Collider ranks landmark Westerns spanning classic Hollywood and modern cinema, arguing that the genre’s enduring appeal lies in its stories of crime, freedom, action and justice. The list presents these films as essential viewing for understanding one of cinema’s most influential traditions.

– 'Django Unchained' (2012): ranked tenth; praised as Quentin Tarantino’s energetic, stylish and entertaining modern Western, drawing strongly on the genre’s conventions.
– 'Rio Bravo' (1959): ranked ninth; highlighted as a Howard Hawks classic and one of John Wayne’s strongest Western performances.