TheWesternis a staple of American culture. Full of vast landscapes and enthralling struggles in a once untamed region, the films embodied as many myths as they did truths about a bygone period. Over the decades, the genre also created a host of movie stars whose very names became synonymous with larger-than-life figures. Still, change was inevitable as society not only evolved its tastes in entertainment but its perspectives on history. Movies representing the genre began to dwindlefrom the ’80s onward. Never quite content with dying out, the Western would come back with notable offerings like Clint Eastwood’sUnforgivenand the Kurt Russell classicTombstone.
Those few outstanding titles — along with the influence of TV series likeYellowstone— have kept these throwbacks going. Add streaming to the mix, and there’s never been an easier way to catch up on all things westward. Here are the best Westerns to watch onHuluright now.
Updated June 09, 2025: This collection of the best Westerns on Hulu has been updated with brand-new entries.
Director Sam Raimi ventured into the frontier withThe Quick and the Dead, a revisionist Western originally released in 1995. Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman co-star as “The Lady”, a revolver-toting gunfighter, and John Herod, the ruthless leader of a sprawling frontier town, respectively. After some initial pleasantries, it’s revealed that The Lady has arrived in town to avenge her father’s death, with the town’s new shooting tournament offering a means to do so.Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Keith David, Kevin Conway, and Tobin Bell are just a few famous names attached to the surrounding cast.
An Underrated Sam Raimi Film
The Quick and the Deadbombed at the box office and debuted to mixed reviews, but retrospective opinions have certainly changed for the better. The cinematography by Dante Spinotti (L.A. Confidential) really helps sell the atmosphere of this tribute to spaghetti Westerns, and Sharon Stone really gives some credible weight to her character’s quest for revenge. It even features some of Raimi’s signature directorial style on top of everything else. Some consider this film to be criminally underrated in Raimi’s collective filmography.
14Jane Got a Gun (2015)
Gavin O’Connor threw his hat into the ring with 2015’sJane Got a Gun, which was written by Brian Duffield, Anthony Tambakis, and Joel Edgerton. InJane Got a Gun, Natalie Portman stars as the titular Jane Hammond, a woman who undergoes a dramatic transformation after her husband is nearly shot to death. With the looming threat of a bandit invasion on the horizon, she reaches out to a former lover in order to not only help defend her homestead, but to also teach her the art of gunfighting. Joel Edgerton and Ewan McGregor co-star as Dan Frost and John Bishop, respectively.
No Bells or Whistles
WhileJane Got a Gundidn’t dazzle critics or rake in millions at the box office, there’s something you can really appreciate about a conventional Western. It was certainly a bold diversion from Gavin O’Connor’s typical body of work, as he’s more closely associated with films likeMiracleorThe Accountant. While a plethora of production issues may have interfered with the film’s overall potential, it nonetheless delivers an effective tale of self-growth with acompelling lead performance by Natalie Portman.
Jane Got A Gun
13Butcher’s Crossing (2023)
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InButcher’s Crossing, abald Nicolas Cagedons the role of Miller, a grizzled buffalo hunter currently residing in the small Kansas town of Butcher’s Crossing. When Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger), a young college dropout, heads to Butcher’s Crossing in search of a sprawling hunt to take on, the two end up traveling across the frontier on a journey that’ll test their wits, their skills, and their overall sanity. Xander Berkeley, Rachel Keller, Jeremy Bobb, and Paul Raci make up the surrounding cast.
Hunting With Nicolas Cage
Some terrific scenic shots, a freezing performance by Nicolas Cage, and an engaging story keepButcher’s Crossingfrom falling into a pit of irrelevancy. Fans of tense survival stories set on the American frontier will surely find plenty to enjoy here, as both Hechinger and Cage battle the elements of nature itself as well as their opposing prey. A surprising score by Leo Birenberg (Bottoms,Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man) only adds to the intensity.
Butcher’s Crossing
12Bitterbrush (2021)
Adifferent kind of Westernthan you’d imagine,Bitterbrushis actually a documentary, focusing on a months-long cattle drive in the modern day. Directed by Emelie Coleman Mahdavian, this true story focuses on Colie Moline and Hollyn Patterson, a pair of range riders who document their journey across the remote regions of Idaho, only ever stopping to bask in the beauty of nature or take in the intimate moments of their long-running friendship.
A Contemplative Journey
Bitterbrushis a story that’s as serene as it is simple. The two leads manage to effectively transport you into their lives, with their daily routine being balanced by victories and frustrations in equal measure. It may lack direction at points, but it features some absolutely gorgeous rural cinematography to dazzle the senses. In the middle of its loneliness, isolation, and practicality, there’s something truly poignant to be found.
