When the general public talk about the Western genre in the 2010s, they tend to focus on the obvious titles as you’d expect: The Hateful Eight (2015), True Grit (2010), Django Unchained (2012). Big names, big budgets, big violence. But beneath that glossy surface was a quieter current of Westerns that didn’t play to packed theatres or spark heated Oscars talk, films that had just as much to say, and often said it with more nuance or style.

These are the outliers, the genre-benders, the rough-edged passion projects. Here are 10 underrated Westerns from the 2010s that deserve another look.

1. Red Hill (2010)

Patrick Hughes-who’d admittedly later go on to make The Expendables 3 (2014)-began with something far leaner and sharper in Red Hill, a modern-day Australian Western with a pulpy, retro edge. A young city cop (Ryan Kwanten) moves to a remote rural town expecting a quieter life, only to find himself in the middle of a long-buried feud when a convict escapes and heads back to town for revenge.

Sure, it sounds like the set-up we’ve seen time and again. The beauty of Red Hill however, is in its exemplary pacing and tone: it plays like a ‘70s revenge thriller crossed with a gothic fable, the kind of movie that feels like it should be pulpy nonsense but ends up unsettling and oddly poetic.

Shot against harsh landscapes and dripping with tension, it’s a story of justice warped into something monstrous. It might sound like a poor man’s Bone Tomahawk (2015) from that description- and no, it’s not in the same league, but this not quite revisionist, not quite neo-Western, is as just cold-blooded and cool.

2. Let the Bullets Fly (2010)

Is it a Western? Is it a satire? Is it an operatic Chinese gangster movie in a cowboy hat? Yes, all of it. Let the Bullets Fly is a deliriously sharp, subversive Chinese Western from director-actor Jiang Wen that frequently feels like Sergio Leone by way of the Coen Brothers.

Set in 1920s China, it follows a bandit posing as a governor, a corrupt local tyrant (played with glee by Chow Yun-fat), and a town caught in the middle of their escalating war of words and bullets. But it’s not just shootouts, it’s also class commentary delivered at a hundred miles an hour.

The Western elements are largely aesthetic, dusty towns, corrupt officials, lawless land, but they fuse superbly with the more theatrical Chinese stylings to quite thrilling effect.

It’s smart, stylish, and often hilarious, and while it was a huge hit in China, it remains hugely underseen in the West. An absolute gem for anyone who enjoys their Westerns with verbal duels as thrilling as the gunfights and has seen Tarantino’s filmography several times over.

3. Dead Man’s Burden (2012)

Jared Moshe’s Dead Man’s Burden is a taut, melancholy Western set in post-Civil War New Mexico, where a brother and sister are reunited under fraught and delicate circumstances. The film is spare and modest, limited locations, small cast, but it leans into those limits with great effect, unfolding like a chamber piece about loyalty, betrayal, and the ghosts of American history. You’re somehow reminded of Kelly Reichhardt’s Meek’s Cutoff (2010) with the minimalist nature of Moshe’s output.

The performances, especially Clare Bowen as Martha, are textured and fragile, and the cinematography captures the land as a harsh, dwindling inheritance. This is slow-burn territory, but if you’re willing to sit with it, the emotional payoff is sharp and remains a film that deserved a much wider audience.

4. Gold (2013)

Possibly the strangest Western on this list, Gold is a German production that drags its characters, and viewers, through the unforgiving landscapes of British Columbia in 1898.

A group of German immigrants chase gold rush dreams through unknown territory, and the film, directed by Thomas Arslan, is less interested in action than in endurance.

It’s as if Werner Herzog delivered Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972), but with cowboys and packhorses. Nina Hoss leads the cast with stoic brilliance as a woman forced to reckon with the limits of truth, and the pacing is deliberately glacial- and that’s the point, the film is about isolation and disillusionment, pulling you into its world and making you feel its every struggle.

Gold may take its time but there’s a creeping sense of menace and futility that you can’t seem to shake. You might begin watching with thoughts of one thing, but Thomas Arslan’s film becomes an impressive endurance test, one that keeps you gripped for its haunting duration.

5. The Keeping Room (2014)

The Keeping Room is a Civil War-set chamber Western that strips back the genre’s masculine mythology and re-frames it through something quieter, angrier, and far more intimate.

Directed by Daniel Barber and written by Julia Hart, it follows three women, two sisters and a former slave, trying to survive after Union soldiers lay waste to the South. What starts as a war-survival drama morphs into something tenser, more psychological, and politically potent.

Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld (previously best known for her performance in another western; 2010’s True Grit), and Muna Otaru form an effective and uneasy triangle of agency, rage, and trauma. The violence, when it comes, is brutal, not stylised, but sickening, and the film’s tension builds not just from external threat, but internal turmoil. It’s a Western that’s stripped down to its bones and is all the more impressive for it.

