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The 80s weren't exactly the golden era for Westerns, but dig a bit, and you'll find gems that still sparkle in 2024.
It's like everyone was so focused on sci-fi and action, they missed a few crackers in the Western genre.
1. "The Grey Fox" (1982) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
After serving 33 years for stagecoach robbery, Bill Miner, known as the "Gentleman Bandit," is released into the 20th century and, finding no place for himself in this new world, returns to his old ways by robbing trains.
2. "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez" (1982) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
After a misunderstanding leads to a deadly shootout, Gregorio Cortez, a Mexican-American farmer, becomes a fugitive, eluding hundreds of Texas Rangers and volunteers across Texas, becoming a folk hero for his ability to evade capture.
3. "Barbarosa" (1982) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
A young Texan outlaw, escaping his past, finds refuge with Barbarosa, a legendary bandit fighting his own blood feud, and together they navigate survival and revenge in the rugged landscapes of Northern Mexico.
4. "Pale Rider" (1985) Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
A mysterious preacher arrives in a gold mining camp under the control of a greedy mining company; he becomes the miners' avenger, taking on the oppressors in a fight for justice, echoing tales of old Western heroes.
5. "The Man from Snowy River" (1982) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
A young Australian cowboy, after his father's death, takes a job at a wealthy rancher's estate to prove himself and earns respect through an epic cattle round-up, all while falling for the rancher's daughter, against a backdrop of stunning high country.
6. "The Man from Snowy River II" (1988) Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
The sequel sees the young cowboy returning to Snowy River to claim his rightful inheritance and his beloved, facing off against a rival landowner and overcoming numerous obstacles to reunite with his love and secure his future.
7. "The Long Riders" (1980) Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
This film recounts the adventures of the James-Younger gang, led by brothers Jesse and Frank James, detailing their most famous bank and train robberies, their personal lives, and the intense pursuit by law enforcement in the post-Civil War era.
8. "Silverado" (1985) Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Four unlikely heroes cross paths on their way to the small town of Silverado, where they encounter corruption and injustice at the hands of a sheriff and his deputies, leading to a high-stakes showdown to restore peace.
9. "Tom Horn" (1980) Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%
Based on a true story, Tom Horn, a former frontier scout and tracker, is hired by cattle ranchers to uphold order in the Wyoming territory but finds himself facing a murder charge as the winds of justice change, marking the end of the Wild West era.
10. "Cattle Annie and Little Britches" (1981) Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%
Inspired by real-life outlaws, two adventurous young girls in Oklahoma join the aging Doolin-Dalton gang, seeking the excitement of the outlaw life, only to find themselves caught in the inevitable crackdown of law enforcement.
11. "The Shadow Riders" (1982) Rotten Tomatoes score: 70%
After the Civil War, two brothers return home to Texas to find their family kidnapped by Confederate guerrillas; they must rescue them, crossing enemy lines and forging uneasy alliances.
12. "The Quick and the Dead" (1987, TV Movie) Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%
A female gunslinger enters a dueling competition in a town run by a ruthless outlaw she's determined to kill in revenge for her father's death, facing various deadly opponents in a brutal tournament.
In 1890s Wyoming, a conflict escalates between wealthy cattle barons and European immigrants, leading Harvard graduate Sheriff James Averill to clash with a brutal landowner, as they both love the same woman amidst the Johnson County War, a historic class warfare.
14. "Lone Wolf McQuade" (1983) Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%
Texas Ranger J.J. McQuade, a tough, lone wolf lawman, faces off against a drug kingpin who has kidnapped his daughter, utilizing his raw skills and unorthodox methods in a personal battle against crime on the border.
A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of their employer and mentor but find themselves embroiled in a bloody battle that tests their allegiances and friendships.
A motley group of travelers on a stagecoach journey through Apache territory must put aside their personal conflicts and band together for survival, facing the dangers of the Wild West.
17. "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (1981) Rotten Tomatoes score: 40%
After surviving an ambush that killed his Texas Ranger brother, John Reid dons a mask to become the Lone Ranger, alongside his Native American friend Tonto, to fight injustice in the American West and confront the villainous Butch Cavendish.
18. "Lust in the Dust" (1985) Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%
A tongue-in-cheek Western about a group of disparate characters, including a wanted woman and a drag queen, converging in a small town in the pursuit of a treasure map that leads to hidden gold, sparking off a series of misadventures.
A parody of classic Westerns, a singing cowboy arrives in a corrupt town controlled by a wealthy rancher and his hired guns; with humor and sharp shooting, he seeks to right the wrongs in a comedic showdown.
20. "Red River" (1988, TV Movie) Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%
A remake of the 1948 classic, focusing on a tyrannical cattle rancher embarking on a perilous cattle drive alongside his adopted son, leading to a mutiny and a dramatic father-son confrontation.
