The 10 Best 90s Westerns You Need To See

You might be looking at the title of this one and saying, “Wait a second here,” but yes, the third part of the Back to the Future trilogy was most definitely a Western.

The film once again starred Michael J. Fox who, in the first two films, saw his Marty McFly go back to the 1950s and then forward to 2015 and in both instances had to clean up a mess or two and then get himself to his present day. Each time he was helped by his good pal, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd).

In this third film, Marty finds himself going back to 1885 to rescue Doc Brown. Now in the Old West, Marty discovers a tombstone of Doc Brown with an inscription claiming that Doc Brown was shot and killed by Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, the great-grandfather of Marty’s rival, Biff Tannen.

To complicate matters even more, the 1885 Doc Brown has fallen in love. Fun in the Old West.

Following up on the 1988 western hit, Young Guns II brings back the survivors from the first film which includes Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Christian Slater. The sequel followed the life of Billy the Kid (Estevez) in the years after the Lincoln County War where he was part of the Regulators – a group of six skilled gunmen who were seeking revenge for the death of John Tunstall.

The film also showed the events leading up to Billy the Kid’s death at the age of 21. The story of Young Guns II is told by a man named Brushy Bill Roberts, a real-life man who in the late 1940s and early’50s came forward claiming that he was, in fact, Billy the Kid and was never killed.

If there is one word to describe the 1995 Jim Jarmusch western film, Dead Man, it would be “different.” Different in look, different in style, though it is still a Western. The ‘90s Western stars Johnny Depp as William Blake, a timid man who finds himself on the run for – you guessed it – murder.

While on the run, Blake has a chance run-in with Nobody, a Native American spirit guide who believes Blake is the reincarnation of English poet William Blake. This surreal and artistic Western explores themes of mortality and identity and although has a different look to it (it was filmed in monochrome) it was considered one of the ‘90s best Westerns.

There is simply nothing wrong with having a good time at the movie theater and this ‘90s Western was certainly a good time. Maverick stars Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick and is based on the 1957 television series of the same name that ran for five seasons.

The movie also starred Jodie Foster and James Garner who, by the way, was the original Bret Maverick in the 1957 TV show.

In this one, Maverick is a gambler looking to make a big score in a high-stakes poker tournament being held on the paddlewheel boat the Lauren Belle. Along the way, Maverick finds himself in tons of hot water, falls in love, then is in a poker showdown with a number of nefarious characters. Mel Gibson was at the top of his game in this one.

While not a traditional Western, Legends of the Fall tells the story of a father and his three sons as they are living in the wilds and plains of Montana in the early 1900s. The film stars Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, and Henry Thomas.

The film follows the Ludlow family as they deal with nature, war, love, and loss. The film’s time span covers the early 20^th Century, touching on World War I through the Prohibition Era, and eventually ending with a scene set in 1963. Legends of the Fall was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one for Best Cinematography.

Kevin Costner got his first taste of Westerns in the 1985 Western Silverado and since that time, he has been hooked. In this ‘90s western, Costner plays famed lawman, Wyatt Earp.

The film was an epic western, running over 3 hours in length, and tells the true story of Earp, his life, his rise to a lawman, his fight with Doc Holliday (Dennis Quaid), and Earp’s brothers, Virgil and Morgan, against the Clanton’s at the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Wyatt Earp lived a fascinating life and Costner did everything to bring his entire story to light. If you have time, this is a great movie to settle in and watch.

Never did anyone think that the man who went full-bore horror with his Evil Dead franchise would take a shot at a Western. Thankfully he did because the result of his efforts was a very underrated ‘90s Western called The Quick and the Dead.

Sam Raimi not only made a fantastic western, as his visual stylings are on full display, but he did so with a stacked cast.

The Quick and the Dead is a simple revenge tale that stars Sharon Stone as the mysterious Ellen, a gunfighter with a past who is looking for some payback. Also putting on the spurs is Gene Hackman, who plays the deliciously evil John Herod, Russell Crowe as Cort the Preacher, and Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his earlier performances as The Kid.

Before Kevin Costner thrilled audiences with his rendition of Wyatt Earp, he hit it out of the park with Dances with Wolves. This epic ‘90s western was directed by Costner, who also stars in the film.

It tells the story of Lt. John Dunbar who, after almost losing his foot in the American Civil War, gets a transfer to Fort Sedgwick, Colorado, where he is to take command. Upon his arrival, Dunbar finds the small military post deserted. Sticking to his orders Dunbar begins to clean up the post.

His stay at the post is interrupted by a small group of Sioux Indians who attempt to steal his horse. Unsuccessful, Dunbar and the Sioux, led by Graham Greene’s Kicking Bird, begin a slow build of a relationship that will take them from curious to great friends.

Dances with Wolves is a stirring, sometimes funny, but ultimately rewarding look at one man’s journey from a soldier to a compassionate man.

Tombstone was an instant classic when it arrived in 1993. The film was loosely based on the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, though that incident in the film was the most realistically told version of the incident.

The film stars Kurt Russell (and his impressive mustache) as Wyatt Earp, Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton as his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and in a fantastic performance, Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.

The film follows Wyatt and his brothers as they are looking to make a name (and money) for themselves in Tombstone, Arizona. They are quickly successful but run afoul of the Cowboys, a gang led by Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) that also includes the Clantons, the McLaurys, and Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn.

This tussle eventually leads to the famous gunfight and the aftermath. By far one of the ‘90s best Western movies.

When Clint Eastwood began resurrecting the western with the 1985 film, Pale Rider, the thought then was that more westerns from him would follow. The truth of the matter was that after Pale Rider, Eastwood starred in five more films, including his final Dirty Harry film The Dead Pool, before he hit the big screen with the Academy Award-winning Unforgiven.

The film, also directed by Eastwood, tells the story of Bill Munny, a retired gunfighter living on a Kansas ranch with his two kids and in desperate need of money, who decides to take on one last job. He enlists the help of his good friend Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) to help him out.

The film also stars Gene Hackman as the ruthless lawman Little Bill Daggett. This film won four Academy Awards and is not only considered to be the best ‘90s Western, but it is also widely thought to be one of the greatest Westerns of all time.