The 2010s saw a renaissance of the Western genre, with filmmakers pushing its boundaries and offering a diverse range of stories. These weren’t the formulaic shootouts or heroic cowboys that audiences had come to expect.

Instead, the decade introduced Westerns that were gritty, introspective, and daring—sometimes blending genres, other times reinventing the conventions of the form. If you missed them, it’s time to take another look. These films aren’t just entertaining—they’ll make you rethink the possibilities of the Western genre itself.

1. Mystery Road (2013)

When you think of the Outback, you probably envision vast deserts and rugged terrain. What Mystery Road brings to the table, however, is a chillingly atmospheric portrayal of isolation and corruption, grounded in the stark beauty of Australia’s landscape. This is a neo-Western in every sense of the word, a slow-burning thriller that examines racial tensions, societal decay, and the kind of raw human emotion that is often absent in more action-packed Westerns.

Aaron Pedersen plays Jay Swan, a detective who returns to his hometown to investigate the murder of a young Indigenous girl. What follows is not just a crime drama, but a rumination on the complexity of identity, the legacy of colonialism, and the moral compromises people are forced to make when faced with brutal realities.

Pedersen’s quiet, commanding performance is a masterclass in restraint, as he navigates a landscape that’s as hostile to him as it is to the film’s characters. His calm demeanor makes for a chilling and compelling performance, and the film runs at his character’s pace, which makes for extraordinary sense of tension throughout the piece.

The film’s pacing may be slow for some, but every moment is filled with beauty and strain. The vast, unyielding desert that surrounds Swan mirrors the emotional desolation he feels as well as the town itself; and the journey to uncover the truth is one that, while simple on paper, reveals the deep scars left on this society.

If you’re looking for a Western that doesn’t offer easy answers, Mystery Road is a must-see. It’s dark, compelling, and utterly unforgettable, and led to a sequel, Goldstone (2016) as well as producing a television series.

2. The Homesman (2014)

The Homesman may not be your typical Western, but that’s what makes it such an interesting watch. Directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones, the film deals with depression, madness and sympathy on the frontier. Jones takes on the role of George Briggs, a rugged, self-serving man who is forced to help Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) transport three mentally ill women back East.

Jones has previous in this sort of terrain; his debut feature as director was one of the finest films of the 2000’s, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005); a humane, emotionally engaging Western work whose influence is far from absent in The Homesman.

The film is a meditation on survival, not just in the physical sense, but on a psychological and emotional level. Mary Bee Cuddy is not the typical “strong woman” seen in many Westerns; she frequently succumbs to vulnerability and doubt, and Swank’s portrayal is brilliant. She depicts a woman who, despite being tough and independent, is also deeply scarred by the hardships of pioneer life. Her quiet desperation is palpable, and it makes her moments of emotional breakdown all the more harrowing, yet also moving.

Jones creates a mood that is equal parts desolate and beautiful. The landscape of the frontier is both a threat and a reflection of the characters’ inner turmoil, and the sweeping vistas remain gorgeous even when they’re at their most bleak. This isn’t a Western about gunfights and heroic acts; it’s a film about strength and survival.

The Homesman is proof of Tommy Lee Jones’ expertise in the genre, both in front of and behind the camera, helped no end by a brilliant display from Hilary Swank.

3. Bone Tomahawk (2015)

If you want a Western that doesn’t shy away from brutality and throws in a welcome helping of horror, then Bone Tomahawk is your film. Directed by S. Craig Zahler, this is a genre-bending masterpiece that begins as one thing and snowballs into something else entirely, resulting in a film that is both shocking and deeply unsettling.

The plot revolves around a group of men, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), who must rescue a group of kidnapped townsfolk from a brutal tribe of cannibalistic cave-dwellers.

At first glance, the film may seem like a classic slow-burn Western; we slowly get to know the residents of Bright Hope (the small town of which Russell’s Hunt is the Sheriff), before events conspire to leave Hunt leading a search party into a valley in which the cave-dwellers live.

Zahler takes his time building tension, making the final act all the more horrifying. The violence, when it comes, is unflinching and visceral. It’s not glorified—it’s uncomfortable and raw. Zahler is an expert in delivering this sort of excoriating violence, his subsequent features Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) and Dragged Across Concrete (2018) have upped the ante even more in this respect, but Bone Tomahawk was his directorial debut, and it is even more impressive for that fact.

