Summary

• Modern Western films in the 2010s are critical of the genre's flaws and push boundaries.
• The Beguiled and The Salvation offer unique takes on the Western genre, exploring new territory.
• Films like Bone Tomahawk and Meek's Cutoff challenge traditional Western narratives and highlight diverse perspectives.

The Western movies that premiered in the 2010s are some of the most interesting and special, despite so few audience having seen the films. As the Western genre moves into the contemporary era, fans most familiar with Westerns are keenly aware of the problems and attributes that accompany these films. When I watch classic Western movies, I'm not afraid to critique them, as being a fan of something means being aware of its flaws. Recent Westerns share this love and similarly look back at their legacy with a critical eye.

While some audiences might think of the Coen Brothers when contemplating the modern Western, these famed directors are merely the tip of the iceberg.

The best Westerns of the 1950s, and those made in the 20th century, might be more famous and influential than those from recent years, but this is more a matter of time than longevity. As someone who grew up watching the best of Western cinema, it's exciting to see them coming back stronger than ever, and with increased innovation. While some audiences might think of the Coen Brothers when contemplating the modern Western, these famed directors are merely the tip of the iceberg. Filmmakers blending genres, centering on new voices, and traversing new territory have made the 2010s memorable.

10 The Beguiled (2017)

Directed by Sofia Coppola

The remake of the 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood, The Beguiled, was an interesting project for the director, Sofia Coppola, but the story played to Coppola's strength. Girlhood and the female experience are too rarely overlooked in Western movies, which can alienate a large audience group that would otherwise be interested in the genre. The Beguiled borders on being a Western, set during the Civil War, and devolving into a complex thriller that explores how isolation and rigid gender roles can build into violent confrontations.

Though there are many great female Western heroes in movie history, the characters in The Beguiled are not any of them. It's true that The Beguiled isn't for the faint of heart, and hasn't been hailed as Coppola's best work, but its atmosphere and the sense of dread it builds throughout the story is gripping until the very end. Though The Beguiled isn't instantly recognizable as part of the Western canon, upon further reflection, it demonstrates exactly what makes the 2010s so iconic. It pushes boundaries, taking an existing story and creating something entirely original.

Watch The Beguiled on Netflix.

9 The Salvation (2014)

Directed by Kristian Levring

While watching a Western, I can sometimes be taken out of the film if the actors are too recognizable, having become institutions in their own right.

Mads Mikkelsen cuts an instantly recognizable figure in The Salvation, as do his costars, Eva Green and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. While watching a Western, I can sometimes be taken out of the film if the actors are too recognizable, having become institutions in their own right. However, in The Salvation, the way each actor slips into their role and immerses the viewer so completely with their performances and moves easily within the story's world is impressive. The film is even more interesting when viewed through the lens of the Danish filmmakers behind the production.

Watch The Salvation on Hulu, AMC+, or Prime Video.

Part of the history of the American West is the number of immigrants who populated it, and the stark differences between their home and the new land they were experiencing. The Salvation is an intense and difficult film that doesn't shy away from the violence the Western genre made its name on. However, it also pays tribute to the beauty of the landscape and the juxtaposition between this and the cruelty of those intent on making it their home.

8 In A Valley Of Violence (2016)

Directed by Ti West

Ti West has recently made his name with the X movies, with the next installment, MaXXXine coming out in July 2024, but his early take on the Western shouldn't be forgotten. In a Valley of Violence might be a lesser-known addition to Ethan Hawke's best movies, but it allows him to flex different muscles than the romantic and dramatic realism he's best known for. He's a compelling hero in the film and is uniquely suited to the blend of gore, comedy, and gunslinging fun that populates the world of In a Valley of Violence.

It's an especially niche film, as even in its limited release, In a Valley of Violence was seen by few at the box office. However, revisiting it today reveals a sense of humor that fits contemporary sensibilities. In many ways, the film was well ahead of its time, and will likely find a home in the hearts of younger generations. Those expecting a traditional Western format from In a Valley of Violence might be disappointed by the lack of melodrama. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the film brought the story back to basics, letting the tight script sing.

7 Red Hill (2010)

Directed by Patrick Hughes

Today, interacting with this past and centering the voices of Indigenous filmmakers and actors is paramount if the Western genre wants to continue and find new life in the coming decades.

Australian Westerns are a vital part of the genre. Though Red Hill is no exception, it suffers a similar fate as others and is relatively unknown, even in cinephile circles. It was an early outing for Patrick Hughes and a signal of what was to come. Hughes went on to corner films in the action market. This is unsurprising considering how well the action and fight scenes are choreographed in Red Hill. Though Westerns are well-known for including fantastic shootouts, Red Hill doesn't limit itself to this, requiring the audience to sit up and pay attention.

There aren't many big names in the cast, which could point to its underperformance in theaters, but the actors are just as compelling, if not more, as the biggest stars out there. Unlike certain American Westerns that have the same history underlying their stories, Red Hill is directly in conversation with the treatment of the Indigenous peoples who were forced off their land by white settlers. Today, interacting with this past and centering the voices of Indigenous filmmakers and actors is paramount if the Western genre wants to continue and find new life in the coming decades.

6 Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Directed by S. Craig Zahler

Kurt Russell is at his best in Bone Tomahawk, a film that has grown in popularity since its release but is still relatively unknown by many Western fans. It's brutal, violent, gory, and as much a part of the horror genre as it is the Western. There are intense fight scenes that don't hold back from displaying graphic cannibalistic acts. Clocking in at an over two-hour runtime, Bone Tomahawk makes the viewer sit with the toughest moments of the story, However, there are also a surprising number of comedic moments, as Bone Tomahawk is critical of all its characters.

