10 Black Westerns to Watch, If You Can’t Get Over Beyonce’s Latest Drop

If there's one thing that's great about westerns, it's that they can be relatable to everyone. With the genre making a comeback in pop culture with Taylor Sheridan 's Yellowstone, Beyone's latest release, eighth studio album Cowboy Carter, is sure to bring even more people into their Wild West era.

So get your cowboy hats and best Southern accents ready and prepare for a long journey through 10 of the best Black-led western movies out there.

Django Unchained (2012)

Though controversial for its portrayal of slavery and violence, Quentin Tarantino 's western has managed to win a slew of awards and nominations. The story of Django, who started out as a slave and ended up as a free hunter of the most vicious criminals, will forever remain a cinematic classic.

Harlem Rides The Range (1939)

This movie is interesting not only because of its plot, but also because of the mission behind it. It was no easy task in the late 30's to find a set for an all-Black western, but determined to give urban youth a true cowboy experience, the team prevailed and brought the story of two cowboys, Bob Blake and his sidekick Dusty, to the screen.

Wild Wild West (1999)

Wild Wild West may not be the best example of the genre, but that doesn't mean it isn't a highly entertaining movie. Starring Will Smith as U.S. Army Captain Jim West, along with Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, and Salma Hayek, this movie is an undeniable classic that may become one of your unexpected favorites.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Starring Kurt Russell, Channing Tatum, Walton Goggins and, of course, the one and only Samuel L. Jackson, The Hateful Eight has become one of the most recognizable classics of the 21st century. While some may find it predictable, others believe it to be the perfect escape from everyday reality.

The Harder They Fall (2021)

Following the best principles of inclusivity, Netflix released a dynamic ensemble western in 2021, with all of the main characters being Black. Not only that, but the film's characters are based on real-life cowboys, lawmen, and outlaws of the 19th-century American West, so it's safe to say it's educational.

Concrete Cowboy (2020)

This film showcases the more comedic approach to cowboy movies while exploring the life of the Black urban horsemanship community in the middle of Philadelphia through the modern lens of a troubled young teen. Expelled from school, Cole has one summer to learn what's wrong and what's right, and cowboy ethics may be the answer.

Surrounded (2023)

Five years after the Civil War, Mo, a Black woman and former Buffalo Soldier, travels west to claim a gold mine and ensure the well-being of her community. Disguised as a man and dodging the many dangers, she ends up at the center of an ambush, but instead of giving up, she captures the legendary outlaw.

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

This is an ensemble movie about the seven ruthless gunmen who all come from different backgrounds with one purpose: to protect the city from corrupt industrialists. The group is led by Denzel Washington's Sam Chisholm, and as you might expect, the whole movie is packed with impressive action sequences.

Buck and the Preacher (1972)

This may be one of the most popular Black westerns, and for good reason. It was the directorial debut of actor and political activist Sidney Poitier, which meant a lot to the underrepresented community. Besides, the journey of the railroad man and a former soldier named Buck will leave no one indifferent.

Posse (1993)

Directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles, Posse is set in 1898 Cuba and follows the story of African-American soldiers and an outcast white soldier who are all betrayed by a corrupt colonel. But instead of failing, they return to America and rid the local Black town of the KKK plague.