The best westerns of all time
The top 3 according to 258 votes from people: The Searchers · High Noon · Unforgiven. (Updated Jul 17, 2025.)
The American Film Institute's top 10 westerns, led by The Searchers, plus the Italian and later westerns that top critics' and audiences' lists.
Top 14
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1
The Searchers
John Ford, 1956. John Wayne's obsessive search for his niece; AFI's number one western.
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2
High Noon
Fred Zinnemann, 1952. Gary Cooper alone against the outlaws, in real time.
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3
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood, 1992. An ageing killer's last job; four Oscars, including Best Picture.
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4
Shane
George Stevens, 1953. A gunfighter defends a family of homesteaders: 'Come back, Shane!'
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5
Red River
Howard Hawks, 1948. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift on a cattle drive; the biggest western on AFI's list.
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6
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sergio Leone, 1966. Three men, a buried treasure and Morricone's score.
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7
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Robert Altman, 1971. Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in a muddy mining town, with Leonard Cohen songs.
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8
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
John Ford, 1962. James Stewart and John Wayne: 'When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.'
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9
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
George Roy Hill, 1969. Paul Newman and Robert Redford as charming outlaws.
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10
The Wild Bunch
Sam Peckinpah, 1969. A revisionist western soaked in violence.
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11
Stagecoach
John Ford, 1939. The film that made John Wayne a star and Monument Valley iconic.
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12
Once Upon a Time in the West
Sergio Leone, 1968. Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda and the harmonica.
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13
Rio Bravo
Howard Hawks, 1959. A sheriff, a drunk and a kid hold a jail against a gang.
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14
Cat Ballou
Elliot Silverstein, 1965. A western comedy; Lee Marvin won the Oscar for his double role.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (1)
The Searchers at #1, John Ford's masterpiece.