Westerns have been a popular American pastime since the earliest days of cinema, building up legendary careers like John Wayne, John Ford and Clint Eastwood. However, despite having been such a popular genre, it can be a daunting one for new viewers, with a range of styles to choose from. Where some audiences might feel alienated by the long runtime and slow-burn style of story that dominates Westerns, there are always great options to get people into the genre.

Western movies house some of cinema’s most iconic tales, from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid to Rio Bravo. The genre is one of the best when it comes to handling tension and gritty realism, as has been shown through many of the best entries, both old and new. For modern fans seeking a window into the genre, it’s best to start more recently and seek out Westerns that play with other genres.

10 Young Guns Is an Iconic Part of the ’80s

Young Guns tells the story of a small group of young gunfighters in the Old West, including Billy the Kid, Doc Scurlock, Chavez y Chavez and Dick Brewer. When their surrogate father and mentor is killed by a ruthless rancher, the young men set out for revenge and get deputized along the way, forming the band of gunslingers known as the Regulators.

Young Guns goes beyond the traditional Western and actually plays up the rebellious reputations of its young stars, with Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland and more young ’80s icons starring in its narrative. The film is actually based on the true story surrounding the Lincoln County War, giving viewers an ’80s Brat Pack teen-friendly adventure as well as a historic action movie.

9 Bone Tomahawk Appeals to Horror Fans

Bone Tomahawk takes place in the waning days of the Old West, and begins when an outlaw survives an attack by a lost tribe of Native Americans, who kill his friend. When the survivor flees to the town of Bright Hope, he unwittingly leads the cannibal natives along with him, and they take several residents captive. In order to save the people of his town, Sheriff Hunt forms a posse to ride out and save them. As the captives get picked off one by one, the small group of townspeople face the perils of the West, taking on bandits and the elements.

Bone Tomahawk is a testament to the versatility of the Western genre, being as much a horror movie in the style of The Hills Have Eyes as a Western story. For horror buffs, the movie shows the trials and brutality of the Old West, even if taken to an absurd degree. Despite its horror theme, the scenes of the posse riding to save their friends are classic Western, from the unique, abrasive characters to the tense, slow-burn journey.

8 The Magnificent Seven Got An All-Star Remake

The Magnificent Seven was first released as a 1960 team-up Western adventure, one that followed seven gunfighters in the West who work together to protect a village from bandits. In 2016, the film got a modern all-star remake, with Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and more stepping into the role as gunslingers protecting a town from a greedy industrialist.

The Magnificent Seven is a true modern Western blockbuster, one designed to reel in audiences to the Old West through its star power and action-heavy plot. For fans who prefer a classic Western shooter, the mission of the Seven to safeguard the town of Rose Creek is a great entry point to the genre, touching on the tone of classic ’60s Westerns.

7 Back To The Future III Took Sci-Fi Fans To The Old West

Back to the Future Part III picks up on the story of Marty McFly after witnessing Doc Brown’s DeLorean get sent back in time after a lightning strike. When he meets up with Doc’s 1955 counterpart, they discover Marty’s Doc has left the DeLorean buried in a cave, and wants it to be destroyed. However, when Marty and young Doc find a gravestone with his name on it, the young teen takes the DeLorean back to the Old West to find his friend and save him.

While science fiction may not be the first genre to speak to Western fans, Back to the Future Part III is actually a great place to start, especially for people who want more child-friendly Westerns. The film plays on some of the best elements of the West, with a vile, gunslinging Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen feuding with the pair, they must find a way to get back to the future before he comes calling. The film even incorporates steampunk, offering the perfect bridge between sci-fi and Westerns.

6 Unforgiven Is A Fan Favorite

Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven begins in the town of Big Whiskey, when a cowboy attacks a prostitute, slashing her face in a violent rage. When the law and order sheriff, Little Bill, strikes an unfair compensation deal with the brothel’s owner, the women put out a bounty on the attacker’s head. As bounty hunters show up in Big Whiskey, Little Bill uses violence as a deterrence, eventually crossing paths with retired gunfighter Will Munny. When Bill kills Munny’s best friend, the retired gunfighter goes all out to get his revenge.

Unforgiven is as much a period drama and character study as it is a Western, with many people who don’t even consider themselves to be fans of the genre citing it as a good film. The movie shakes off the romantic view of Westerns shared by some of the genre’s classic films, instead seeking to showcase a more realistic, deconstructed look at the era. The film is carried by the performances of Eastwood and Gene Hackman, who plays the morally ambiguous antagonist.