Kurt Russell, who is no stranger to Westerns, delivers one of his finest performances, balancing the grizzled veteran with a welcome depth of vulnerability. The film’s strength lies not just in its gut-wrenching moments of horror, but in its ability to blend genres in a way that feels both natural and exhilarating. Bone Tomahawk is a film that pushes the boundaries of what Westerns can be—violent, disturbing, and undeniably brilliant.

4. Slow West (2015)

Slow West is a Western for those who prefer their films quirky, offbeat, and unpredictable. Directed by John Maclean, the film follows Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a naïve Scottish teenager who journeys across the American frontier in search of his lost love. Along the way, he’s joined by a mysterious bounty hunter, terrifically played by Michael Fassbender, (as you’d expect) who seems to have his own agenda.

The film’s pacing is deliberate, but it’s a journey that rewards the patient viewer. Slow West combines dark humor with moments of sudden violence, and the way it balances these elements is truly impressive. Maclean brings a sense of surrealism to the Western genre, with beautifully shot landscapes and a tone that flits between light heartedness and deadly seriousness.

There are moments of tension, but Slow West is never afraid to surprise you. It’s a Western that isn’t bound by the typical tropes of the genre, offering something fresh and surprising at every turn. The showdown at the film’s conclusion is a masterclass in in tension building, and leaves you questioning everything you had previously thought about the characters, enhancing the film still further.

Slow West might be a particularly unconventional Western, but it’s all the better for it.

5. Meek’s Cutoff (2015)

Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff is a quiet, unsettling film about the fragility of hope and the stark ruthlessness of nature. Set in the 1840s, the film follows a group of pioneers who are desperately trying to cross the Oregon Desert. Led by the unreliable, bizarre, and possibly dangerous Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), the group becomes lost, despite Meek’s constant denial of the fact, and their situation grows increasingly dire as they struggle to survive.

Reichardt’s minimalist approach to storytelling is what sets Meek’s Cutoff apart. The film’s pacing is slow, deliberate, and deeply atmospheric. The desert landscape is both a character and a force that looms over the pioneers, threatening their very survival. Unlike many Westerns, which sometimes romantisice the idea of the frontier, Meek’s Cutoff offers a brutally realistic portrayal of the harsh realities of pioneer life. The film is full of tension, despite scant action taking place before your eyes; but this results in the smaller things having a much bigger impact than you might otherwise expect.

Michelle Williams’ is terrific as Emily, a woman caught in the middle of a dire situation, unsure whether to trust the men around her or take matters into her own hands. The film’s conclusion is almost Lynchian with wide options for interpretation, leaving you with a lingering sense of unease. Meek’s Cutoff requires patience, but its contemplative nature makes it a rewarding experience for those willing to sit with it, not to mention that it’s a mere ninety minutes long.

Who says the westerns are dead now? They’re still alive. Of course, now we don’t get them all the time as we used to get back in time but they continue to evolve, and every year we get good amount of entertaining or thoughtful westerns.

2010s was a good enough decade for the genre with major filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Coen brothers putting their own spin on the genre and then there were films like “The Revenant” and “Hell or High Water” where the traditions of classic western filmmaking were very strong felt. However, the good or great westerns were not just these films with big-budgets made by the directors we all recognize but there were many other filmmakers bringing their own perspectives on the genre and their timeless themes of revenge, survival and lawlessness.

The westerns can vary, from traditional to revisionist and hopefully the list will cover many types of westerns enough, so everyone can find an underrated gem for themselves.

10. Forsaken (2015)

When the legendary Donald Sutherland passed away, his son Kiefer has described him as “Personally I think, one of the most important actors in the history of film”. Some would think it’s a bias by the son but in this case, it almost felt like he’s underselling his dad. Sutherland had an incredible range and a fascinating career, mixing big blockbusters with European arthouse cinema but somehow, he never worked with his son. They appeared in two films together but never shared a scene, this time was different. “Forsaken” is mostly for those who like traditional westerns.

It’s about a gunslinger with a volent past who decides to leave his past behind but as in most westerns, it doesn’t happen because the land is under siege by a ruthless land grabber. It all seems typical and maybe they are but what makes film work is this beautiful performance, watching the father-son dynamic between Sutherlands feel very personal and gives a film certain authenticity. Kiefer is obviously no stranger to the genre, making “Young Guns” franchise in the past and Donald brings quiet intensity to his part, as a man who of faith who struggles to forgive his son.

The wonderful cinematography and a good pacing which lets its characters to breathe elevates the film considerably as well. Demi Moore is mostly wasted but still a nice presence. Those who never get tired of classic tropes of the genre as long as they’re well-made should enjoy this one.

9. Damsel (2018)

We started off with “Forsaken” because there are many western fans or casual viewers who enjoy their westerns to be as traditional as possible. Then there are others who prefer the western setting to be anything but traditional.

