OrderToWatch

Westerns watch order

Western movies in order, release and chronological. Updated October 20, 2026.

Westerns don't share a story, so this marathon runs in release order, from Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956) through Unforgiven (1992) to The Power of the Dog (2021). The one set to watch together is Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

How to watch the Western movies in order: the full guide

All 34 films and series in the Westerns franchise, in release order and in chronological (story) order. The first in release order is Stagecoach (1939); the first in chronological order is Stagecoach (set in Arizona Territory).

Release order

  1. Stagecoach (Movie, 1939): John Ford's first Western in 13 years and the film that made John Wayne a star.
  2. My Darling Clementine (Movie, 1946): John Ford's take on Wyatt Earp and the O.K. Corral, with Henry Fonda.
  3. Red River (Movie, 1948): Howard Hawks puts John Wayne and Montgomery Clift at odds on a cattle drive to Kansas.
  4. High Noon (Movie, 1952): A marshal waits alone for the noon train, told in close to real time.
  5. Shane (Movie, 1953): A gunfighter defends Wyoming homesteaders, seen through a boy's eyes.
  6. The Searchers (Movie, 1956): John Wayne spends five years hunting the Comanche band that took his niece.
  7. Rio Bravo (Movie, 1959): Howard Hawks's answer to High Noon: a sheriff and a few friends hold a jail.
  8. The Magnificent Seven (Movie, 1960): Seven Samurai moved to Mexico, with Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen.
  9. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Movie, 1962): John Ford on the gap between Western legend and fact, with Stewart and Wayne.
  10. A Fistful of Dollars (Movie, 1964): The Man with No Name plays two gangs against each other.
  11. For a Few Dollars More (Movie, 1965): Two bounty hunters after the same outlaw.
  12. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Movie, 1966): Three gunmen hunt buried Confederate gold.
  13. Once Upon a Time in the West (Movie, 1968): Sergio Leone's epic after the Dollars Trilogy, with Henry Fonda as the killer.
  14. The Wild Bunch (Movie, 1969): Sam Peckinpah's aging outlaws take one last job in Mexico, 1913.
  15. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Movie, 1969): Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws who run to Bolivia.
  16. True Grit (Movie, 1969): John Wayne's Oscar-winning turn as Rooster Cogburn.
  17. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Movie, 1971): Robert Altman's snowbound Western, with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie.
  18. High Plains Drifter (Movie, 1973): Clint Eastwood directs himself as a stranger who repaints a guilty town red.
  19. Blazing Saddles (Movie, 1974): Mel Brooks's Western parody; best watched after a few of the films it mocks.
  20. The Outlaw Josey Wales (Movie, 1976): Eastwood as a Confederate guerrilla on the run after the Civil War.
  21. Pale Rider (Movie, 1985): Eastwood's mining-camp Western that reworks Shane.
  22. Lonesome Dove (Series, 1989): CBS miniseries in four parts; a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
  23. Dances with Wolves (Movie, 1990): Kevin Costner's Best Picture winner about a soldier taken in by the Lakota.
  24. Unforgiven (Movie, 1992): Eastwood's Best Picture winner about an old killer taking one last job.
  25. Tombstone (Movie, 1993): Kurt Russell's Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday; pairs with My Darling Clementine.
  26. Deadwood (Series, 2004): HBO series, three seasons; finished by Deadwood: The Movie (2019).
  27. 3:10 to Yuma (Movie, 2007): Remake of the 1957 film, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
  28. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Movie, 2007): Jesse James's last months, through the eyes of the man who kills him.
  29. True Grit (Movie, 2010): The Coen brothers remake the 1969 film, closer to the novel.
  30. Django Unchained (Movie, 2012): Quentin Tarantino's revenge Western set in the slave South.
  31. The Hateful Eight (Movie, 2015): Tarantino's snowbound whodunit with eight strangers in one room.
  32. Hostiles (Movie, 2017): Christian Bale escorts a dying Cheyenne chief from New Mexico to Montana.
  33. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Movie, 2018): Six Coen brothers tales of the frontier, made for Netflix.
  34. The Power of the Dog (Movie, 2021): Jane Campion's slow-burn Montana drama; won her Best Director.

