Only 7 Western Movies From The 90s Are As Great As Tombstone

When you think of 90s Western movies, it's hard for your mind not to wander to 1993's Tombstone. The title did so many things right, and its popularity has only grown with time. Tombstone is arguably a Western to convert non-Western fans thanks to its phenomenal cast, powerful emotional scenes, and intense gunfights.

Fans of the 1993 movie adore Kurt Russell's portrayal of Wyatt Earp. They also love Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday, who steals the show during every scene he is in. The movie is overflowing with quotable one-liners. Many people know Holiday's legendary "I'm your huckleberry," even if they've never seen the film.

Tombstone has become a timeless classic in the genre. It introduced numerous audiences to Westerns, and many fans declare it a masterpiece. It's easy to see why countless audiences adore the title, but several other noteworthy Westerns were released during the 90s.

Newcomers to the genre may expect every great Western to feel similar to Tombstone, but that's not always the case. Westerns are surprisingly diverse, covering everything from tales about lawmen and bandits to comedies. Some Westerns romanticize the time period, while others highlight how bleak and helpless the period could be.

Westerns aren't nearly as popular as they once were, but the best in the genre are still worth your time, and the 90s offered plenty of great titles. Whether you're looking for an alternate take on the events at O.K. Corral or a stylish revenge story starring Sharon Stone, here's a selection of 90s Westerns to enjoy alongside Tombstone.

7 Wyatt Earp (1994)

Wyatt Earp is often compared unfavorably to Tombstone. The movie was released just six months after Tombstone, starring Kevin Costner as Wyatt Earp and Dennis Quaid as Doc Holliday.

If Tombstone roused your curiosity about Earp's story, it's thoroughly explored in great detail in the 1994 movie. Wyatt Earp is more than three hours long, covering Wyatt's upbringing and offering more insight into his brothers. Quaid is a highlight of the title for his portrayal of Doc Holliday, and as a man who knows his days are numbered.

Wyatt Earp is a Western epic, and if you love Tombstone, the movie offers a fascinating take on events you'll recognize, including the gunfight at O.K. Corral. It's less action-packed than most Westerns on this list, exploring many of Earp's endeavors in a more grounded setting.

6 Maverick (1994)

Maverick offers a complete tonal shift from Wyatt Earp and is quite different from most Westerns, as it's a light-hearted comedy. The movie stars Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick, a skilled poker player. He learns of a high-stakes tournament for a grand prize. However, he can't afford the buy-in, and the movie follows his adventure to accrue those funds.

Maverick meets Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster), another gambler, and the pair form an uneasy alliance on their way to the tournament. The Western setting is the perfect backdrop to many wild action scenes as Maverick struggles to stay one step ahead.

Maverick is a silly movie, but it's also not trying to be anything different. The movie boasts an unforgettable poker scene, even if it's ridiculous, and is far less gun-centric than a typical Western.

5 Dead Man (1995)

Dead Man is arguably the most striking movie on this list, as director Jim Jarmusch shot the entire film in black and white. The movie offers a bold take on the Western formula, starring Johnny Depp as William Blake. He's an accountant who murdered a man, suffering a grave injury in the process.

Blake has a bounty on his head as gunslingers swarm to claim their prize. He meets a Native American called Nobody (Gary Farmer) who decides to help him on his journey into the spiritual world. The movie isn't a comedy, though it does have dark comedic moments, and Blake's journey is quite unlike anything else on this list.

Dead Man explores some surprisingly deep philosophical themes, which make it feel quite different from a typical Western. Depp is a superb lead, and the movie boasts a brilliant, underrated soundtrack by Neil Young.

4 Ride With The Devil (1999)

Ride with the Devil is a great example of a late 90s Western starring Tobey Maguire as Jake Roedel. He joins a group of guerrilla fighters called the Bushwhackers during the American Civil War and is unwillingly pulled into the fray alongside his close friend Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich). The pair also team up with Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright), a former slave, and Jewel (Sue Lee Shelley).

The movie offers a bleak take on the war, focusing on the human cost of the conflict. Many battles in the title are more morally ambiguous than just good vs evil, and the dynamic between the group is complex and well-explored.

Ang Lee directed Ride with the Devil, offering a Western that's less about heroic gunslingers and more about a group of friends loyal to each other surrounded by conflict.

3 The Quick And The Dead (1995)

The Quick and the Dead is a stylish Western focusing on a deadly quickdraw tournament. The movie boasts an all-star cast, including Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It's also directed by Sam Raimi and is his only movie in the genre.

Herod (Hackman) is an outlaw who governs the town of Redemption. The town hosts the annual Quickdraw Competition, where any competitor can challenge another to a duel. Each competitor has unique motivations. The Lady (Stone) is there for revenge, but it quickly becomes clear that Herod is manipulating the tournament for his own gains.

The Quick and the Dead is an easy recommendation if you enjoy Tombstone for its gunfights. Hackman plays a wonderfully evil villain pulling the strings, and he's also a deadly gunslinger in his own right.

2 Dances With Wolves (1990)

Dances with Wolves is an early 90s Western with a story quite different from many other titles in the genre. The movie stars Kevin Costner as John Dunbar. He's a Lieutenant and is sent to an isolated fort on his own request.

Dunbar finds the fort completely deserted, but opts to stay and document his journey. He encounters a Lakota Sioux tribe. They are unsure of each other at first, but eventually become friendly. Dunbar learns more about the tribes people. He also meets a woman raised by the tribe called Stands With A Fist (Mary McDonnell).

Dances with Wolves tells an emotional story. Dunbar bonds with the tribe but knows the grave implications of his presence if the army arrives. It's a powerful film with some incredibly impactful moments, cementing the title as an important one in the genre.

1 Unforgiven (1992)

Unforgiven isn't just a superb Western on the same level as Tombstone; it's arguably the best Western of the decade and among the greatest of all time. The movie won four Oscars and stars Clint Eastwood as Bill Munny.

Munny is a washed-up gunslinger, living a humble life after a violent past. He's brought back into the fray by the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) in hopes of collecting a bounty. He reunites with a former partner, Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), for help.

The plot seems like a standard setup for a Western, but Unforgiven is surprisingly dark and gritty. It doesn't romanticize the period, with several scenes demonstrating that legendary gunslingers are just regular people behind the myths.

Gene Hackman plays a vile villain in Little Bill Daggett and is responsible for some particularly shocking scenes I won't spoil here. Unforgiven is a powerful but heavy movie, and one any fan of Tombstone or Westerns in general should add to their lists.