Top 10 Modern Westerns

these are hot takes on a classic genre welcome to watchmojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the top ten modern westerns nobody calls me Mad Dog especially not some dude it up egg-sucking gutter trash for this list we're focusing on westerns released in the year 1990 or after so you will not be finding any of Sergio Leone's iconic spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood on this list however we do recommend a binge watch of those after viewing our list number 10 the assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford I know Montez knows here dick he's one of the most notorious outlaws America has ever seen but it took an Australian director to provide a psychological portrait that made moviegoers see Jesse James in a new light can't see you that you won't be like me you won't be me arguably one of the most underrated films of modern times Andrew Dominic's character study produced jaw-dropping cinematography courtesy of the master Roger Deakins soon the thousand strangers will make a spellbound pilgrimages cottage or we're venerating the iced remains inside and Dayton's cooling room while Brad Pitt brought his usual coolness to the lead role it was Casey a flex performance as the Coward Robert Ford that pushed this modern Western to the next level albeit in a rather disturbing way well your pardon my saying so I guess it is interesting in many ways you and I overlap and whatnot number nine the quick and the dead once upon a time in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns Clint Eastwood played a vengeful man with no name it three coffins ready uh-huh this Sam Raimi production followed suit but with a gender reversal featuring a sharpshooting woman known as the lady brandishing Colt peacemakers Sharon Stone showed a few shooting techniques to a young Leonardo DiCaprio in a movie that also features Russell Crowe in his American cinema debut versus hurt he son of a [ __ ] sure the quicken the dead maybe can't be at times but Raimi successfully managed to combine classic Western themes with his own sense of modern aesthetics John Herod owns that house he gets 50 cents of every dollar in this sound what's the tone yet it gets to live number eight slow West then and OH aesthetically beautiful and finally acted it only takes a few minutes to recognize the artistry of this modern classic he was an officer wearing a dress dollmaker lady directed by musician John McClane slow West requires patience from viewers but the payoff is well worth it kill that house as an entitled Scottish lad travels West to find a lost love he comes across a few squirrely characters ready to teach a few lessons and a few tricks Joe went the river they took it with a vibrant palette of colors stylized direction and enriching performances slow West has widely been recognized as one of 2015's best independent films it's still not a mark on you you know yourself Payne I've tried believe me I have tried number seven dead man we're shooting about with this black-and-white surrealist trip Jim Jarmusch gave us a Western like we'd never seen before after all who doesn't want to see a reincarnation of poet William Blake on a Vision Quest Johnny Depp's troublemaking character messes around and takes a bullet close to the heart thus effectively sealing his fate as a dead man walking I never stopped love but such an injury forces a man to decide if he's going to get busy dying or get busy living and the concept of this film worked brilliantly with Jarmusch's crisp direction my mother was I'm gonna beep Akane my father is absolute cop this mixture was not respected number six the homesman all right I say pitch we pitch these guns house they any time [ __ ] got on this Tommy Lee Jones directorial outing will initially leave you unsure how you feel but that's often the sign of a great film we'd make a good team you and I could pull together were bad prosper don't you agree despite a lack of box-office success the homesman has been praised for the ensemble cast led by Hilary Swank who must guide a group of mentally ill women while coming to grips with her own desperation God there struck Paul New York to treat with a focus on the female perspective Tommy Lee Jones offered a new take on the Western by addressing the psychological and geographic turmoil that can make one slowly drift away inside of one's own mind number five tombstone with a back story steeped in controversy and violence this film tackled one of the greatest tales of the Old West Kevin Costner was initially set to collaborate with filmmaker Kevin jar on this film however fate would lead the actor to work on another wider project while George Pecos Mattos took over as director something on your mind just want to let you know you're sitting in my chair is that a fact yeah it's a fact even so the casting of Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer worked wonders as the great Robert Mitchum narrated their story of the law versus outlaws the power of the cowboy gang was broken forever plus the mood and tone make this Western a joy to watch Oh laughing