The word "masterpiece" is often thrown around to describe movies that thrive on all accounts, but the truth is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One person's masterpiece may be another's drag. Well, unsurprisingly, the same can be true of the Western genre. We've put together a list of Western movies that we believe are lowkey masterpieces, and whether you agree with our picks or not, there's no doubt that each of these pictures is worth revisiting.

From high-budget blockbusters to understated independent features and everything in between, these eight flicks embody a wide range of characters and tone spread across the genre. While some are rife with controversy, others have simply and unfairly been overlooked or forgotten. In any case, these are some lowkey Western triumphs that ought to be revisited.

8 'Hang 'Em High' (1968)

Image via United Artists

Whenever Clint Eastwood and Western are used in the same sentence, the first image conjured up is the "Man With No Name." But just after Eastwood completed The Dollars Trilogy (and before he would conclude his time in the genre with Unforgiven), he made Hang 'Em High. A bit different than his usual Italian-made ventures, this Ted Post-directed picture is an understated masterpiece that gives Eastwood a badge and plenty of reason to hunt down a band of would-be killers who should've finished the job.

Although Hang 'Em High offers a somewhat bleak portrayal of the life of an Old West lawman, it's a powerfully made picture that gets the job done. Eastwood is excellent as always, and Pat Hingle is truly outstanding as Judge Adam Fenton (based somewhat on the real-life "Hanging Judge" Parker). While not as well-known as some of Eastwood's other Westerns, Hang 'Em High is a powerful entry that deserves high praise.

7 'The Ballad of Lefty Brown' (2017)

Image via A24

You might not have expected a movie made so recently to find its way on this list, but The Ballad of Lefty Brown is an innovative take on the typical tropes that make up the Western genre. For one thing, it doesn't follow the usual hardboiled lawman who can effortlessly get the job done. Instead, it follows the underdeveloped, somewhat unreliable, and all-around unworthy deputy, Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman), as he seeks to get justice for his dead friend and partner.

Directed by Jared Moshe, the Montana-based production makes excellent use of the real-world ghost town (Bannack) and leverages Pullman's riveting performance against the backdrop of the Last Best Place. Dealing with issues of inadequacy, conspiracy, and the myths that made the American West, The Ballad of Lefty Brown may be a bit unconventional in some ways, but it offers a compelling take on the genre that we don't see far too often. The sidekick being the hero all along is certainly a tale worth telling.

6 ‘Young Guns II’ (1990)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Frankly, there's an argument to be made for either Young Guns or Young Guns II here, but we chose the underrated sequel. After the original Emilio Estevez-led picture made the Western "cool" again for younger audiences, Young Guns II took everything that made the first film great and improved on the rest, layering in darker themes of death and destiny as Billy the Kid rides towards his inevitable end. With a solid cast that also includes Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips, the sequel feels more like an actual Western than a simple "Brat Pack in the West" action flick.

Young Guns II plays with our understanding of real-life Western history and challenges competing views as to how (and when) Billy the Kid actually died. By forcing the Regulators to come to terms with the fading reality of the Wild West (and also the actors' careers as young stars), the sequel can say something far more interesting about this merry band of outlaws and the friend-turned-foe on their trail. Plus, the Jon Bon Jovi soundtrack really ties the whole thing together.

5 'Heaven's Gate' (1980)

Image via United Artists

Calling one of the most controversial Westerns ever made a "masterpiece" is admittedly a bold move, but Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate doesn't even remotely deserve the hate that it gets. An epic Western that takes its time to unravel its complicated Johnson County War-based plot, Cimino delivers something not only technically stunning, but thematically as well. With breathtaking cinematography that highlights the beauty of Montana and Idaho alike, Heaven's Gate is a visual triumph.

Of course, Heaven's Gate features a cast that includes Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, John Hurt, Christopher Walken, and Isabelle Huppert, among others, all of whom rise to the epic occasion. Cimino may not have received critical or audience acclaim upon Heaven's Gate's initial release, but the Western has since grown in popularity. After all these years, we can understand why.

4 ‘Seven Men From Now’ (1956)

Sometimes stylized as 7 Men from Now, this Budd Boetticher-directed Western is a powerful entry in his range of collaborations with star Randolph Scott. Former sheriff Ben Stride (Scott) wanders into town searching for the men responsible for his wife's death, with the movie quickly becoming an intimate revenge thriller that lives up to even modern expectations. It's one of those Westerns that has truly aged perfectly.

Scott, of course, is stunning as usual, playing the typical Western action hero who manages to accomplish the impossible. As far as classic Westerns are concerned, Seven Men From Now is one of the best. Boetticher and Scott may not have been Ford and Wayne, but they sure knew how to make horse operas that could stand the test of time.

3 'The Lone Ranger' (2013)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Admittedly, there's not much about The Lone Ranger that could be considered "lowkey," but this Gore Verbinski Western outing is certainly better than the surrounding controversy suggests. A big-budget, blockbuster-style remake of the classic Western television series, The Lone Ranger does everything in its power to turn the tale into a grand spectacle of action, suspense, and character drama. For the most part, it defies the odds.

The train sequence alone is a breathtaking endeavor that rivals any action sequence in the last 30 years. Say what you will about some of its more controversial choices, but Verbinski's heart was in the right place with this one. Sure, Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp as the Lone Ranger and Tonto have aged as terribly as warm milk under the desert sun, but that didn't stop Verbinski from throwing us headfirst into his mythic portrayal of the American West.

2 ‘Johnny Guitar’ (1954)

Image via Republic Pictures

When it comes to stellar but overlooked Western masterpieces, Johnny Guitar will almost always be recommended. Starring Joan Crawford as saloon owner Vienna and Sterling Hayden as the titular gunfighter, the 1954 Western challenges typical depictions of women in the West while still sticking to many of the genre's standard conventions. In many ways, it's the perfect mix of Western progress and tradition.

Once billed in print as boasting the suspense of High Noon and the excitement of Shane, there's no doubt that Johnny Guitar lives up to those expectations. While not as influential on the genre or pop culture in general, it's a riveting film with high tensions and genuinely stellar character work that pushes its heroes into each other's arms — even if it takes them a while to settle there. Crawford, especially, is at her best here in this Western you ought not sleep on, especially once you've watched all the classics.

1 'Hondo' (1953)

Image via Warner Bros.

As was the case with Eastwood's Hang 'Em High, even the Duke can star in an underrated feature that deserves much higher praise. Based on a short story by "America's storyteller," Louis L'Amour himself, Hondo is a John Wayne Western that is just as great as some of his well-known features. As Hondo Lane (Wayne) finds his way to homesteader Angie Lowe (Geraldine Page) and her son, he stands as the only force capable of shielding them from the encroaching Apaches and the U.S. Cavalry on their way to battle them.

Although L'Amour's Hondo novelization is arguably better, the film itself is a triumph. With a quick 84-minute runtime and a capable cast who can turn this horse opera into a dramatic and action-packed adventure, Hondo offers everything folks typically love about classic Westerns in one small package. It's a hidden masterpiece among Wayne's filmography that speaks to his strengths as a romantic lead as well as an action hero. No wonder this movie was remade later on television.

Hondo

Not Rated

Western

Release Date

November 26, 1953

Cast

John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate, Rodolfo Acosta, James Arness, Tom Irish, Lee Aaker, Paul Fix, Frank McGrath, Morry Ogden, Chuck Roberson, Rayford Barnes, Leo Gordon, Bobby Somers

Runtime

84 Minutes

Director

John Farrow

Writers

James Edward Grant, Louis L'Amour

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