Chronological order

  1. Stagecoach (set in Arizona Territory): John Ford's first Western in 13 years and the film that made John Wayne a star.
  2. My Darling Clementine (set in Tombstone): John Ford's take on Wyatt Earp and the O.K. Corral, with Henry Fonda.
  3. Red River (set in A cattle drive): Howard Hawks puts John Wayne and Montgomery Clift at odds on a cattle drive to Kansas.
  4. High Noon (set in Hadleyville): A marshal waits alone for the noon train, told in close to real time.
  5. Shane (set in Wyoming): A gunfighter defends Wyoming homesteaders, seen through a boy's eyes.
  6. The Searchers (set in Texas, 1868): John Wayne spends five years hunting the Comanche band that took his niece.
  7. Rio Bravo (set in A Texas jail): Howard Hawks's answer to High Noon: a sheriff and a few friends hold a jail.
  8. The Magnificent Seven (set in A Mexican village): Seven Samurai moved to Mexico, with Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen.
  9. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (set in Shinbone): John Ford on the gap between Western legend and fact, with Stewart and Wayne.
  10. Once Upon a Time in the West (set in Sweetwater): Sergio Leone's epic after the Dollars Trilogy, with Henry Fonda as the killer.
  11. The Wild Bunch (set in The Mexican border, 1913): Sam Peckinpah's aging outlaws take one last job in Mexico, 1913.
  12. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (set in Wyoming to Bolivia): Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws who run to Bolivia.
  13. True Grit (set in Indian Territory): John Wayne's Oscar-winning turn as Rooster Cogburn.
  14. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (set in Presbyterian Church, Washington): Robert Altman's snowbound Western, with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie.
  15. High Plains Drifter (set in Lago): Clint Eastwood directs himself as a stranger who repaints a guilty town red.
  16. Blazing Saddles (set in Rock Ridge): Mel Brooks's Western parody; best watched after a few of the films it mocks.
  17. The Outlaw Josey Wales (set in After the Civil War): Eastwood as a Confederate guerrilla on the run after the Civil War.
  18. Pale Rider (set in A California mining camp): Eastwood's mining-camp Western that reworks Shane.
  19. Lonesome Dove (set in A cattle drive to Montana): CBS miniseries in four parts; a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.
  20. Dances with Wolves (set in The Dakota frontier): Kevin Costner's Best Picture winner about a soldier taken in by the Lakota.
  21. Unforgiven (set in Big Whiskey, Wyoming): Eastwood's Best Picture winner about an old killer taking one last job.
  22. Tombstone (set in Tombstone, 1881): Kurt Russell's Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday; pairs with My Darling Clementine.
  23. Deadwood (set in Deadwood, 1876): HBO series, three seasons; finished by Deadwood: The Movie (2019).
  24. 3:10 to Yuma (set in Arizona): Remake of the 1957 film, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.
  25. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (set in Missouri, 1881): Jesse James's last months, through the eyes of the man who kills him.
  26. True Grit (set in Indian Territory): The Coen brothers remake the 1969 film, closer to the novel.
  27. Django Unchained (set in The South, 1858): Quentin Tarantino's revenge Western set in the slave South.
  28. The Hateful Eight (set in Minnie's Haberdashery): Tarantino's snowbound whodunit with eight strangers in one room.
  29. Hostiles (set in New Mexico to Montana, 1892): Christian Bale escorts a dying Cheyenne chief from New Mexico to Montana.
  30. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (set in Six western tales): Six Coen brothers tales of the frontier, made for Netflix.
  31. The Power of the Dog (set in Montana, 1925): Jane Campion's slow-burn Montana drama; won her Best Director.
  32. A Fistful of Dollars (set in San Miguel): The Man with No Name plays two gangs against each other.
  33. For a Few Dollars More (set in Two bounty hunters): Two bounty hunters after the same outlaw.
  34. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (set in The Civil War): Three gunmen hunt buried Confederate gold.

Common questions

What order should I watch the Western movies in?

Westerns don't share a story, so this marathon runs in release order, from Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956) through Unforgiven (1992) to The Power of the Dog (2021). The one set to watch together is Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

How many Western movies and shows are there?

There are 34 titles in the Westerns franchise: 32 films and 2 series, released from 1939 to 2021.

How long does it take to watch all the Western movies?

About 107 hours for all 34 titles, counting every episode.

What is the first Western title in chronological order?

Stagecoach, set in Arizona Territory. In release order the first is Stagecoach (1939).