Western films have an impressive history in Hollywood, accounting for some of the greatest movies ever made. From the likes of Unforgiven and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the genre is stellar and has produced iconic actors such as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
But as with any film genre, not every offering can become a hit, no matter how much star quality the credits may have. Collider have created a list of the top “10 Worst Western Movies Ranked”, and there are some interesting additions. Here are the top 10 worst westerns ranked from 10 to 1.
10. Ride Him, Cowboy (1932)
Ride Him, Cowboy starred John Wayne as a drifter who defends a horse accused of murder and therefore exposes a local villain known as “The Hawk”. Directed by Fred Allen, the film’s synopsis reads: “Wayne’s character, John Drury, as he rides the horse Duke, proving its innocence and uncovering the real criminal. The film is notable for featuring an early version of John Wayne’s signature hero persona and for being one of six Westerns he made for Warner Bros. in the early 1930s.”
9. The Outlaw (1943)
The Outlaw was directed by Howard Hughes and starred Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Thomas Mitchell and Walter Huston. The film’s synopsis reads: “The life of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid, including his partnership with Doc Holliday and his clashes with lawman Pat Garrett. The film was notorious in its day because of producer/director Howard Hughes’ concentration on newcomer Jane Russell’s cleavage, and national release in America was delayed by some years.”
8. Blood River (1991)
Blood River was directed by Mel Damski, written by John Carpenter, who wrote the screenplay in 1971 with the intent that it would be a feature film starring John Wayne. The film’s synopsis reads: “Jimmy Pearls (Rick Schroder) is consumed by revenge. After a long hunt, he finally guns down those responsible for killing his parents, but their deaths don’t end the blood feud, since one of the men was the son of Henry Logan (John P. Ryan), a rich and powerful man in the West. Pearls heads to the mountains to hide out and befriends an ornery trapper, Winston Culler (Wilford Brimley), who takes Pearls under his wing — while hiding his true reasons for helping the young man.”
7. Texas Rangers (2001)
Steve Miner directed this Western film starring James Van Der Beek, Ashton Kutcher, Alfred Molina, and Dylan McDermott. The film’s synopsis reads: “Texas, 1875. In a land without justice, where chaos reigns, one legendary man, Leander McNelly (McDermott), is chosen to lead a group of unlikely heroes. These young men, out-manned and out-gunned, must battle an army of renegade outlaws led by the ruthless John King Fisher (Molina). Sworn to protect the innocent and the women they love (Rachael Leigh Cook), (Leonor Varela), the Rangers risk their lives to put the wrong things right in their beloved homeland.”
6. Bad Girls (1994)
Bad Girls, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and written by Ken Friedman and Yolande Turner, stars Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell, and Drew Barrymore. The film’s synopsis reads: “Four former prostitutes are on the run following a justifiable homicide and prison escape, when they later encounter difficulties involving bank robbery and Pinkerton detectives.”
5. Wild Wild West (1999)
Wild Wild West was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on a story conceived by Jim and John Thomas. It’s synopsis reads: “When President Ulysses S. Grant (Kevin Kline) learns that diabolical inventor Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh) is planning to assassinate him, he orders Civil War hero James West (Will Smith) and U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon (also Kline) to arrest him. West’s trigger-happy personality doesn’t always mesh well with that of the thoughtful Gordon, but they manage to work together. And with the help of a mysterious stranger (Salma Hayek), West and Gordon close in on Loveless.”
4. Final Justice (1985)
Final Justice was directed, produced and written by Greydon Clark. It stars Joe Don Baker, and the film’s synopsis reads: ” Texas Deputy Sheriff Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III (Baker) is sent to the border after a violent past. When he kills one mobster and captures another, the survivors vow revenge. The plot takes a turn when the surviving mobster’s plan to have Geronimo escort him to Italy derails, stranding Geronimo on Malta. There, Geronimo must single-handedly battle the local Mafia and law enforcement to capture the escaped mobster and bring him to justice.”
3. Jonah Hex (2010)
Jonah Hex was directed by Jimmy Hayward and is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film’s synopsis reads: “Having cheated death, gunslinger and bounty hunter Jonah Hex has one foot in the natural world and one in the supernatural. His unusual nature gives him the ability to track down anyone or anything, so the Army makes him an irresistible offer: It will erase the warrants on his head if he finds Quentin Turnbull. Turnbull, his oldest enemy, is preparing to unleash hell on Earth and will stop at nothing to kill him.”
2. Gallowwalkers (2012)
Gallowwalkers, directed by Andrew Goth, stars Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth, Riley Smith, and Tanit Phoenix. The film’s synopsis reads: “Aman (Wesley Snipes) is cursed in the womb, and as an adult, anyone he kills rises as the walking dead. Being relentlessly pursued, the gunfighter enlists the aid of a young warrior to confront the zombies.”
1. The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
The Ridiculous 6 was directed by Frank Coraci and written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, who also starred in the movie alongside Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Rob Schneider, and Luke Wilson. It’s synopsis reads: “White Knife, an orphan raised by Native Americans, discovers that five outlaws are actually his half-brothers. Together, they set out to save their wayward father.