The Best Western Movies of the 21st Century

Featuring some of the greatest western films of all time, this is a list of best new western movies made after 2000. As the western genre transitioned into the new millennium, Hollywood continued to play with old western tropes, stories, and characters. For instance, 2007’s 3:10 to Yuma, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, is the second adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s short story of the same name. The film tells the story of a destitute rancher attempting to bring a notorious outlaw to justice. Similarly, another one of the best ‘00s western movies on this list is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The film deals with the actual historical killing of legendary Western gunman and train robber, Jesse James.

This isn’t to say that the present and top ‘00s western movies broke no new ground. There are plenty of inventive and completely novel premises on this list, including the comedy-western Shanghai Noon. The title is of course a play on the Gary Cooper classic High Noon, but the plot is anything but similar. Starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, the film follows the pair as they traipse across the Old West, shooting, kicking, and tricking all the bad guys in their path. Vote up your favorite western movie from the 2000s below, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section. Other good westerns released since 2000 include Bone Tomahawk, Django Unchained, True Grit, and Tbe Hateful Eight.