“Damsel” is for those audiences, especially if they love some black humor. Initially you might mistake the movie for a traditional kind; as a tale of a lone hero embarking on a mission to rescues a damsel in distress. That hero is Robert Pattinson as Samuel, who tries to save the love of his life Penelope (Mia Wasikowska who was having a fine run at the time) but the as the film goes on, you realize that this is about something totally different and then the film start to challenge the notion of heroism and “damsel archetype” in such films in a refreshingly offbeat way. That’s where the film’s strength lies because it keeps toying with audience expectations. Those who don’t like their films to challenge them may find it frustrating but those who don’t will enjoy this one’s quirky tone and its minimalist aesthetic a lot.

Admittedly, another thing that may alienate viewers is its runtime because the narrative flow and pacing of the second act is not as good as the first and the third. So, cutting it a bit would’ve worked for it but still it’s funny sequences, surprising twists and fine performances, which includes a great brief part for the late Robert Forster makes up for it. Its unique style makes it worth-watching.

8. The Salvation (2014)

Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green previously starred in the great “Casino Royale” and they collaborated once again in a less seen but pretty cool western titled “The Salvation” which is a gritty Danish western made in the style of classic American westerns. Mikkelsen is not a huge fan of the genre, but luckily he agreed to star in it because his presence is fitting the atmosphere and the genre so well. He plays a Danish immigrant whose peaceful life is shattered when his wife and son are brutally murdered shortly after their arrival in the American West. He seeks justice and then faces off a ruthless gang led by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Denmark is not necessarily a country you’d think of when you hear westerns but everything works so great here. The influences from Sergio Leone and Walter Hill are well-evident and the film doesn’t claim to be anything overly original. What works here so great is the atmosphere, the violence, the amazing cinematography, the bleak tone, haunting performances by Mikkelsen and Eva Green, who’s silent for the most film but still gives an impressive performance. The cinematography is so strong that if you watch the film on mute, it still would work somehow. This being a classical type of Western made with a European perspective turns this tale of revenge and justice to something fascinating. It’s brutal but also poignant.

7. The Wind (2018)

The westerns can also give you some chills. The films like “Ravenous” and “Bone Tomahawk” are cult classics these days for a reason overall. Directed by Emma Taimi who later went on to make a box office hit that is “Five Nights At Freddy’s”, this atmospheric Western sets in desolate plains of the 19th Century American West.

The film follows Isaac Macklin and his wife Lizzy who have left Missouri to settle together on a small farm, swept by incessant winds, in a desert region of New Mexico. Abandoned by her husband who is often absent for several days, Lizzy keeps herself busy as best she can. The routine of their peaceful daily life is shaken by the move of another couple, the Harpers, into a neighboring barn. They quickly become friends and Lizzy takes younger Emma Harper under her wing. She becomes attached to her because she is expecting a child, which reminds her of her stillborn little boy. But, very quickly, the latter’s distress only increases when she tirelessly claims that evil forces are trying to harm her.The question arises: is she succumbing to madness, or is there a malevolent force at work in the wilderness?

For the fans of unconventional and somewhat slow-paced horror, this is a gem. Others might find it alienating. The slow-burn pacing is so perfect for this because it builds the suspense and psychological horror aspect perfectly. The minimalist score and the cool visuals also add a lot. Certainly, one of the more haunting westerns of the recent times.

6. Dead Man’s Burden (2012)

Rather low budget effort with no stars in them, “Dead Man’s Burden” got mostly positive critical reception by the critics. At the same time, they were quick to mention that this film will probably not be seen by many and they were right. Not only for the mentioned reasons, but also because it has a rather slow pacing which wouldn’t appeal to the fans of rather commercial, fast-paced westerns. But those who love a character-driven narrative should check this film out.

Set in the post-Civil War era, the film mostly focus on the relationship between siblings Wade (Barlow Jacobs) and Martha (Clare Bowen). Wade was presumed dead in the war but suddenly he returns to his family’s homestead only to find that his sister has taken control of the land and is preparing to sell it. Then the whole film turns into a character study and a morality play. It’s not just about the plot though, the cast is doing a very strong job with the material they’ve been given and the atmosphere and emotional depth are certainly there.

Its simplistic sides only makes the narrative stronger somehow. And it’s always interesting to see how director and cinematographer uses the modest scale to their advantages on such films and indeed the visuals are beautiful, gives the movie a raw, naturalistic style. Of course, it can be off-putting for some who got used to only watch westerns that are shot on film but this is a movie worth to give a chance for. It offers a quiet, contemplative look at the cost of survival and the weight of family bonds. This is a film more thought-provoking and intelligent than you’d expect it to be.