Bitterbrush
11Montana Story (2022)
Written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel,Montana Storytells the story of two estranged half-siblings, Cal and Erin, who return to the vast Montana ranch they grew up on after hearing the news about their father’s coma. They try to take care of him despite resenting him for being abusive and ruining their childhood. Cal and Erin bond with each other and learn more about family, responsibility, and finding forgiveness.
Touching Story About Redemption
Montana Storyis a moving, gut-wrenching neo-Western that explores loss,reconnecting with family, and the challenges of modern loneliness through the lens of two siblings. Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague are brilliant in their roles, delivering emotional performances and tackling complex family dynamics. The lush cinematography and breathtaking vistas of Montana bring forward intimate character backstories and how childhood trauma frames who a person becomes when they grow up.
Montana Story
10God’s Country (2022)
The protagonist ofGod’s Country, Sandra, was a police officer in New Orleans before she faced a natural calamity and moved to a remote home in Montana with her mother, where she worked as a university professor. After her mother dies, Sandra gets lonelier. When she encounters two hunters trespassing on her property, a tense stand-off unfolds, and it unravels something in Sandra, testing the boundaries of her grief and anger.
Visually Striking Study of Culture and Prejudice
Rather underratedbecause the year had many other blockbustersstealing the spotlight,God’s Countryis led by an excellent performance from Thandiwe Newton. While her powerful inner journey is the ultimate heart of the movie, writer-director Julian Higgins infuses it with thoughtful social commentary and allows the tension to mount at a slow pace in order to bring provocative debates about faith, ownership, and prejudice. Overall haunting and beautiful, this Western deserves greater praise than it gets.
God’s Country
9Mob Land (2023)
Like many lower-budget Westerns from the 2010s and 2020s,Mob Landboth shows its comparatively small budget and comes equipped with a surprising number of stars. The narrative follows two brothers who rob the local pill mill. Unfortunately for them, this attracts the attention of not only their sheriff uncle but the Dixie Mafia as well.
A Wicked Performance by John Travolta
Mob Landisn’t high art nor will it ever win any Oscars. But chunks of it are well-written, the setting is endearing, and it features John Travolta’s best performance in years. Kevin Dillon is also a scene-stealer as the brother who comes up with the scheme, but it’s Stephen Dorff who makes the biggest mark as the vicious (but, perhaps, notallthe way vicious) Dixie enforcer Clayton Minor.
8Prey (2022)
It took a while, but thePredatorfranchise finally got a second great film with Dan Trachtenberg’sPrey. What was the key? Don’t make the movie about the Yautja or bland soldier types. Here, we meet Nachu, a Comanche Nation warrior determined to protect her people from a horrifying and mysterious creature.
An Iconic Prequel
Preyis the story of a young Comanche woman’s growth more than it is a sci-fi action story. That said, it features absolutely dynamite action scenes. The change in setting and time period (taking place 300 years ago) is incredibly advantageous when it comes not only to helpingthe prequel stand outfrom the pack, but in terms of making it one of 2022’s most unforgettable films.
7The World to Come (2020)
Despite its Western setting,The World to Cometells a very different tale from most films typical of the genre. With its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, the film stars Katherine Waterson, Vanessa Kirby, and Casey Affleck. It deals with a couple who live an isolated country life as farmers, all while dealing with their grief after the death of their daughter. When another childless couple moves in next to them, the women from each household, Abigail and Tallie, quickly form a deep friendship.
Devastating, Romantic, and Poignant
Swapping stories of how their marriages have grown unhappy, they soon find comfort in each other and begin a romantic affair — their time together being noticed by their husbands, who each grow increasingly jealous and hostile toward them. Telling a powerful tale, asa rare LGBT-themed Western, the film has been praised for bravely taking on this mantle and was a critical success as a result. It’s not the easiest watch, but it’s a worthwhile one.
The World To Come
6Hostile Territory (2022)
The time periods depicted by Westerns were often infamous for the harshness of life back then. In a film that brought stark insight into how quickly children were forced to grow up during life afterthe Civil War,Hostile Territorytold the tragic tale of a POW trying to return to his family. After enduring all manner of hardships to reach home, Jack Calgrove is devastated to find that his wife has died. Worse yet, his children have been presumed orphaned and been sent away on an orphan train. Teaming up with an eclectic group including another former soldier, a group of Native Americans, and an enslaved person, Calgrove desperately tries to intercept the train before it’s too late.
A Bleak Tale
Hostile Territoryis notable for its cinematography and diverse cast, with the creative touches of director Brian Presley being felt in every frame. Doubly serving as the film’s lead actor and writer, you can tell that there’s some genuine passion that went into the film’s production. Its unique focus on the Orphan Train Movement is also something to commend as well.
Hostile Territory
23 Best Westerns on Max to Watch Right Now
Spurs and gunfights, bandits and bank robberies: all this can more can be found in the best western movies streaming on Max.
