10 Great Western Movies & Shows From The Last 10 Years That Weren’t Made By Taylor Sheridan

Best known for his part in creating the wildly successful television show Yellowstone and its prequels, 1883 and 1923, Taylor Sheridan’s work has dominated the Western genre’s landscape for the last decade. However, while Sheridan’s television shows form the vast majority of his work, the American has also written a number of prominent Western films in recent years. As such, Sheridan boasts writing credits on the acclaimed likes of Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River to name but a few.

However, while Sheridan’s projects have arguably defined the Western genre throughout the past decade, he has decidedly not been the only talented filmmaker plying his trade with this particular brand of film. The last ten years have seen the debuts of several first-rate Western movies and television shows devoid of Sheridan’s involvement, staking their claim as the genre’s new standouts without the guiding influence of the man that many consider to be the best Western director currently plying his trade in popular culture today.

10

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Directed By S. Craig Zahler

Featuring Tombstone star Kurt Russell in the leading role, Bone Tomahawk serves as an inspired cocktail of the Western and horror genres. Depicting an Old West town where the inhabitants are terrorized by a gang of sadistic cannibals, the 2015 movie’s cast features the likes of Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, and David Arquette to complement Russell’s gravitas and assured screen presence.

Earning a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Bone Tomahawk was well-received by fans and critics alike. Utilizing a slow-burn approach to cultivate an immense aura of tension, Steven Craig Zahler’s feature film directorial debut is also renowned for featuring some of the most gruesome death scenes of all time, highlighting the terrifying nature of the movie’s cannibals in sharp relief. Throw in some superb performances from the remainder of the movie’s cast, and Bone Tomahawk stands as a notable hidden gem for the genre.

9

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Directed By Martin Scorsese

Following his work on 2019’s gangster epic The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s next project proved to be one of the acclaimed director’s best movies in a long and storied career. This movie took the form of 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon, a revisionist Western boasting an ensemble cast. The film is based on a remarkable true story, concerning a series of murders perpetrated against Osage Nation members after oil is discovered on their tribal land.

Killers of the Flower Moon was released to highly positive reviews, with many critics labeling Scorsese’s latest work as one of his finest. Receiving ten Oscar nominations across various categories at the 96th Academy Awards, the Leonardo DiCaprio-led enterprise holds a stellar 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Clocking in at 206 minutes, Scorsese’s film is decidedly not light viewing, but it’s an absolutely masterful piece of cinema for anybody patient enough to wait and find out.

8

Westworld (2016-2022)

Created By Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy

Loosely based on the 1973 film of the same name, Westworld depicts a dystopian reality where high-paying guests visit huge period-themed “parks”. Indulging in their wildest and most depraved fantasies, this takes place at the expense of the hosts, androids who are indistinguishable from human beings on the outside. The show’s most iconic park is undoubtedly its Western themed offering, serving as the backdrop for the first and much of the second season.

While Westworld fell off in jarring fashion the instant that the action left the parks, the quality of the show’s first two seasons is stellar. An array of nuanced performances and intricate story lines set to an exemplary score render Westworld a must-see for any fans of the genre. One of the best Western shows from the last decade, Westworld’s brand of television couldn’t be any more different to Sheridan’s creative style, but still lands for a visually arresting and awe-inspiring viewing experience.

7

The English (2022)

Directed By Hugo Black

An epic tale of revenge set against the backdrop of the Old West, limited series The English stars Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer. Hugo Blick’s 2022 offering sees Blunt’s character travel to America in search of retribution against the man she believed to have killed her son, calling on the help of Chaske’s Eli Whipp, a former cavalry scout and member of the Pawnee nation, who is looking to claim the land that he is owed.

…The English isn’t flawless, but the leading duo’s performances make it easier to gloss over some of the series’ more prevalent shortcomings.

The English is just as captivating as the series’ array of glowing reviews would indicate. Painting a beautifully ruthless picture of life at the time, Blunt and Spencer shine in their roles, producing two award-worthy performances to carry this polished miniseries across six electrifying episodes. A devastating story complemented by some notably impressive cinematography, The English isn’t flawless, but the leading duo’s performances make it easier to gloss over some of the series’ more prevalent shortcomings.

6

Godless (2017)

Created By Scott Frank

Blessed with a cast befitting of a blockbuster, 2017’s Godless stars the big name likes of Jack O’Connell, Jeff Daniels, and Michelle Dockery. The 2017 miniseries sees O’Connell’s character find himself in an Old West town populated almost entirely by women following a mining accident, attempting to flee from the sadistic proclivities of his former boss, Daniels’ Frank Griffin.

Featuring on several prominent critics’ top 10 lists for the year, Godless landed excellent reviews.

