Since 1929, the Oscars have been the most glamorous and prestigious event in the movie industry. For decades, cinephiles have been excited to find out what the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will recognize as the best movie of each year.
As the quintessential American film genre, the Western has received a lot of love from the Academy Awards since the event's inception. From the legendary classic Stagecoach to the modern Western-noir gem No Country for Old Men, multiple films from this genre have received Best Picture nominations, and IMDb users are sure to voice their praise for these movies.
10 'True Grit' (2010)
IMDb Score: 7.6/10
In 1969, the classic True Grit starring John Wayne came out. It's the story of a teenage tomboy who recruits a tough old marshal with a legendary reputation to avenge her father's death. In 2010, the Coen brothers directed a remake of the film with Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld in the lead roles.
The film is fantastic, earning 10 Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) thanks to the thoughtful script and charming performances. Some people on IMDb have gone so far as to say that it's even better than the original, which is a remarkable feat.
9 'Stagecoach' (1939)
IMDb Score: 7.8/10
John Ford's Stagecoach is often lauded as perhaps the most influential Western ever made. Tightly structured and entertaining from beginning to end, it follows a group traveling on a stagecoach whose journey is threatened by an Apache raiding party.
While the film's racist portrayal of Native Americans doesn't hold up to modern sensibilities, Stagecoach is a staggering spectacle that won two Oscars and was nominated for five others, earning its audiences' praise on IMDb.
8 'The Ox-Bow Incident' (1942)
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
This tragically underappreciated drama about a posse who captures three men suspected of murder is quite an anomaly in that its only Academy Award nomination was for Best Picture.
The writing and directing in The Ox-Bow Incident are exquisite. The film transcends the boundaries, clichés, and tropes of the genre in ways that hadn't been seen before and haven't been seen since, offering a dark meditation on justice, responsibility, and greed. Because of this and more, IMDb users have been recommending it for years.
7 'High Noon' (1952)
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Featuring in Gary Cooper's performance one of the best of any Western ever, High Noon is about the sheriff of a small New Mexico town, who learns that an outlaw he put behind bars has been freed and is coming back at noon.
The film has outstanding IMDb ratings and seven Oscar nominations (of which it won four) to back up its incredible quality. It's a powerful dramatic thriller about integrity and morality, where the narrative told in real-time builds suspense slowly but steadily until an explosive finale that proves that courage will always beat cowardice.
6 'Dances with Wolves' (1990)
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Kevin Costner may be better known for his work in front of the camera, but he has also done some really amazing things behind it. The best of them is undoubtedly the 12-time Oscar nominee (and seven-time winner, including Best Picture) Dances with Wolves, the sprawling tale of a wounded Civil War soldier who makes unlikely friends when he's assigned to his dream post.
Costner's film looks beautiful and has an intricately complex script, as well as one of the best soundtracks in its genre. It's one of the most interesting Western blockbusters of the '90s, making it more than worthy of being celebrated on IMDb.
5 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969)
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Based on an incredible true story, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is about the two title characters, a pair of charming outlaws running away from the law as the West rapidly becomes civilized, catching up to them.
The movie is easily one of the best-written Westerns ever, with William Goldman's screenplay brimming with personality, memorable characters, and witty dialogue. Every other element is fantastic, too, as proved by the film's seven Oscar nominations and four wins. On IMDb, fans have celebrated its fun story and the amazing combination of Paul Newman and Robert Redford for quite some time.
4 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' (1948)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
John Huston was one of the greatest directors of Hollywood's Golden Era, as proved by what might be his magnum opus: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, about two men searching for gold in the wilds of central Mexico.
The movie is one big injection of adventure and adrenaline into the Western genre. Nominated for four Oscars (of which it won three), it's an atmospheric and visually gorgeous drama about avarice and camaraderie, with great characters and clever plot twists. On IMDb, users have been sure to sing its praises.
3 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
Another Coen brothers classic, No Country for Old Men, brilliantly combines genres to deliver the riveting story of Llewelyn Moss, a man who stumbles upon a fortune from a drug deal gone wrong and is tracked down by the ruthless killer Anton Chigurh.
No Country is a deeply philosophical exploration of progress, fate, and ethics. It definitely deserved the four Oscars that it won (which included Best Picture) and the other four categories that it received a nod in. It deserves all the praise that IMDb users have given it.
2 'Unforgiven' (1992)
IMDb Score: 8.2/10
When one thinks of the typical symbols of the Western, one of the first images that inevitably will come to mind is that of Clint Eastwood. As such, it's only logical that he should be the one to direct and star in Unforgiven, one of the greatest deconstructions and subversions of the genre that cinema has seen.
In his biggest masterpiece as a director, Eastwood destroys the myth of the Wild West and blurs the line between heroism and villainy. Aside from Best Picture, the film won another three Oscars and was nominated for five more. It takes only one look at its outstanding IMDb rating to see just how much audiences still love it all these years later.
1 'Django Unchained' (2012)
IMDb Score: 8.4/10
It feels like Quentin Tarantino has explored nearly every genre he possibly could, and the Western has certainly felt his impact. In the harrowing but darkly humorous Django Unchained, a freed slave receives the help of a bounty hunter to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner.
The film is loved by Tarantino fans on IMDb, and the Academy also showed it praise with five nominations (of which it won two). It's Tarantino at his strongest: The action is brutal and stylish, the story is engaging from start to finish, the performances are incredibly strong, and the whole thing is an absolute blast of fun.