For those with a squeamish side, Bone Tomahawk might be a Western to avoid, as some of the most gruesome scenes were difficult for me to watch. There are moments of extreme racism in the film, but they are not perpetuated and celebrated by the story, as early examples of Westerns are frequently guilty of. Every character is to be condemned in Bone Tomahawk, and if the audience feels uncomfortable while watching, it means the film is doing its job. Critics have long been fans of the movie, and as time es, more Western buffs realize they should be too.

5 Wind River (2017)

Directed by Taylor Sheridan

Before Taylor Sheridan made history with the Yellowstone franchise, catapulting neo-Western TV into the forefront of the modern audience's minds, he made a mark on film as well.

Before Taylor Sheridan made history with the Yellowstone franchise, catapulting neo-Western TV into the forefront of the modern audience's minds, he made a mark on film as well. Wind River is one of his best movies, starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen as unlikely allies during a criminal investigation that centers on the violence and abuse that disproportionately affects Indigenous women. When watching Wind River, audiences should be aware that the film doesn't shy away from these topics, but this is what Sheridan intended when taking on this subject.

Sheridan's depiction of Indigenous communities isn't perfect, but it's better than other filmmakers that operate in the Western genre. More than anything, watching Wind River is a reminder of how much the Western genre and all of cinema needs to center on Indigenous voices. Both in tackling serious subjects like this and also in portraying moments of joy and connection. I wouldn't advise viewers looking for a fast-paced thrill ride to watch Wind River, but it soars in its niche as a slow-burn, human story.

Watch Wind River on Prime Video.

4 The Sisters Brothers (2018)

Directed by Jacques Audiard

The Sisters Brothers is the epitome of the contemporary Western. It incorporates tongue-in-cheek humor, is told from the perspectives of two would-be antagonists, and revels in its own violence. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly as the titular brothers, the movie makes good use of the actors' chemistry, which is imperative for The Sisters Brothers to succeed. Also featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed, the film boasts very few female characters, but this is not shocking, even for a Western made in the modern day.

What The Sisters Brothers does best is make the audience laugh, but not in a way that makes them groan. The Sisters Brothers came out at a time when films were becoming too self-aware for their own good, constantly winking at the viewer to ensure everyone knew the producers were in on the joke. This grows tiresome almost immediately, but The Sisters Brothers narrowly avoids being lumped into this category. It's smart, but not so smart that it tries to trick us as the audience, opting instead to invite us along for the ride.

3 Meek's Cutoff (2010)

Directed by Kelly Reichardt

For those who grew up watching Michelle Williams play Jen on Dawson's Creek, watching her work across a variety of genres is a treat. Also known for her work in the romantic Western, Brokeback Mountain, Williams is right at home in Meek's Cutoff. A high-stakes movie that's a marathon, not a sprint. She and her female counterparts show that while gunslingers make for fun protagonists, Westerns where the hero isn't a gunslinger are just as valuable. Her character, Emily, is at the mercy of the inadequate male leaders of her traveling party for far too long.

While you root for Emily and her party to survive, part of you knows that with them comes violence and devastation that lasts centuries.

Though the characters turn on each other quickly, the real antagonist of Meek's Cutoff is the West and the brutal reality of being unprepared for survival in a new environment. When watching Meek's Cutoff, I view it through the lens of the filmmaker, Kelly Reichardt, commenting on the ill-equipped and invasive journey of white settlers entering the West. While you root for Emily and her party to survive, part of you knows that with them comes violence and devastation that lasts centuries.

2 The Rider (2017)

Directed by Chloé Zhao

The Rider is an incredibly emotional work from Chloé Zhao that brought attention to her phenomenal work as a filmmaker. Going on to make both Nomadland and The Eternals, Zhao has continuously proven that the Western and action genres don't have to be solely made up of male filmmakers. The Rider is an achievement for many reasons, but notably because the Lakota Sioux actors in the film all play fictionalized versions of themselves telling a story about events that happened to them. Partial documentary style of filmmaking is something Zhao has become famous for.

Watch The Rider on Hulu or Prime Video.

Watching The Rider is moving for the audience, and I found myself getting caught up in the film’s story. It’s easy to forget that these actors are proof everyone makes it out of the story alright. However, I cared deeply for them and the outcome of their story, even though the dialogue and exposition are sparse. The Rider is relationship-driven, but one of the biggest relationships in the film is between Brady Blackburn (Brady Jandreau) and his idea of what a man and a cowboy should be.

1 Hell Or High Water (2016)

Directed by David Mackenzie

The realities of poverty in the West and the line between right and wrong are grappled with in Hell or High Water.

Directed by David Mackenzie and written by acclaimed Western filmmaker, Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water was a moderate success compared to Sheridan's other work. However, there are big names, like Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges, featured in leading roles that the actors flesh out beautifully. The realities of poverty in the West and the line between right and wrong are grappled with in Hell or High Water. This made me question who I was rooting for throughout the movie. An interrogation of the role of law enforcement in a so-called lawless land always intrigues me.

While Bridges' Marcus is on the side of the law, Pine's Toby arguably has the moral high ground because the crimes he's committing are in the name of protecting his family. The chemistry and extended game of cat-and-mouse between Toby and Marcus are central to the conflict and stakes of the film and reiterate to the audiences that this new type of Western might have the background of a more "civilized" society, but the essential questions are the same. Incorporating aspects of classic heist movies also shows how contemporary interests align with explorations of multiple genres.