Top 25 Modern Westerns

The modern Western stretches from dusty period pieces to present day frontier stories that borrow classic imagery. Filmmakers have used the genre to explore law, land, and survival with new settings and voices. You will see remakes and originals, theatrical hits and limited series, and both American and international entries. Each pick notes key creators, cast, setting, and what the story covers so you can decide what to watch next.

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

The Coen brothers adapt Cormac McCarthy’s novel into a borderlands pursuit set in West Texas. The film follows a hunter who finds drug money, a relentless hitman, and a weary sheriff who investigates. It stars Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones with production across Texas and New Mexico. It won multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Bardem.

‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)

Taylor Sheridan wrote this contemporary bank heist Western set in rural Texas. Two brothers rob branches of the bank that holds their family ranch while a Texas Ranger tracks them. Chris Pine and Ben Foster play the brothers with Jeff Bridges as the Ranger. The film was shot in New Mexico and received multiple Oscar nominations.

‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007)

Andrew Dominik directs this period Western about the final months of Jesse James. Brad Pitt portrays James and Casey Affleck plays Robert Ford, focusing on their uneasy bond. Cinematographer Roger Deakins used natural light and period locations in Canada. The film earned critical recognition for its photography and Affleck received an Academy Award nomination.

‘True Grit’ (2010)

The Coen brothers reimagine the Charles Portis novel with a focus on the teenage narrator. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Mattie Ross alongside Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon as a Texas Ranger. The story follows a pursuit into Indian Territory after her father’s killer. The film was shot in New Mexico and Texas and earned multiple Oscar nominations.

‘The Proposition’ (2005)

This Australian Western is set in the outback in the 1880s. John Hillcoat directs from a screenplay by Nick Cave with Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, and Emily Watson starring. The plot centers on a colonial lawman who makes a brutal offer to capture a notorious gang leader. Filming took place in Queensland and the score was composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

‘The Revenant’ (2015)

Alejandro G. Iñárritu tells a survival story inspired by the experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy star in a tale of injury, betrayal, and endurance along the upper Missouri River. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shot with natural light in Canada and Argentina. The film won Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography.

‘Django Unchained’ (2012)

Quentin Tarantino crafts a pre Civil War Western that follows a freed man searching for his wife. Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, and Leonardo DiCaprio lead the cast. The production filmed across Louisiana, California, and Wyoming with a soundtrack that blends genres. The film won two Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay.

‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007)

James Mangold directs this remake of the 1957 film based on an Elmore Leonard story. Christian Bale plays a struggling rancher who volunteers to escort an outlaw to a train, with Russell Crowe as the charismatic outlaw. The action unfolds in Arizona territory with production in New Mexico. The film emphasizes the dangerous journey to the 3:10 train to Yuma.

‘The Hateful Eight’ (2015)

Quentin Tarantino sets a post Civil War story inside a snowbound Wyoming way station. The ensemble includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Walton Goggins. It was shot on 65mm film with an original score by Ennio Morricone. A special roadshow version premiered with an overture and intermission.

‘Bone Tomahawk’ (2015)

S. Craig Zahler blends frontier rescue with horror elements in the American West. Kurt Russell leads a small posse into remote territory to find kidnapped townspeople. The supporting cast includes Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and Richard Jenkins. The film was produced on a modest budget and filmed in California.

‘Meek’s Cutoff’ (2010)

Kelly Reichardt’s film follows a wagon train crossing the Oregon High Desert in 1845. Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, and Paul Dano portray settlers and a guide navigating scarce water and uncertain routes. The production used period accurate costumes and practical locations in Oregon. The story focuses on survival decisions made under limited information.

‘Open Range’ (2003)

Kevin Costner directs and stars in this cattlemen versus rancher conflict set in Montana. Robert Duvall co stars with Annette Bening in a narrative about free grazers protecting their livelihood. The film features extensive location work in Alberta with constructed frontier towns. It is noted for its meticulous staging of a climactic gunfight.

