9 Forgotten Western Movie Masterpieces That Have Aged Perfectly

There are plenty of Westerns out there that are often slept on when compared to the more iconic pictures headlined by the likes of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. For several decades, the horse opera dominated the big screen, which means that not every gunslinging adventure could be as memorable as the last. That's not to say that these forgotten films are bad, just that they're often left to the wayside in favor of the genre's more popular pictures.

To clarify, when we say "forgotten," we should note that, for some, these films may still be beloved. But for some reason or another, each of these Westerns has been either left behind, overshadowed, or failed to be highlighted the way they deserve to be. Well, we're acknowledging them now for what they really are: masterpieces of the Western genre that deserve another look.

9 'The Naked Spur' (1953)

In the 1950s, Jimmy Stewart and director Anthony Mann were a powerhouse duo that rivaled John Wayne and John Ford. The two made Winchester '73, Bend of the River, and eventually The Man from Laramie, but perhaps the most overlooked masterpiece in their collaborative genius is The Naked Spur. The film is a tight psychological drama that follows bounty hunter Howard Kemp (Stewart), who will stop at nothing to catch the outlaw Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan), pursuing him into the forested mountains.

The Naked Spur is so well-written that it was actually nominated for an Oscar, and it certainly deserved to win. The claustrophobic, noir-inspired atmosphere, the psychological stimulation, and Stewart's unmatched performance do wonders for the picture. In the end, The Naked Spur stands with the best of the star's filmography, with a brilliant conclusion that wraps it all up in style.

8 'Seven Men From Now' (1956)

Penned by prolific Western writer Burt Kennedy, directed by genre powerhouse Budd Boetticher, and produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions, Seven Men From Now (also styled as 7 Men From Now) would have already been impressive if Randolph Scott hadn't been the star. But because Scott plays former sheriff Ben Stride, the material is elevated to another level. Torn with grief after having lost his wife in a botched robbery, the ex-lawman takes matters into his own hands to hunt down the seven men responsible.

Seven Men From Now is a Western revenge thriller that is a hit with whoever actually gives it a chance. It's a brilliant showdown of guts and wits that pushes the boundaries of traditional Western morality — especially at that time. Of course, it came out the same year as The Searchers, so it never had a chance as far as popularity is concerned, but Scott delivers a powerful tale of personal redemption worthy of a ride through the Old West.

7 'Johnny Guitar' (1954)

Johnny Guitar is not exactly your traditional Western fare, but it's certainly one that you have to give a shot after you've seen the classics. With Joan Crawford as the hardened saloon-owner Vienna and Sterling Hayden as the titular gunslinger himself, things get complicated for Vienna when the locals, led by the enraging Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), try to run her out of town. Mix in an outlaw gang that doesn't know what's good for them, and the title hero finds himself in far more trouble than he bargained for — but love keeps him there.

It may be a B-Western at heart, but Johnny Guitar is one of the most original and stylish horse operas on this list. Not only do Crawford and Hayden simply knock it out of the park, but if you've heard any good things about this one at all, then you've probably heard it right. Despite the name, Johnny Guitar is one of the few truly remarkable Westerns to feature a female protagonist, and yet it's so much more than just that.

6 'Silverado' (1985)

When the guy who wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back decides to make a Western, maybe you ought to give it a try. Lawrence Kasdan's take on the Wild West follows a band of four misfits — Kevin Kline's Paden, Scott Glenn's Emmett, Danny Glover's Mal, and a young (and wild) Kevin Costner's Jake — as they find themselves fighting for justice in the titular frontier town. You'd be hard-pressed to find a band of more likable gunslingers than this.

In many ways, Silverado is both a caricature of and a love letter to the Western genre, but it's one with character, heart, and plenty of action to go around. It may be a story you've seen in a Western or three before, but never quite like this. With this 1985 adventure, Kasdan looks back at a genre that (at the time) had begun to fade, offering an adventurous take on where it might go next. It's truly a blast.

5 'Pale Rider' (1985)

Just because Clint Eastwood is the most recognizable face in the genre doesn't mean that some of his best works can't be slept on. In this case, we're talking about Pale Rider, which hit theaters the same year as Silverado. A more traditional take on the horse opera, the film follows a mysterious Preacher (Eastwood) who wanders into the middle of a conflict between a mining baron and local prospectors and homesteaders under his thumb. As the drifter gets involved, things escalate to an impressive showdown.

