The Best R-Rated Spaghetti Western Movies

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Updated August 29, 2023
Over 50 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best R-Rated Spaghetti Western Movies
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List of R-Rated spaghetti westerns, ranked from best to worst with movie trailers when available. This list takes the best R-Rated spaghetti westerns and pits them against each other to see once and for all what the greatest R-Rated Spaghetti western movie of all time is. This list of popular R-Rated spaghetti westerns includes information like who directed the film, when it was released and which actors starred in the movie. If you think the top R-Rated Spaghetti western movie isn't as high as it should be then be sure to vote it up so it can take its rightful place among the other great R-Rated Spaghetti western films on this list. If you're trying to find a specific R-Rated Spaghetti western film you can search this list and filter to find what you're looking for.

The list you're viewing is made up of many different movies, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars.

If you're trying to find out "What are the best R-Rated spaghetti westerns?" and "What are the most famous R-Rated spaghetti westerns?" then this list is the perfect resource for you.

Use this list if you're looking for some new spaghetti westerns that are rated R. Between Netflix, Hulu and other services there are thousands of great spaghetti westerns rated R, so get out there and start watching.

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What kind of directors have worked on R Spaghetti Western movies in the past? Quentin Tarantino and Sergio Leone both have, as have other great directors.

Ranked by
  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
    1

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
    20 votes
    • Released: 1967
    • Directed by: Sergio Leone
    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a classic spaghetti western that transcends time. Set amidst the chaos of the American Civil War, it stars Clint Eastwood as 'Blondie' (The Good), Lee Van Cleef as 'Angel Eyes' (The Bad), and Eli Wallach as 'Tuco' (The Ugly). The trio embarks on a thrilling quest for buried Confederate gold, each driven by their own unique motives. Directed by Sergio Leone, this film combines intense gunfights with strategic mind games. Boasting a memorable score by Ennio Morricone, it won the 1967 BAFTA Award for Best Original Score. This film is a must-see for fans of the genre and cinema history alike.

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  • For a Few Dollars More
    2

    For a Few Dollars More

    Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Sergio Leone
    18 votes
    • Released: 1965
    • Directed by: Sergio Leone
    In the classic western For a Few Dollars More, bounty hunters Manco (Clint Eastwood) and Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) cross paths in their relentless pursuit of the ruthless bandit El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté). Set amidst the rugged landscapes of the American frontier, this movie blends elements of action, drama, and suspense. Despite their contrasting methods and motivations, the two protagonists form an uneasy alliance, navigating an intricate web of deceit, betrayal, and violence. As tensions escalate and loyalties are tested, they find themselves locked in a deadly game with high stakes. The film stands as a testament to Director Sergio Leone's masterful storytelling and compelling character development.

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  • A Fistful of Dollars
    3

    A Fistful of Dollars

    Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonté, Aldo Sambrell
    16 votes
    • Released: 1964
    • Directed by: Sergio Leone
    A Fistful of Dollars, titled on-screen as Fistful of Dollars, is a 1964 spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, alongside Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Sieghardt Rupp, José Calvo, Antonio Prieto, and Joseph Egger. A Fistful of Dollars was filmed on a low budget, and Eastwood was paid $15,000 for his role. Released in Italy in 1964 and then in the United States in 1967, it initiated the popularity of the spaghetti western film genre. It was followed by For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, also starring Eastwood. Collectively, the films are known as the "Dollars Trilogy", or "The Man With No Name Trilogy". The film has been identified as an unofficial remake of the Akira Kurosawa film Yojimbo, which resulted in a successful lawsuit by Toho. In the United States, the United Artists publicity campaign referred to Eastwood's character in all three films as the "Man with No Name". As few spaghetti westerns had yet been released in the United States, many of the European cast and crew took on American-sounding stage names. These included Leone himself, Gian Maria Volonté, and composer Ennio Morricone.

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  • Death Rides a Horse
    4

    Death Rides a Horse

    John Phillip Law, Lee Van Cleef, Luigi Pistilli
    10 votes
    • Released: 1969
    • Directed by: Giulio Petroni
    Having witnessed the brutal murder of his entire family by bandits at the age of 5, Bill Meceita (John Phillip Law) has spent 15 years planning his vengeance. Finding a kindred spirit in Ryan (Lee Van Cleef), an experienced gunslinger seeking his own revenge on those who framed him, the two team up to find and kill Walcott (Luigi Pistilli), a fearsome bandit on the loose. But Bill soon discovers that Ryan may know more about his tragic past than he has let on.

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  • Compañeros
    5

    Compañeros

    Jack Palance, Franco Nero, Fernando Rey
    7 votes
    • Released: 1970
    • Directed by: Sergio Corbucci
    Compañeros is a Zapata Western directed by Sergio Corbucci in 1970. The film, an Italian-Spanish co-production, stars Franco Nero, Tomas Milian, Jack Palance and Fernando Rey. The soundtrack for the film was written by Ennio Morricone, and the orchestra was conducted by Bruno Nicolai. Compañeros is one of Corbucci's best-known westerns, as well as one of the best-known spaghetti westerns altogether. The film has been compared to Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, as it intertwines the paths of several characters in the middle of a conflict, but takes place during the Mexican Revolution instead of the American Civil War. Due to the setting and Nero's and Milián's characters, it is similar also to Corbucci's earlier Zapata western, Il mercenario, which was released two years earlier. Alejandro Ulloa was the cinematographer for both films. Compañeros is the only film in which the two stars of Italian genre films, Franco Nero and Tomás Milián, acted together. Nero later complained that Corbucci concentrated too much on Milian, and refused to act in ¡Viva la muerte... tua!, if Corbucci was to direct it.
  • Django Unchained
    6

    Django Unchained

    Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
    10 votes
    • Released: 2012
    • Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
    Django Unchained, a Quentin Tarantino film, is an audacious blend of spaghetti western and blaxploitation genres. The narrative follows Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave turned bounty hunter, on a perilous mission to rescue his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of a ruthless plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German dentist-turned-bounty-hunter, acts as Django's mentor in this journey. Brimming with Tarantino's trademark violence and dark humor, the film won two Academy Awards - Best Original Screenplay for Tarantino and Best Supporting Actor for Waltz.

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