Best movies like The Cowboys
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
When his cattlemen abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a collection of young boys as his cowboys in order to get his herd to market in time to avoid financial disaster. The boys learn to do a man's job under Andersen's tutelage; however, neither Andersen nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: harsh, serious, captivating, exciting, suspense, funny, cult classic, rough, realistic, tense
Best tv shows and movies like The Cowboys (1972):
Similar in 90%
The Comancheros (1961)
Plot Summary:
Texas Ranger Jake Cutter arrests gambler Paul Regret, but soon finds himself teamed with his prisoner in an undercover effort to defeat a band of renegade arms merchants and thieves known as Comancheros.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, fairy tale, tense, sentimental, light, sexy
Similar in 76%
Return to Snowy River (1988)
Plot Summary:
After a few years trying to earn money to marry Jessica Harrison (Sigrid Thornton), Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) returns to Snowy River. But he finds that a lot of things have changed.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: Australia
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: cult classic, semi serious, independent film, inspirational, romantic, sexy, clever, touching, feel good, breathtaking
Similar in 89%
Rooster Cogburn (1975)
Plot Summary:
After a band of drunken thugs overruns a small Indian Nation town, killing Minister Goodnight and raping the women folk, Eula Goodnight enlists the aid of Marshal Cogburn to hunt them down and bring her father's killers to justice.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: spaghetti western, action adventure, independent film, exciting, sincere, clever, humorous, realistic, semi serious, sentimental
Similar in 85%
The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972)
Plot Summary:
Teenager Ben Mockridge feels life in a Wild West farm town has nothing better to offer then horse-cart racing with other hicks, so he naively begs cattle company owner Frank Culpepper to engage him as youngest cowboy for a long cattle trail to a fort, his mother barely notices. Ben doesn't even seem to get it when he's told to report as 'little Mary' to the old cook, whose words cowboy is something you do only if you have nothing better gradually become clear. Instead of an exciting heroic macho life, it's endless hard work, dumb chores and embarrassment, even getting literally caught with his pants down, robbed of his horse, witnessing unpunished crimes.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, captivating, realistic, crying, cult film
Similar in 81%
Molly and Lawless John (1972)
Plot Summary:
Western - Molly, the shy, romance-starved wife of an arrogant frontier sheriff, finds herself drawn to a prisoner in her husband's jail. This prisoner, a handsome young man named Johnny, plays on Molly's sympathy and convinces her to help him escape. Molly then accompanies Johnny on his cross-country flight but soon learns he's simply been using her. Molly makes the best of the situation, however, and by the time the sheriff's posse catches up with them, Molly shows that she's learned how to assert herself. - Vera Miles, Sam Elliott, Clu Gulager.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 328
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: independent film, realistic, semi serious, surprise ending
Similar in 89%
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Plot Summary:
A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend and tells the truth about his deed.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: black and white, suspense, atmospheric, serious, melancholic, meditative, funny, epic, entertaining, spaghetti western
Similar in 78%
Big Jake (1971)
Plot Summary:
An aging Texas cattle man who has outlived his time swings into action when outlaws kidnap his grandson.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: spaghetti western, tense, entertaining, atmospheric, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, independent film, neo western
Similar in 88%
Bandolero! (1968)
Plot Summary:
Posing as a hangman, Mace Bishop arrives in town with the intention of freeing a gang of outlaws, including his brother, from the gallows. Mace urges his younger brother to give up crime. The sheriff chases the brothers to Mexico. They join forces, however, against a group of Mexican bandits.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: funny, retro, serious, realistic, suspenseful, wild
Similar in 81%
Dead Man's Revenge (1994)
Plot Summary:
Bitter and vengeful fugitive Luck Hatcher, dignified former slave turned bounty hunter Jessup Bush, and wily deputy U.S. Marshal Bodine all converge in a small town so they can hatch an intricate con in order to bring greedy and ruthless railroad speculator Payton McCay to justice.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 254
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 77%
Aces 'N' Eights (2008)
Plot Summary:
Already taking a gamble settling in the uncharted west, the peaceful settlers of a town destined for railroad greatness suddenly find themselves being ruthlessly gunned down. With no law and order to be found, justice falls onto the shoulders of an elderly rancher and an accomplished, but retired, gunslinger.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 828
Genere: Action, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, realistic, suspenseful, rough, independent film
Similar in 82%
The War Wagon (1967)
Plot Summary:
An ex-con seeks revenge on the man who put him in prison by planning a robbery of the latter's stagecoach, which is transporting gold. He enlists the help of a partner, who could be working for his nemesis.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: exciting, intense, humorous, suspense, tense, captivating, retro, realistic, semi serious, surprise ending
Similar in 85%
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
Plot Summary:
The Elder boys return to Clearwater, Texas for their Mother's funeral. John the eldest is a well known gunfighter and trouble follows him wherever he goes. The boys try to get back their ranch from the towns gunsmith who won it from their father in a card game with which he was shortly murdered there after but not before getting through the troubles that come with the Elders name.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, rough, suspenseful, suspense, realistic, tense, romantic, road movie, clever
Similar in 88%
Return of the Outlaws (2009)
Plot Summary:
Miraculously escaping a painful demise in the gallows, a notorious outlaw cons a crooked judge, an attractive saloon girl, and an old partner into carrying out the heist of a lifetime. As the plan gets underway, a small town sheriff makes it his personal mission to capture the outlaw and ensure that justice is served.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 117
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, captivating, suspense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 85%
Chisum (1970)
Plot Summary:
Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County land war.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: harsh, exciting, rough, serious, tense, realistic, spaghetti western, light, clever, enigmatic
