Netflixhas unleashed thousands of original feature films and TV shows since its rise to popularity as a streaming service, with some of their greatest original movies being Westerns. The humble Western once dominated cinema, being to pop culture of the past what the superhero movie is today. Despite the success of thebest 21st century Westerns, most studios have been hesitant to explore new stories in this seemingly worn-out genre. However, thanks to their deep pockets and impressive resources, Netflix has been a driving force in keeping the Western alive.
Admittedly, when it comes to raw numbers,Netflix actually ranks among the bottom streaming services in terms of its sheer numbers of Westerns available.That being said, the original Westerns it does contribute are easily some of the greatest entries in the Old West genre to come out of the streaming age, with highs of quality that outrank all but a select number of similar films made in the modern era. While not every Netflix original Western is perfect, some ofNetflix’s best original workin general takes place in the romantic windswept landscapes of the Wild West.
The Ridiculous 6
Cast
Happy Madison returns with The Ridiculous 6, a Western comedy movie that sees a group of men united after they all learn they share the same father - a bank robber with a massive fortune he has hidden away. The group sets off on a quest to find him while facing bandits hunting for the same stash of money.
A stark outlier in quality when lined up with the rest of Netflix’s Western offerings,The Ridiculous 6is not only a terrible Western, but one of the most critically panned original streaming service releases in the history of cinema.Not to be confused with the Western hall-of-fame classicThe Magnificent 7nor Quentin Tarantino’s modern pulp thrillerThe Hateful Eight, The Ridiculous 6takes the comedic stylings of one Adam Sandler to the old West. Sandler stars as a cowboy who meets up with his estranged step-siblings to track their outlaw father’s return to the desolate countryside.
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Not only isThe Ridiculous 6hands-down the worst original Western to come out of Netflix’s studios,but it’s also one of theworst comedies of Adam Sandler’s career, which is truly saying something lows Sandler’s filmography reaches. Even Sandler’s signature sense of humor isn’t enough to save the awkward ensemble comedy that is constantly at odds with itself, never hardly able to squeeze a laugh out of even the comedian’s most die-hard fans.The Ridiculous 6is mired in awkward stereotypes, questionably problematic humor, and unrefined gags that crumble upon impact with the viewer.
Paradox
Paradox is a 2017 Hong Kong-Chinese action film directed by Wilson Yip and stars Louis Koo as Hong Kong police negotiator Lee Chung-chi. During a mission to find his missing daughter in Thailand, Lee collaborates with local detectives and uncovers a complex conspiracy. The film also features action choreography by Sammo Hung and supporting roles by Wu Yue, Tony Jaa, and Gordon Lam.
Compared to the rest of Netflix’s cowboy repertoire,Paradoxalmost hardly counts as a feature film at all, let alone a true Western.Conversely to this point, the movie (as much as it can be called one) centers around a posse of outlaws who find themselves on the run from the law, hiding away in some isolated mountains. As they pass the time away hunting for treasures along the mountain range, they swap revelries, music, and stories by the light of the full moon. The film is heavily colored by performances of songs from Neil Young’s eponymous album,Paradox.
As a piece of media,Paradoxis essentially the neat little bonus feature of a studio album masquerading as a full-length movie.In truth, the entire experience is more like an extended music video, with the loose narrative and framing being a thin excuse to engage with the cutting edge of Neil Young’s discography. Releasing around the same time as the album it shares a name with, a given viewer’s enjoyment ofParadoxwill largely depend on their affinity for the artist it celebrates, with all but die-hard fans getting little out of the experience.
The Killer
The Killer is a Brazilian Western directed by Marcelo Galvão. Set in the early 1940s, the film follows the journey of Cabeleira, a feared assassin in the state of Pernambuco, who seeks to uncover the truth about his outlaw father. As he navigates a brutal landscape filled with violence and corruption, Cabeleira’s story unfolds against the backdrop of a lawless society.
One of Netflix’s few Westerns produced overseas,The Killeris a fascinating delve into a non-American culture’s understanding of the Wild West on a level that hasn’t been sincethe great spaghetti Westernsof old.The film follows a reclusive outlander named Shaggy living by himself on the edge of tamed society. Looking to uncover the truth behind his adoptive father’s disappearance, Shaggy enters civilization for the first time in his life, becoming a feared gunslinger during his journey.
It’s not long before the feral child gains a reputation as the most fearsome gun in the West.
The Killerisn’t only made in Brazil, but takes place there as well, examining the lawless state of Pernambuco in the early-to-mid 20th century.The film demonstrates a fierce understanding of what makes a typical revenge Western work while injecting its own uniquely Brazilian flair into the mix. Diogo Morgado gives a thrilling performance as the bestial Shaggy, conveying the fierce tenacity of a being raised outside the watchful eye of human society. Though it may be a tad generic for a Western,The Killeris as steady as Shaggy’s aim with a rifle.
Thar
Thar is a 2022 neo-noir thriller set in a remote Rajasthani village. Directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, the film features Anil Kapoor as a local police officer investigating a series of gruesome crimes. It intertwines the lives of villagers and a mysterious newcomer, played by Harshvardhan Kapoor, as dark secrets unravel in the arid landscape, blending elements of grit and mystery.
Netflix’s second international take on a typical Western,Tharspices up the typical formula of the genre quite a bit by simultaneously being an Indian crime thriller.ANeo-Western taking place in the modern day, the film centers on Siddharth, a lonesome city-slicker who finds himself at the center of a deadly investigation in a remote Indian village on the edge of the Thar Desert, from which the film gets its title. Siddharth teams up with the local police officer, Surekha Singh, to quell a mysterious string of murders before the case can spiral out of control.
