Only 3 90s western movies are as good as Tombstone

In 1993, Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer teamed up for what would become a generational classic Western in George P. Cosmatos' Tombstone. Telling the story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday's feud against the Cowboy gang in Arizona, the film showed audiences that action belonged at the heart of the genre. With people still quoting it 33 years after release, it's safe to say it made a strong impression on moviegoers the world over.

Made in a decade known for its mixed bag of Western projects, Tombstone emerged as one of the most memorable stories of the '90s, but wasn't alone. If anything, the era marked the official revival of the frontier on the silver screen, producing a slew of cult classics and Oscar-winning masterpieces alongside each other. It's hard to beat Tombstone, but a handful of films prove it can be done, and are all must-see takes on gunslingers and frontiersmen decades later.

Dances With Wolves Officially Opened the Door To A New Era of Westerns

As the '80s drew to a close, the Western seemed to be on its last legs at the box office, relying on smaller budgets and modest box office hauls to stay afloat. Everything changed for the 1990s when Kevin Costner directed Dances With Wolves, the movie that would redefine epic cinema for a generation. Set during the Civil War, it follows Union officer John Dunbar as he settles in the remote Fort Sedgwick, where he befriends the neighboring Sioux tribe.

The 1990 film went on to smash box office records, ushering in new opportunities for the genre to experiment as studios worked on reviving it. When everyone counted the West out, Costner's stellar success proved it was still viable, paving the way for a decade of fan-favorites.

The story behind Dances With Wolves became a favorite among filmmakers and viewers alike, making its way into everything from The Last Samurai to Avatar. A story that champions the simpler, harmonized lifestyle of the Native Americans who inhabited the West before settlement, it's a tender, emotionally-driven story about finding one's purpose. Causing countless moviegoers to resonate with the simpler life of nature and peace, it's the perfect immersion into the beauty and majesty of the untamed frontier.

The Last of the Mohicans Is A Captivating But Tragic Masterpiece

The Last of the Mohicans brings audiences back to the earliest days of the American frontier, exploring the French and Indian War of the 1750s. The story focuses on Hawkeye, a white man adopted into a Mohican tribe, as he and his father, Chingachgook, and brother, Uncas, escort a British family to a fort as the enemy Huron tribe hunts them. What follows is a tragic journey fraught with violence, jealousy, and war.

While Tombstone finds its strength in characters and dialogue, the brilliance of Last of the Mohicans comes down to its atmosphere and cinematography. One of the most captivating experiences from Michael Mann; it's the rare kind of experience that's simply impossible to look away from. Following in the footsteps of Dances With Wolves' epic touch, this 1992 war story is among the most cinematic Westerns of the last fifty years. As well shot as it is scored and acted, it started Daniel Day-Lewis' foray into the American West.

Unforgiven Remains the Perfect Gunslinger Movie

After serving as the official face of the Western since the success of the 'Dollars Trilogy,' Clint Eastwood concluded his gunslinger persona with 1992's Unforgiven. Here, he plays Will Munny, a retired gunfighter and widower struggling to make ends meet. When a young bounty hunter offers him a job, he reluctantly takes it on, enlisting an old friend for help. What he doesn't know is that the return to his violent ways is setting him on a collision course with a brutal lawman who'll do anything to maintain peace in his town.

A reflection of how the actor-director saw the West at the time, the movie is a somber reflection on the frontier as it really was: violent, unforgiving, and morally compromised. Deconstructing the typically glorified gunslinger antihero, it forces its audience to confront a darker and more realistic version of the films Eastwood himself used to champion the West. Released just a year before Tombstone, Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven became the ultimate revisionist Western, and it hasn't been topped since.