Bringing back moral ambiguity, gritty storytelling, and unique perspectives to the genre, the 1990s revitalized Westerns. Powerhouse films like Unforgiven, Dances with Wolves, and Tombstone focus on stories of revenge and the consequences that follow.
Going up against those epic movies would be difficult in any decade, and these near-perfect Western masterpieces just missed the mark at the time. That has led to many of these Western gems being forgotten by modern audiences.
The Last Outlaw Goes After Revenge
You can’t have a Western without action, and the 1993 film The Last Outlaw meshes the two elements in a fast-paced cat-and-mouse narrative with plenty of shootouts. When hero-turned-unhinged outlaw Graff, played by Mickey Rourke, is betrayed by a member of his gang, he seeks his revenge one man at a time.
Written by Eric Red (The Hitcher, Near Dark) and directed by Geoff Murphy (Young Guns II, Freejack), The Last Outlaw takes you through plenty of cold-hearted and ruthless twists and turns. It’s hard to believe this Western didn’t make more of an impact when it came out, as Dermot Mulroney, Ted Levine, Keith David, and Steve Buscemi are just a few of the supporting cast. The relentless action and dark tone of the American Western film make it a near-perfect watch, despite its 49% Rotten Tomatoes score.
El Diablo Pokes Fun at Western Movie Myths
Director Peter Markle’s (Wagon’s East, Flight 93) quirky 1990 American Western comedy film El Diablo is just the kind of fun time audiences crave. In a time when Westerns were violent and bloody, the lighthearted and amusing approach to the genre is much appreciated.
When a schoolgirl is kidnapped, her meek and unassuming teacher is determined to bring her back home. He just needs to enlist the aid of a seasoned gunslinger or two to help track down the notorious outlaw who took her.
Anthony Edwards, Joe Pantoliano, John Glover, Robert Beltran, and Louis Gossett Jr. make up the main cast in this underrated tale. While the 55% RT score doesn’t exactly sing the movie’s praises, the mismatched group of characters and their clever dialogue deliver an almost flawless, wildly entertaining take on the genre.
An All-Star Cast Takes a Ride with the Devil
You bet you’d never see an ensemble cast of Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Simon Baker, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Jonathan Brandis, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Jewel together. But that’s the sort of company of actors who wanted to work with iconic director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) in the 1999 Western Ride with the Devil. Though it holds a 65% Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s a truly beautiful film that doesn’t romanticize the West.
With the Civil War tearing Missouri apart, the film follows everyday citizens trying to survive the fighting. Exploring themes of politics and violence that come along with war, Ride with the Devil zooms in on civilians surviving the combat instead of depicting the major battles.
Ang Lee doesn’t go after the big Hollywood blockbuster telling of the American Civil War treatment. Instead, he aims for historical accuracy of the type of guerrilla warfare the Bushwhackers engaged in. It’s a more intimate look at the lives of smaller groups getting through the warfare. Ride with the Devil doesn’t lean on big battles but goes for emotional engagement and stunning visuals to tell the story.
The Quick and the Dead Celebrates Old Westerns
Every female wanted to be The Lady in The Quick and the Dead. Director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead trilogy, Spider-Man trilogy) turned a quick-draw, single-elimination tournament into one of the most intense Western competitions.
Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and a young Leonardo DiCaprio are electric as gunslingers and outlaws in the town of Redemption, forced to face off to the death. Though it has a 62% RT score, the film is a lovely tribute to those old cowboy movies.
Raimi’s signature close-ups and crash zooms give The Quick and the Dead a visually energetic feel. While you feel bad about The Kid’s tragic ending, you know Gene Hackman’s villainous Mayor Herod got what was coming to him, and you enjoyed it.
Fans have a Ravenous Appetite for this Western Horror Film
It may only hold a 52% RT score, but the 1999 black comedy horror movie Ravenous is an almost perfect Western gem. Directed by Antonia Bird (Faith, Son of Babylon), the film is loosely based on real cannibalistic events in the mid-to-late 1800s. Taking place in the Sierra Nevada, things turn hairy during the Mexican-American War, when an army lieutenant has his first taste of blood.
A stacked veteran cast of Jeffrey Jones, John Spencer, David Arquette, and Guy Pearce as Captain John Boyd give captivating performances. The film explores the Native American Wendigo myth, and there’s no better place to manifest that than during wartime, with all of those bodies everywhere.
The tone is dark and unsettling, the acting is flawless, but the score adds a fun yet creepy feeling to the film. Turning a Western into a horror is an intelligent way of criticizing the American expansion at the time. Ravenous wasn’t a theatrical hit, but deserves its cult following. The plot twist ending is definitely a perfect way to go.