5 Eastwood-Approved Old-School Westerns for Those Tired of Yellowstone Nonsense
Ready to get nostalgic?
There’s something about Western shows and movies that affect our minds in a way no other genre can. They just teleport us to a whole new world: the one where there’s no fear, and where the right and the wrong are so easy to define.
With our life being so totally grey right now, it’s only natural that we find joy in shows like that. Maybe that's why Taylor Sheridan 's Yellowstone has such a huge following. But we think that checking out these 5 old gems will leave you even more satisfied.
Especially, since the legend of the genre, Clint Eastwood, picked them all as his personal favorites.
1. Unforgiven (1992)
Where to stream: Prime
We decided to start with this masterpiece of a movie for many reasons, one of which being the fact that it’s one of only four Westerns getting the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and featuring him as a main character, the movie tells the story of a former gunfighter named William Munny. The man decided to take his one last job to make sure his children will not end up hungry. However, some other group of gunfighters gets in the middle of it and complicates the job for Will.
“Unforgiven does a great job of presenting a standard western set-up in a harsher light, subverting some expectations and working in shades of grey as it allows its villain to be a bit charming and its heroes to be a bit bumbling, all while pondering the impending cloud of mortality on the horizon...” Redditor AaronYaygar said.
2. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Where to stream: Apple TV+
Another movie directed by Clint Eastwood in which he also plays the main character. But we're sure that's not the main reason why he chose to add this movie to his list of favorites... The thing is in the powerful storyline and all the action that's brought.
The movie revolves around a main character who turns to a Confederate guerrilla band after Union soldiers kill his family. All he wants is revenge, but in the process, Wales establishes himself as a formidable gunslinger. But that's not exactly what he wants in this life...
3. The Great Silence (1968)
Where to stream: Roku, Apple TV+
Now let's talk about a movie directed by one of the most important Italian western directors, Sergio Corbucci. The film takes place on the black canvas of Utah, just before the great Blizzard of 1899.
At the center of the story is a young woman left without her husband, who hires ф gunman for revenge. The story is rather intense because the main gunslinger is mute. So it just adds a lot of drama and pressure to his life, but never stops him from getting whatever he has to.
4. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Where to stream: Apple TV+
This 100%-Rated Western is directed by John Huston and follows three men while they join forces in an attempted search for gold in post-revolutionary Mexico. Needless to say, this is one of the films that actually define the genre, despite being released more than 70 years ago.
The way the story unfolds, presenting us the change in the attitude of the main characters towards each other, is just so powerful it makes the viewers glued to their screens for 2 hours.
5. Red River (1948)
Where to stream: Prime
The movie also has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is still attracting new audiences, despite how old it is. And there’s no wonder, because Red River is brilliant director Howard Hawks' most highly praised work in his entire career. It focuses on the difficult relationship between two stubborn men, who are bloody related…
“I love the Father/Son dynamic between Wayne and Montgomery Clift. Honestly Clift didn’t even feel like he was in a 40’s movie ahead of his time acting wise. Some great humor as well. The ending is a little cheesy but I’m happy they didn’t go with the typical Western ending and I think it fits the character's development,” Redditor TXNOGG said.