Sergio Leone's 1966 spaghetti Western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", starring Clint Eastwood, has become a global streaming hit, now available on platforms including Prime Video, MGM and Tubi. The film's renewed popularity comes amid a broader revival of the Western genre driven by creators such as Taylor Sheridan, giving a new generation the chance to discover a classic long regarded as the pinnacle of its sub-genre for the first time.

The film remains the benchmark of the spaghetti Western style—Italian-made productions distinct from their American counterparts—six decades after its release. It was famously praised by Quentin Tarantino, who called it "the best-directed film of all time" and "the greatest achievement in the history of cinema," and its influence can be traced through his own work, from "Reservoir Dogs" onward. The film's legacy extends beyond cinema too, having inspired numerous homages worldwide and reportedly influencing Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series.