The film bears all the trappings of a great Neo-Western, slowly chipping away at a driving mystery that keeps the narrative engaging.
One of Netflix’s best Indian action thrillers,Tharalso provides the platform with one of its better Westerns despite not actually taking place in the American West.The film bears all the trappings of a great Neo-Western, slowly chipping away at a driving mystery that keeps the narrative engaging. That being said,Tharis carried by its compelling character dynamics and the great performance of Anil Kapoor as Inspector Surekha Singh, with the actual narrative being thinly stretched across the bleak horizon of the Thar desert itself.
Concrete Cowboy
Inspired by the real the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, Concrete Cowboy follows a troubled teen sent to live with his estranged father in North Philadelphia, where he discovers Philadelphia’s urban cowboy subculture. Caleb McLaughlin and Idris Elba star in the 2020 adaptation of Greg Neri’s novel Ghetto Cowboy.
Not every Western necessarily needs to be as filled with blood, guts, and lead on the same level of films likeThar,as proven byConcrete Cowboy.A thoughtful, tender coming-of-age story,Concrete Cowboystars Idris Elba as Harp, an African-American cowboy living in a unique Western culture nestled in Philadelphia. Harp is visited by his estranged son, Cole, for the summer, ingratiating him into his unique community while providing some valuable lessons about responsibility and inner strength.
Between its more urban setting and relative lack of violence,Concrete Cowboydoesn’t seem like it should be so effective as a Western on paper.However, the stark drama of Harp and his relationship with his son make for a quietly brilliant atmosphere with which the film can enrich itself with. Elba is a great as ever, but Caleb McLaughlin also revels in a rare chance to shine outside ofStranger Things.Concrete Cowboymay strain the lines of what a Western truly is, but its compelling drama makes up for its iffy place on the lines of the genre.
The Power of the Dog
The Power of the Dog is a Western drama film adapted from the novel by Thomas Savage. When a widow and her son move into a ranch, she captures the attention of a kindly gentleman named George, much to the chagrin of his brother, Phil. After they marry, Phil’s temper begins to flare, and he begins to torment the two – but his behavior may spell disaster when his new nephew’s darker side comes to light.
While the profound dialogue ofBrokeback Mountainmight forever cement its fame as the single greatest Western to dissect LGBT themes, it has a real modern contender inThe Power of the Dog.Showing off brilliant performances, the film posits Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank, a hardened rancher whose brother, played by Jesse Plemons, brings home a new wife and step-son. Phil is relentlessly abrasive towards the new influences in his life, though his rough exterior eventually gives way for a rare chance at tender romance with his new step-nephew.
Unlike most Netflix originals,The Power of the Dogis critically acclaimed, earning a staggering 12 Academy Award nominations and even earning director Jane Campion. From the performances to the powerful themes seldom discussed in movies in general, let alone a Western, it’s easy to see why the film has struck such a chord in the hearts of many.That being said,The Power of the Dogis perhaps a tad over-rated by academic appraisers, laden predictable plot twists, glacial pacing, and eye-rollingly obvious visual metaphors that aren’t as clever as the film thinks they are.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Western anthology film by the Coen Brothers that comprises six distinct stories. Each vignette explores themes of the American frontier, blending humor and tragedy. With a richly detailed setting, the film delves into various aspects of frontier life, showcasing a range of characters from singing cowboys to intrepid prospectors. The distinctive narrative style and evocative cinematography create a compelling portrait of the Old West.
One of the most recent outings by the legendary cinematic duo, the Coen brothers,The Ballad of Buster Scruggsbreaks new ground for what the Western genre is capable of accomplishing.A rare Western anthology film,The Ballad of Buster Scruggsis made up of a handful of short tales, each bearing their own quirky brand of dark comedy, meditative contemplation of human nature, or exciting gunfights. More often than not, the macabre tales weave together all three, particularly the first short, which follows the Bugs Bunny-esque adventure of the titular legendary gunslinger, Buster Scruggs.
The film represents some of the Coen brothers' best comedic instincts while retaining their penchant for downer tales filled with misery, death, and suffering.As different as each vignette is, they all maintain a cohesive thematic throughline that maintains a well-defined tone throughout the entire experience, with its cast of hardened trailhands, cheery prospectors, and unlucky criminals all feeling like they belong in more-or-less the same world. That being said, like any anthology, some of the stories are stronger than others, making for an uneven experience compared to Netflix’s best original Western.
The Harder They Fall
After Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is released from prison, Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) brings his gang back together to defeat his enemy. Starring alongside Majors and Elba in The Harder They Fall are Zazie Beetz, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield. The Western was released in select theaters on June 15, 2025, and released on Netflix on June 13, 2025.
As far astraditional Western moviesgo, it’s hard to find a better representative in the 2020s thanThe Harder They Fall.A revenge story typical to the genre, the movie follows the adventures of Jonathan Majors' Nat Love, an outlaw who scours the West with an iron trigger finger. When he discovers the man who killed his parents, Rufus Black (portrayed by Idris Elba), is freed from prison, he gets his old gang back together to exact his vengeance.
The Harder They Fallmight be a fairly standard Western as far as the set-up to the story goes, but it manages to beautifully describe why stories such as itself are still worth telling even in the modern age. From Majors' Nat Love to Elba’s Rufus Black and Zazie Beetz’s Stagecoach Mary, the cast is positively stacked with hard hitters, resonating with one another to convey a grandiose finished project that can stand with the best revenge movies around. With the sheer kineticism of Jeymes Samuel’s careful direction,The Harder They Falleasily tops Netflix’sWesternlibrary.