Featuring on several prominent critics’ top ten lists for the year, Godless landed to excellent reviews; Scott Frank’s miniseries holds a rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Featuring all the traditional bells and whistles required for a quality Western offering, the series’ unique female-driven premise helps elevate Godless above the rest of its contemporaries without sacrificing any of the stylized violence and ice-cool dialogue that have traditionally attracted many Western fans.

5

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Directed By Jane Campion

Loosely based on a true story, it is widely acknowledged that 2021’s The Power of the Dog was unjustly overlooked at the 94th Academy Awards. Despite receiving a whopping twelve nominations, the movie only won a solitary Oscar, with Jane Campion taking home the statuette for Best Director. This feels like a notable travesty as of 2024, particularly when one considers that The Power of the Dog is regarded by many critics as one of the finest films of 2021 and appeared on multiple top ten lists.

Every single member of the movie’s four core cast members received Oscar nominations for their performances in The Power of the Dog.

The movie leverages Benedict Cumberbatch’s considerable gifts to full effect, with the Sherlock alum delivering a knockout performance in the leading role. Featuring a devastating movie twist ending, Campion’s picture is a superbly produced commentary on weighty topics in the vein of masculinity, isolation, and sexual repression, a standout for the Western genre that is rarely given the full appreciation that it deserves.

4

The Revenant (2015)

Directed By Alejandro González Iñárritu

The movie that finally earned Leonardo DiCaprio his long-awaited Academy Award, 2015’s The Revenant is a visceral cinematic experience for the ages. Based on a true story, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movie sees DiCaprio take on the role of Hugh Glass; a trapper who returns from the dead after being mauled by a grizzly bear to carry out his vengeance against the man who abandoned him to die and murdered his son.

DiCaprio utterly loses himself in his portrayal as Glass, turning in a mesmerizing bow that more than warrants his Academy Award for Best Actor.

Playing host to one of the Western genre’s best villains in Tom Hardy’s John Fitzgerald, The Revenant is a gloriously shot and magnificently acted tale of revenge, bravery, and the indomitability of the human spirit. DiCaprio utterly loses himself in his portrayal of Glass, turning in a mesmerizing bow that more than warrants his Academy Award for Best Actor. The movie also took home Best Director and Best Cinematography out of its twelve Oscar nominations, underlining its status as one of the genre’s best offerings from the last decade.

3

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Directed By Quentin Tarantino

A wickedly intricate tale of murder and deceit set against the backdrop of a blizzard in the Old West, 2015’s The Hateful Eight is Quentin Tarantino at his inimitable best. Returning to the genre where he had found abundant success with 2012’s Django Unchained, the director’s second Western offering in a row boasts an ensemble cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh among other prominent A-Listers.

Jennifer Jason Leigh received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her bow as Daisy Domergue.

Despite a warranted degree of controversy concerning the movie’s depiction of race relations and the violence perpetrated against Leigh’s character, The Hateful Eight still raked in largely positive reviews. The quintessential movie where every character is horrible, Tarantino’s latest twist-filled work holds a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting that the director was capable of producing his old magic. Adding to the film’s accolades, the legendary late composer, Ennio Morricone, even finally won an Oscar for his work after being nominated for the fifth time.

2

Wynonna Earp (2016-2021)

Created By Emily Andras

Based on the comic book series of the same name by Beau Smith, Syfy’s Wynonna Earp debuted in 2016 and ran for four seasons before concluding in 2021. The Western supernatural series follows Melanie Scrofano’s titular character, a descendant of legendary Western gunman Wyatt Earp who finds herself forced to do battle with the reincarnated ghosts of outlaws that Wyatt dispatched in his lifetime.

Earning widespread praise for its LBGTQ+ and feminist representation, Wynonna Earp received consistently positive reviews throughout its run. Supported by an array of knock-out supporting performances, Scrofano does sterling work in the lead role, producing an instantly quotable, female badass unlike anyone that many fans of the genre had seen before. Fan outcry was so fierce when the show ended that it duly ended up returning for a one-off 2024 special entitled Wynonna Earp: Vengeance.

1

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Directed By Joel & Ethan Coen

The latest joint movie offering from legendary filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs serves as a Western anthology offering consisting of various short stories. Featuring an impressive cast line-up boasting the likes of Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, and Liam Neeson, the 2018 film isn’t the Coen Brothers’ best movie, but still lands as a thoroughly enjoyable Western viewing experience nonetheless.

Receiving positive reviews from critics, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs clocks in with a more than respectable Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 89%. The movie’s blend of whimsical humor and dark drama is complemented by the traditional Coen Brothers’ cinematic touches and flairs to produce a first-rate Western. While The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is often overlooked in favor of the duo’s more renowned bodies of work, it’s easily one of the finest productions to come out of the genre in recent memory.