Movies

18 Best Westerns of All Time to Stream on Netflix, Prime & More in April

18 Best Westerns of All Time to Stream on Netflix, Prime & More in April
Image credit: The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films

The Western is certainly a strange genre. In the early days of Hollywood, tales of cowboys and outlaws dominated the box office, starring the greatest actors and directed by the most talented directors. Over the years, however, the Western's popularity waned, and the seminal American film genre became firmly associated with the B-movie industry.

But even though most moviegoers now look down on westerns, the genre shouldn't be dismissed as a bad one, because even though some of the westerns look dated and have shady morals, others are actually worth watching.

Here are the 18 best Westerns of all time, available on streaming platforms in April 2024:

As you've probably noticed, most of the movies on this list are pretty old, but don't let that stop you from watching them. After all, the heyday of westerns ended in the 80s, and there were many wonderful films released before that.

However, we decided to include some modern films to spice up the list - even if the western is no longer considered mainstream by Hollywood, some contemporary directors are still experimenting with it and breaking new ground in terms of depicting cowboys and American settlers.

If you were ever looking for a reason to dive into the Western canon, consider this list to be that reason!