If some of that sounds a lot like Shane, it's because Pale Rider is essentially a soft remake of the 1953 picture, but it's never trapped by the original narrative. While the ending of the film also echoes Eastwood's earlier work in High Plains Drifter, the spiritual themes woven throughout the film — whose title is a direct reference to Revelation 6:8 — are quite thoughtful for an Eastwood shoot-'em-up, enhancing the material to something a bit more masterful. It's not quite Unforgiven, but we can see how Eastwood is maturing as both an actor and a director in that direction.

4 'Comanche Station' (1960)

Another Randolph Scott adventure, Comanche Station is a classic that almost feels as if it hit theaters about a decade too late. Still, it's another breathtaking collaboration between Scott, Budd Boetticher, and Burt Kennedy that lives up to the hype. After Jefferson Cody (Scott) rescues Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates) from a Comanche raiding party, the pair find themselves caught between the aforementioned Indians and a trio of black hats hoping to cash in on the reward for the previously captured woman. It's a traditional Western in every sense, but not without its emotional layers.

The last of Boetticher's Ranown Cycle of Westerns, Comanche Station is almost like the story of a noble knight who wanders cursed lands to rescue a fair lady from her captors, only with an Old West backdrop that tosses the whole thing into the 19th century. Scott is grand as ever this time around, and although Comanche Station recycles material from some of his previous collaborations with Boetticher, it perfects them here like none other. While it may feel quite traditional on the surface, as we learn more about Cody and his motivations, we begin to understand that there's more nuance to the mythic portrayals of the West than typically meets the eye.

3 'Lonely Are the Brave' (1962)

While certainly billed as a Western, Lonely Are the Brave is actually a neo-Western that takes in (then) contemporary times as Kirk Douglas' Jack Burns struggles with the progressive nature of modernity as he fights for the rugged individualism of the Old West. After his friend is jailed, Jack (himself a Korean War veteran) plans to break him out, only to find himself in a heap of trouble with the law. With a tragic ending, Lonely Are the Brave is a pale reminder that the age of the Wild West is over.

Despite being set in the 1960s, this Kirk Douglas triumph still feels very much like a traditional Western. Jack Burns feels as if he's been ripped from the pages of an Old West dime novel, and the way he interacts with the 20th century people around him almost makes him seem as if he's from another time. It's the film's meditations on the death of the mythic West and how the old ways, as Jack longs for, are long gone that make the result so powerful.

2 '3:10 to Yuma' (1957)

Compared to the 2007 remake of the same name, the original 3:10 to Yuma is far too often overshadowed. Although the film generally follows the same story as the James Mangold-directed version, the original Delmer Daves picture is short, sweet, and entirely complete in an eventful 92 minutes. As rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) is tasked with seeing the captured outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to the train in question, the pair find common ground along the way. The chemistry between Ford and Heflin alone aged like fine wine.

A masterful adaptation of Elmore Leonard's short story, 3:10 to Yuma is a horse opera with style that effortlessly captures the severity of the situation while still offering moments of levity and pause. It also helped solidify Glenn Ford's status as the fastest gun in Hollywood. Easily one of the best Westerns of the '50s, 3:10 to Yuma is a true classic. Fans of the remake will love the original, which ends a bit differently than you might expect.

1 'Open Range' (2003)

Arguably the most underrated Western that Kevin Costner has made, Open Range is an epic set in early 1880s Montana, as Costner's Charley Waite and Robert Duvall's Boss Spearman drive their cattle through an unwelcoming town. As they do so, their men are harassed, their property damaged, and their pride continually dashed by a ruthless Irish cattleman (played by the late Michael Gambon) who has no trouble killing his enemies. But when Charley and Boss fight back, things get out of hand fast.

In addition to being a powerful tale about the mythic West that juxtaposes revisionist tendencies with more traditional staples, Open Range is an exceptional piece of work that gives Costner and Duvall profound material to explore. The pair is simply dynamite on the screen together, and if you were to pick any one of Costner's several Westerns to revisit, this is most likely the one left behind. It's a real shame, too, because Open Range is arguably the most satisfying of the bunch, with deeply layered characters and a love story that comes together quite excellently in the end.