While the ’80s weren’t the peak of westerns, the decade produced some excellent work. Here are the top 10 best western movies that have been ranked by IMDb.
Top 10: Heaven’s Gate
Heaven’s Gate was released in 1980 and was a box office flop with disastrous sales, but the film is still considered by critics as one of the best westerns of the decade. The film stars Kris Kristofferson as a sheriff who defends a group of immigrants against a cattle association that intends to remove them from the area by force.
Top 9: The Tom Horn Movie
The story is based on the works of the real life of Horn, who was once a scout and hired bodyguard in the West. In the film, Horn is hired by a group of cattle owners to remove rust from the area, but upon completing the task, they accuse him of murder.
Top 8: The movie Young Guns
The action film follows the exploits of Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez) and his gang during the Lincoln County War in the New Mexico Territory in the 1870s. Often referred to as the “Brat Pack Western,” the film starring some famous actors such as Emilio Estevez, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen.
Top 7: The Long Riders
The Long Riders is the story of the rise and fall of the James-Younger gang in post-Civil War Missouri. What sets The Long Riders apart from other western films is that the producer decided to cast real-life brothers to play four different brothers in the film.
Top 6: The Quick and The Dead
The Quick and The Dead is a critically acclaimed television series based on the novel by Louis L’Amour and aired on HBO. The film follows the McKaskel family threatened by bandits as they travel west through Wyoming Territory in the 1870s.
Top 5: Silverado . movie
One of the best examples of the 1980s West, Silverado is the story of four men and their troubles in the town of Silverado. The film features an all-star cast that includes Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Rosanna Arquette and John Cleese.
Top 4: The Man From Snowy River
Based on a poem by 19th-century Banjo Paterson, the film tells the story of a young man who leads a wild life with a pack of his horses. Unlike other western films of the period, The Man From Snowy River is less violent and has a healthier tone.
Top 3: Pale Rider Movie
The film stars the actor most attached to the Western film genre, Clint Eastwood. He produced, directed, and starred in the film as The Preacher, whose mission is to protect a group of prospectors from the mining company’s threat of violence.
Top 2: The Gray Fox
The film tells the story of Bill Miner, a robber digger after serving 33 years in prison. Farnsworth shines as the miner, a real-life bandit affectionately known as “The Gentleman Bandit”. The film was critically acclaimed for its stunning shots of British Columbia, Canada, and a superb soundtrack by traditional Irish folk band, The Chieftains.
Top 1: Best Western Film – Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove was the best western of the ’80s and brought the genre back to life in the ’90s with a wave of releases like Dances With Wolves, Tombstone and Unforgiven. The film stars Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones and it is an epic mini-series about the West that has won over viewers with its perfect blend of adventure, romance, triumph and tragedy. .
Source: 10 Best Westerns Of The 1980s, Ranked By IMDb