5 True Grit Has Always Been A Classic Tale

Based on Charles Portis’ novel of the same name, True Grit tells the story of Mattie Ross, a fourteen-year-old girl seeking to avenge her father against his killer, Tom Chaney. She recruits two lawmen, US Marshal Rooster Cogburn, who has a reputation for shooting his targets, and LaBeouf, a Texas Ranger charged with bringing Chaney to justice. Trekking into Native American territory to pursue the killer, the three grow closer along the way, with audiences being left to doubt Rooster’s reputation — only to be pleasantly surprised by the end.

True Grit has been a classic Western since both the novel and John Wayne’s original film adaptation attracted critical acclaim. However, it’s actually the Coen Brothers’ 2010 version that offers the best first look at the Western genre, staying true to the book and offering an adventurous, yet heartfelt, journey into the West. In Rooster and LaBeouf, audiences have two great Western lawmen, and the film plays up a more realistic look at the setting than most films.

4 3:10 To Yuma Is The Best Western Of The 2000s

3:10 to Yuma takes place in Arizona, where a dangerous outlaw, Ben Wade, is captured by authorities. In a bid to get Wade to the Yuma Prison, a representative of the railroad company hires a local posse that includes Dan Evans, a poor rancher and Civil War veteran trying to provide for his family. The group are charged with taking Wade to Contention, where he’ll be placed on the 3:10 to Yuma train. However, along the way, they must fend off attacks from Native Americans, keep Wade in line and watch out for his gang.

3:10 to Yuma is a great look at the Old West through the lens of its relatable characters, primarily revolving around an unlikely friendship that arises between Wade and Evans. The film utilizes some of the most popular threats and tropes associated with the West and would be a great stepping stone to classics like Hang ‘Em High and High Noon.

3 Django Unchained Is An Action-Revenge Story

Quentin Tarantino has left his mark on several prominent genres, such as action, thriller and comedy, with a distinct style of storytelling. In 2012, the director dived into the Western genre with Django Unchained, a movie that follows a freed slave, Django Freeman, who joins the German bounty hunter Schultz in his adventures. Along the way, the two hatch a plan to rescue Django’s wife, Broomhilda, who is enslaved by the vile plantation owner, Calvin Candie.

Django Unchained is one of the biggest box office successes of the Western genre, owing to its action-heavy plot that appealed to fans of revenge movies like Kill Bill and later films, like John Wick. The film is a great homage to Spaghetti Westerns, and the genre’s influence on Tarantino has always been obvious. The film was a perfect three-way combination of director, story and genre, and eases action fans into the Old West.

2 Logan Is A Superhero-Shaped Neo-Western

James Mangold’s Logan takes place in 2029, in a future where Mutants are all but extinct, and Wolverine and Charles Xavier are all that remain of the X-Men. When Logan is approached by a woman from a lab, he is made responsible for his female clone, Laura Kinney. In order to save her from a band of cybernetically-enhanced mercenaries known as the Reavers, the heroes go on a journey to Canada, where the girl will be safe.

Logan makes no secret of its Western roots, whether it’s Laura Kinney and Charles Xavier bonding over the classic movie Shane or Wolverine aiding a family of farmers against a wealthy corporation. The idea of Wolverine reluctantly getting back into action to serve as a protector is a classic callback to the endless stream of Western gunslingers finding redemption in the role of surrogate father.

1 Tombstone Ushered In A New Era Of Western

Tombstone follows the Earp brothers in their move to Tombstone, Arizona, where they serve as the town’s law enforcement. There, they attempt to counter the violence of the Cochise County Cowboys, a gang of criminals and gunslingers who terrorize the people of the area. What begins as tension between the two groups soon escalates into violence, and exchange of gunfire between them leaves a vengeful Wyatt Earp to form a posse to bring down the gang.

Tombstone is a good stepping stone to Westerns thanks to its all-star cast, its action-heavy story, and endlessly quotable script, all of which have maintained a passionate fan base. There’s no shortage of Western movie fans who cite the Kurt Russell epic as the movie that helped them fall in love with the genre. The movie is both an exploration of some of the most time-honored tropes of the modern Western, delivering audiences a clear-cut “good versus evil” dynamic between the Earps and the Cowboys.