6 Best Gunslinger Movies

By Vlad Zakh · May 5, 2026

The lone gunslinger is the Western’s mythic figure, and these films poke at the legend. Unforgiven has a retired gunslinger taking one last job, Pale Rider sends a mysterious preacher to defend a mining community, and Django Unchained gives the form a modern revenge twist. Open Range, High Plains Drifter and Shane round out the six.

Django Unchained (2012)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 87% Metacritic 81

A freed slave partners with a bounty hunter to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino · 2h 45m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars58 wins & 158 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, Starz Apple TV channel, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Open Range (2003)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Free-range cattlemen clash with a tyrannical rancher and his hired guns in a small frontier town.

Directed by Kevin Costner · 2h 19m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Unforgiven (1992)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 96% Metacritic 85

A retired, ageing gunslinger takes one last job that forces him to confront his violent past.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 2h 10m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars52 wins & 47 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Pale Rider (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A mysterious preacher with deadly gun skills defends a mining community from a ruthless corporate boss.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 1h 55m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

High Plains Drifter (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A mysterious stranger arrives in a corrupt town to exact a chilling, supernatural form of justice.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 1h 46m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Shane (1953)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A mysterious gunfighter helps a family of homesteaders defend their land against a ruthless cattle baron.

Directed by George Stevens · 1h 58m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Gunslinger Movies

Django Unchained (2012)

Open Range (2003)

Unforgiven (1992)

Pale Rider (1985)

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Shane (1953)

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