‘The Power of the Dog’ (2021)

Jane Campion adapts Thomas Savage’s novel set in 1920s Montana. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit McPhee form the central family dynamic. Production took place in New Zealand with detailed period ranch design. The film received numerous awards including an Academy Award for Best Director.

‘Deadwood’ (2004–2006)

David Milch’s series chronicles law, business, and crime in a South Dakota gold camp. The cast includes Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, and Molly Parker with stories drawn from historical figures. Sets recreated the muddy streets and saloons of the 1870s with extensive production design. A concluding film titled ‘Deadwood: The Movie’ arrived in 2019 with returning cast.

‘The Rider’ (2017)

Chloé Zhao works with non professional actors from the rodeo community to tell a contemporary Western story. Brady Jandreau plays a horse trainer recovering from a serious head injury. The film was shot in South Dakota and blends narrative scenes with real life details. It explores family roles, ranch work, and the risks of bronc riding.

‘Wind River’ (2017)

Taylor Sheridan sets this crime Western on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen investigate a death in winter conditions with assistance from tribal authorities. Production filmed in Utah to capture snowbound landscapes. The story incorporates jurisdictional issues and a final title card lists related statistics.

‘1883’ (2021–2022)

This limited series follows a wagon train traveling from Texas toward Montana. Taylor Sheridan created the show with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott leading the cast. Filming occurred across Texas and Montana with large scale sets and livestock coordination. The series presents the origin of the Dutton family line introduced in ‘Yellowstone’.

‘The Harder They Fall’ (2021)

Jeymes Samuel directs a revisionist Western centered on Black outlaws and lawmen. Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield headline the ensemble. The film draws names from historical figures while telling an original story. Production took place in New Mexico with stylized sets and a modern soundtrack.

‘Godless’ (2017)

Scott Frank’s limited series is set in a New Mexico mining town largely populated by women after a disaster. Jeff Daniels and Jack O’Connell lead a cast that includes Michelle Dockery and Merritt Wever. The story spans several towns and ranches with location work across New Mexico. The series runs seven episodes and concludes its narrative within that season.

‘The Sisters Brothers’ (2018)

Jacques Audiard adapts Patrick deWitt’s novel about hired guns traveling from Oregon to California. Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly play the brothers with Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed in key roles. The production filmed in Spain and Romania while recreating the American West. The plot involves a hunt for a chemist during the Gold Rush.

‘News of the World’ (2020)

Paul Greengrass directs this post Civil War journey across Texas. Tom Hanks plays a newsreader who agrees to escort a young girl back to her family. Cinematography highlights open country and small settlements with production in New Mexico and Texas. The film received Oscar nominations in technical categories and score.

‘Hostiles’ (2017)

Scott Cooper’s film follows a U.S. Army officer tasked with escorting a Cheyenne chief to Montana. Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike star with supporting roles by Wes Studi and Ben Foster. Filming locations include New Mexico and Arizona with emphasis on natural landscapes. The story tracks multiple stops through frontier forts and settlements.

‘Appaloosa’ (2008)

Ed Harris directs and stars in this adaptation of Robert B. Parker’s novel. Viggo Mortensen co stars as a town marshal’s deputy facing a rancher played by Jeremy Irons. The production built sets in New Mexico to depict the title town. It features period firearms, courtroom scenes, and a focus on legal authority.

‘The Salvation’ (2014)

Kristian Levring’s Western was produced in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Mads Mikkelsen plays a settler who faces a gang leader after a family tragedy. Filming took place near Johannesburg with wide arid vistas. The cast includes Eva Green and Jeffrey Dean Morgan and uses English dialogue.

‘Slow West’ (2015)

John Maclean directs a coming of age Western set during a trek across the American frontier. Kodi Smit McPhee plays a Scottish teenager guided by a drifter portrayed by Michael Fassbender. The film was shot in New Zealand with visual effects used to create prairie horizons. It premiered at Sundance and won the World Cinema Jury Prize.

Share your favorite modern Westerns in the comments and tell us which ones we should add next.