I didn't think you ever laughs yeah I have laughs sometimes yes but how often number four 3:10 to Yuma based on the 1957 classic this modern take adhered to classic genre styles with brutal realism we have to bury him take the time do one great nice we'll do one for yourself Christian Bale starred as a Civil War veteran hired to deliver Russell Crowe's murderous outlaw on an afternoon train to the slammer you know squeezing that watch won't stop time any viewer should be advised that there will be blood but in a highly stylized manner perfect for such a genre with the steady hand of James Mangold directing the action and acclaimed cinematographer Faden Papa Michael exploring the landscape 3:10 to Yuma was a harsh depiction of a rough and deceitful world you got no right to do what you're done here me that's my life I'm next week it's not Evans number 3 Django Unchained yeah yes what yes I'm sure this Ellsberg speaking of artistic violence there's no better director for that than Quentin Tarantino for his stylized depiction of 19th century deep south he once again refused to embrace accepted norms god damn it this is a raid I can't see you can't see so what all that matters is can de canard see Django Unchained featured Jamie Foxx as a slave hoping to reunite with his long-lost wife and also starred Leonardo DiCaprio as the heartless owner of the Candy Land plantation gentlemen you had my curiosity now you have my attention Tarantino's film was polarizing on many levels but regardless of your personal opinion on the subject matter it remains an unforgettable Western about the good the bad and the ugly of American history lay your palms flat on that tabletop if you left those palms off that turtle shell tabletop mr. pooch is gonna let loose with both barrels that start off number two Unforgiven ain't very good with my knees if our list focused on the greatest westerns of all time the director and star of this cinematic classic would have a few there hey no wait a minute mark us hey kid kid you mean that's a kid shoot let us after years of cold-blooded killing and buckets of booze a grizzled outlaw retreats to a Midwestern pig farm only to be offered one last job just cuz we're going on this killin that don't mean I'm gonna go back to being the way I was I just need the money you know the story right well not so fast because Unforgiven transcends the average Western due to Eastwood's mastery of the genre even talking about the Queen again on Independence Day his psychological study of Western ideals and flawed characters helped unforgive and become only the third Western to win the Oscar for Best Picture I killed one man children kill just about everything to walk to crawl at one time or another and I'm here to kill you bill bill before we unveil our number one pick here are some honorable mentions oh no sergeant put your privates back in your pants and turn around go to steal never their horse we find ourselves a copper I play cards and call me a gambler I want to become an old gambler you on the other hand are a gunfighter and an exceptional one of that from what I hear so if I decided to go up against you I mean what chance would I have had answer zero what word am i trying for commiserate you and mr. Brad can come is already Chuck yeah stubs life listen to him son you don't wait you had to hear because they give you no choice don't go making this into something bad number one true grit in Texas will make do with a fire a little more than twigs Buffalo chips heat the nitration of beans just as westerns have made viewers cringe over the decades the idea of a remake often leads the general public to cringe even more I'm a federal officer who's in there I'm not finished and the son of a [ __ ] he says Rooster Cogburn Columbus Potter and five other marshals is out here with me however when the Coen brothers signed on to update the 1969 John Wayne film everybody seemed to understand that the final product would become a new Western classic I want him to know that he's being punished for killing my father leg until his face spit on him like meats and out of the road I'll hold him down and so as a 14 year old girl enlists a gruff deputy marshal to track down her father's killer the Coen brothers complimented the brilliant ensemble cast with their usual aesthetic skill and paid their respects to a beloved jarrah of film I have come to take you back to Fort Smith well will not go how do you like that do you agree with our list is this heaven what's your favorite modern Western I get the sense you don't care for me much mr. ooh for more mind-blowing top 10s published every day be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com it seems every day ends with a miracle here

Channel: WatchMojo.com

Views: 1,485,948

Rating: 4.7142859 out of 5

Keywords: films, movies, westerns, modern westerns, the assasination of jesse james, the quick and the dead, slow west, dead man, the homesman, tombstone, true grit, unforgiven, django unchained, top 10, watchmojo

Id: 9dbHg_8Vc3I

Length: 14min 16sec (856 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 22 2015