Which film really deserves the title “Best Western” can be debated. TECHBOOK has taken this as an opportunity to bring together the best westerns – both for connoisseurs and for those who want to (newly or re-)discover the genre. Of course, we will also reveal where you can currently stream the westerns.
The Western is a film genre that thrills and oppresses at the same time, especially when you look at the real lives of those who were not white, male, and armed between 1750 and 1900. Without wanting to lump together all the Westerns of the last century, there are still a painful number of films here that are brimming with racism and misogyny, or at least ignorance. But fortunately the Western seems to be experiencing a revival in recent years, with production demonstrating a sensitivity to the political dimensions of the genre.
Because Western is that too: great landscapes, nerve-racking tension, a touch of romance, a bit of comedy (sometimes to the point of grotesque) and always an excellent opportunity for soundtrack composers to really let off steam. For this reason, TECHBOOK has picked out the best westerns of recent years and revealed where you can stream them.
AppleTV
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
This western is unusual in many ways. First of all, it is not strictly speaking a Western at all, as this genre typically tells stories that are roughly set between 1750 and 1900. But we don’t want to be so unnecessarily strict here, even if “Killers of the Flower Moon” refers to the – at least true – events in the 1920s. What is also unusual is that the film is based on a non-fiction book, namely “The Crime. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. Here the American journalist deals with the murders of the members of the Osage tribe.
Despite all the anxiety that the subject brings with it, the film adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro is worth seeing. The members of the Osage tribe on the Osage County reservation in Oklahoma are theoretically among the richest people in the United States because their land is home to large amounts of oil. But instead of wealth and security, mysterious deaths follow this discovery. And they are becoming more and more and less mysterious. When Molly Kyle finds her family dead, she calls in the newly formed FBI to put an end to the horror. It is the first major case for the young security agency, but corruption and abuse of power have already spread their arms.
Amazon Prime Video
TECHBOOK also provides an overview of the films and series that are released every month on Amazon Prime Video.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Like so many excellent films, “Brokeback Mountain” is based on a book. And excellent is to be taken literally here, because the film starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal received a total of three Oscars.
The two young men Ennis and Jack meet one summer when they are both hired as cowboys at the Brokeback Mountain sheep ranch. The two of them have the task of driving the flocks of sheep into the mountains and guarding them there. What begins as work camaraderie turns into friendship and something more than that. But since the story begins in 1963, you can imagine that this isn’t just a cozy, will-they-get-it-or-won’t-they situation? -Romance works. For over twenty years we accompany the two, whose paths in life repeatedly separate and cross and whose secret could drag their families and themselves into an abyss of ostracism if it were ever revealed.
The Hateful Eight (2016)
This Western is probably one of the most famous from recent years, but it’s still worth it. Chamber play atmosphere: seven men, one woman, a snowstorm, a small shop and the premonition that this encounter will end fatally. Quentin Tarantino doesn’t need much more to create a western that is classic in many respects and yet unusual. Excitement and comedy guaranteed. In any case, the costume design is exceptionally good.
Surrounded (2023)
This dramatic Western dares to make two promising innovations: firstly, the protagonist is a woman and secondly, she is black – a strong character that Letitia Wright knows how to play perfectly.
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Mo Washington fought as a buffalo soldier in the US Civil War. Buffalo soldiers – that’s what the indigenous people call the African-American units of the Union Army that fight against the southern states. Five years later, the ex-soldier moves west to find a gold mine and a future. After Mo’s stagecoach is attacked, she must try to bring a dangerous criminal under her control or else her own life will be forfeit.
Netflix
TECHBOOK also provides an overview of the films and series that appear on Netflix every month.
Django Unchained (2012)
Even in the Spaghetti Westerns of the 1950s, Django was a strikingly popular name for the respective gunslinger. But “Django Unchained” doesn’t exactly follow in the footsteps of the old and thoroughly racist Western films. Django (Jamie Foxx) and his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) are slaves and are separated at an auction, leaving Django to fear the worst for his wife. The German ex-dentist and current bounty hunter Dr. But King Schultz frees Django so that he can help him convict the criminals Big John, Ellis and Roger Brittle. Together with Schultz, Django himself becomes a notorious bounty hunter who only has one goal: to find and save Broomhilda.
For a Fistful of Dollars (1964)
In this – in a positive and negative sense – very traditional Spaghetti Western, we observe the adventures of a gangster (Clint Eastwood) who is tired of life. He works for two rival gangs at the same time and ultimately plays them off against each other. Interestingly, the plot is borrowed from the Japanese samurai film “Yojimbo – The Bodyguard” (1961) by Akira Kurosawa and was transplanted to the Mexican Wild West without any major changes. According to the IMdB ranking, the Japanese original (8.2/10) is even more worth seeing than the remake (7.9/10).
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Disney+
TECHBOOK also provides an overview of the films and series that are released every month on Disney+.
The Revenant (2015)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, this western thriller packs some serious acting chops. This paid off as DiCaprio won an Oscar for Best Actor. The film also won an Oscar for best direction and best cinematography. You can stream “The Revenent” not only exclusively on Disney+, but also on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
The trapper Hugh Glass is on an expedition through the Rocky Mountains with his son Hawk and several other trappers. As if the journey wasn’t dangerous and difficult enough, Glass has to protect his son from the hostility of the other men, because Hawk is a “half-blood”. The balance of power in the group suddenly changes when Glass is attacked by a bear and seriously injured. A brutal battle for survival against the injury and the approaching winter begins, which soon claims its first victims. What was once the will to live turns into a thirst for revenge and soon becomes the only thing keeping Glass alive. Despite all the tension, this film is not for the faint of heart.
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Lone Ranger (2013)
“Lone Ranger” is labeled as a western and drama, but it can also pass as a comedy. The legend of the Lone Ranger is taken up, the lonely hero and fighter for justice who is not that lonely at all. After all, he has his indigenous comrade Tonto at his side and a woman who needs to be saved. By the way, the story is told from the perspective of Tonto, who tells mystical stories and likes to exchange things via “trade”. Others might call it theft. And then there’s the horse… In this western you can look forward to fast-paced chases, explosive situational comedy and a stirring soundtrack.
Paramount+
TECHBOOK also provides an overview of the films and series that are released every month on Paramount+.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023)
Strictly speaking, “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” is not a film, but a mini-series – but that doesn’t affect the quality. This exciting western is loosely based on the true story of Bass Reeves, the first black US deputy. The miniseries is embedded in the “Yellowstone” universe, which raises high hopes for the quality of the spin-off. But what is it about? Since the western series premieres in November, we shouldn’t reveal too much at this point. Only that much:
For his new job, Bass Reeves actually only has to meet two requirements: be decent and be able to shoot well. As the new marshal of a small western town, he vows to protect the people – even those who don’t want to accept a black law enforcement officer. The trailer already promises that this western has a good feel for historical realities. And Daniel Oyelowo, who already shone in his role as Martin Luther King in “Selma,” is also convincing as a strong-willed sheriff as well as an empathetic family man and prudent friend.