John Carradine
- Runtime
- 96 min
Adapted from a short story by Ernest Haycox, Stagecoach is the movie that established John Ford as one of Hollywood’s greatest American directors. It takes place in 1880, where a motley assortment of strangers finds themselves traveling together on a stagecoach from Arizona to New Mexico. Among them are an outcast gambler, an alcoholic doctor, a snobbish Southerner, and a whiskey salesman. But as they make their way across the dangerous terrain, they must learn to rely on each other.
A Rip-Roaring Adventure
It is through the journey of his characters that Ford depicts the complex social hierarchy of the Old West during America’s most delicate hours. Nothing short of an early masterpiece, Stagecoach’s critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes notes that it is “a rip-roaring adventure given dramatic heft by John Ford’s dynamic direction and John Wayne’s mesmerizing star turn.” Lauded particularly for its fluid cinematography and outstanding pace, Stagecoach broke new ground and delivered a story that is just as meaningful today. Stream Stagecoach on Prime Video.
4 The Shooting (1966)
The Shooting tells the exhilarating story of a former bounty hunter, Gashade, and his slow-witted friend Coley, who are offered $1,000 by a mysterious woman to guide her to a place in the middle of the desert. Unwillingly teamed up with the rude woman, Gashade and Coley soon realize that they are being followed by Billy Spear, a gunslinger who plans on killing them all.
A Genre-Defying Story
The Shooting pairs its striking visuals with the beautiful landscape of the Old West and strips back the facades of most Westerns by being genre-defying and psychologically complex. Its story is one fueled by themes of revenge and redemption, and it features Jack Nicholson in one of his most nuanced early roles.
Moreover, legendary director Monte Hellman uses a surreal and minimalist style to explore the narrative. The fact that the movie retains a perfect 100% rating over five decades later is in itself remarkable. Stream The Shooting on Fubo TV.
3 The Grey Fox (1982)
As one of the most successful and fearless robbers of his time, Bill Miner finds himself confounded by the new world as a 60-something man, broke and desperate for one last score after 30 years in prison. He watches The Great Train Robbery and wishes to recreate the dame in real life. After meticulously planning his comeback in modern times, he falls for a photographer named Katherine Flynn. But Miner isn’t one to settle down.
Elegant Neo-Western with Great Performances
The Grey Fox is directed by Phillip Borsos, who crafts an elegant neo-Western and uses the film’s hero, Richard Farnsworth, to its complete and utter benefit. Farnsworth’s portrayal of Miner, a man out of time, brings an unusual sensitivity to the characters. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who gave it a perfect score, were surprised by the movie’s meditation on progress and adapting to change, mentioning how “director Philip Borsos’ aim is true — as is Richard Farnsworth’s work in the title role.” Rent The Grey Fox on Apple TV.
2 My Darling Clementine (1946)
Another masterpiece crafted by John Ford at the height of his directing powers, My Darling Clementine takes you to a small frontier town and introduces you to Wyatt Earp and his brothers, who arrive in Tombstone and learn that the lawless town harbors dark secrets. When they wake up the next morning, Wyatt finds that one of his brothers is dead and their cattle have been rustled. What ensues is a lot of violence and emotionally rich performances.
Another Great Henry Fonda Performance
Based on 32 reviews, the critics consensus for My Darling Clementine on Rotten Tomatoes calls the film “canny and coolly confident” as well as appreciates its characterization by praising Henry Fonda’s character, noting that it is “a definitive dramatization of the Wyatt Earp legend that shoots from the hip and hits its target in breezy style.” That said, because the movie is a thoughtful rendering of the period that led up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, it emits both a sweet innocence and enduring frontier conflict. Rent My Darling Clementine on Apple TV.
1 Old Yeller (1957)
Old Yeller
- Release Date
- December 25, 1957
- Director
- Robert Stevenson
- Cast
- Dorothy McGuire , Fess Parker , Jeff York , Chuck Connors , Beverly Washburn , Tommy Kirk
- Runtime
- 83
Walt Disney’s coming-of-age Western drama is set in pre-Civil War Texas, where young Travis Coates lives with his mother and younger brother Arliss. One day, when he sets off to work, he gets a big surprise when a shaggy stray dog shows up and claims the Coates family farm as his new home. Despite being repulsive toward the dog’s habit of stealing, Travis decides to keep the dog after he saves Arliss from a wild boar and names him Old Yeller. Their bountiful adventures come to a heart-wrenching end when rabies threatens the region.
A True Tear-Jerker
Director Robert Stevenson adapted Old Yeller from a novel of the same name and added as much sensitivity, care, and poignancy to the tear-jerking narrative as its source material. A Western that can be appreciated by audiences of all ages, it stars Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, and a yellow Mastador named Spike.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Old Yeller has the approval rating of 100% based on 22 critics’ reviews, with one of them commenting on its portrayal of youth and the friendship between humans and their furry best friends, saying it packs “an emotional wallop through smart pacing and a keen understanding of the elemental bond.” Stream Old Yeller on Disney+.