Similar in 78%
Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)
Plot Summary:
J.D. Cahill is the toughest U.S. Marshal they've got, just the sound of his name makes bad guys stop in their tracks, so when his two young boy's want to get his attention they decide to rob a bank. They end up getting more than they bargained for.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: tense, talky, sentimental, suspenseful, semi serious, sincere, realistic, suspense, light, road movie
Similar in 84%
Hombre (1967)
Plot Summary:
John Russell, disdained by his "respectable" fellow stagecoach passengers because he was raised by Indians, becomes their only hope for survival when they are set upon by outlaws.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: realistic, tense, suspense, harsh, talky, intense, serious, suspenseful, retro, cynical
Similar in 85%
The Undefeated (1969)
Plot Summary:
After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are leading two disparate groups of people through strife-torn Mexico. John Henry and company are bringing horses to the unpopular Mexican government for $35 a head while Langdon is leading a contingent of displaced southerners, who are looking for a new life in Mexico after losing their property to carpetbaggers. The two men are eventually forced to mend their differences in order to fight off both bandits and revolutionaries, as they try to lead their friends and kin to safety.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, War, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, light, road movie, feel good, bleak, epic
Similar in 85%
Rio Lobo (1970)
Plot Summary:
After the Civil War, Cord McNally searches for the traitor whose perfidy caused the defeat of McNally's unit and the loss of a close friend.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, War, Western
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: harsh, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, spaghetti western, independent film, exciting, surprise ending
Similar in 88%
The Shootist (1976)
Plot Summary:
Afflicted with a terminal illness John Bernard Brooks, the last of the legendary gunfighters, quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler. Aware that his days are numbered, the troubled man seeks solace and peace in a boarding house run by a widow and her son.However, it is not Brooks' fate to die in peace, as he becomes embroiled in one last valiant battle.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Drama, Romance, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: suspense, tense, psychological, serious, realistic, touching, spaghetti western, emotional, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 75%
Hang 'Em High (1968)
Plot Summary:
Marshall Jed Cooper survives a hanging, vowing revenge on the lynch mob that left him dangling. To carry out his oath for vengeance, he returns to his former job as a lawman. Before long, he's caught up with the nine men on his hit list and starts dispensing his own brand of Wild West justice.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: spaghetti western, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, retro, epic, exciting, rough, serious, crime drama
Similar in 79%
The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981)
Plot Summary:
When the young Texas Ranger, John Reid, is the sole survivor of an ambush arranged by the militaristic outlaw leader, Butch Cavendich, he is rescued by an old childhood Comanche friend, Tonto. When he recovers from his wounds, he dedicates his life to fighting the evil that Cavendich represents. To this end, John Reid becomes the great masked western hero, The Lone Ranger. With the help of Tonto, the pair go to rescue President Grant when Cavendich takes him hostage.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, captivating, realistic, romantic, humorous, bad ending, suspense, stylized, intense
Similar in 86%
Lawman (1971)
Plot Summary:
While passing through the town of Bannock, a bunch of drunken cattlemen go overboard with their celebrating and accidentally kill an old man with a stray shot. They return home to Sabbath unaware of his death. Bannock lawman Jered Maddox later arrives there to arrest everyone involved on a charge of murder. Sabbath is run by land baron Vince Bronson, a benevolent despot, who, upon hearing of the death, offers restitution for the incident.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: tense, realistic, rough, serious, perverse, gloomy, wild, cult film
Similar in 89%
Young Guns II (1990)
Plot Summary:
Only three of the original five "young guns" -- Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez), Jose Chavez y Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips), and Doc Scurlock (Kiefer Sutherland) -- return in Young Guns, Part 2, which is the story of Billy the Kid and his race to safety in Old Mexico while being trailed by a group of government agents led by Pat Garrett.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Action, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: funny, period piece, anamorphic, cult classic, exciting, tense, serious, realistic, surprise ending, dark comedy
Similar in 85%
Nevada Smith (1966)
Plot Summary:
Nevada Smith is the young son of an Indian mother and white father. When his father is killed by three men over gold, Nevada sets out to find them and kill them. The boy is taken in by a gun merchant. The gun merchant shows him how to shoot and to shoot on time and correct.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: stylized, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, retro, gloomy, brutal, enigmatic
Similar in 80%
Quigley Down Under (1990)
Plot Summary:
American Matt Quigley answers Australian land baron Elliott Marston's ad for a sharpshooter to kill the dingoes on his property. But when Quigley finds out that Marston's real target is the aborigines, Quigley hits the road. Now, even American expatriate Crazy Cora can't keep Quigley safe in his cat-and-mouse game with the homicidal Marston.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, Western
Country: Australia, USA, France
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: suspense, entertaining, exciting, harsh, rough, realistic, serious, period piece, spaghetti western, funny
Similar in 76%
The Deadly Trackers (1973)
Plot Summary:
Sheriff Sean Kilpatrick is a pacifist. Frank Brand is the leader of a band of killers. When their paths cross Kilpatrick is compelled to go against everything he has stood for to bring death to Brand and his gang. Through his hunt into Mexico he is challenged by a noble Mexican Sheriff interested only in carrying out the law - not vengeance.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, spaghetti western
Similar in 83%
True Grit (1969)
Plot Summary:
The murder of her father sends a teenage tomboy, Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), on a mission of "justice", which involves avenging her father's death. She recruits a tough old marshal, "Rooster" Cogburn (John Wayne), because he has "grit", and a reputation of getting the job done. The two are joined by a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), who is looking for the same man (Jeff Corey) for a separate murder in Texas. Their odyssey takes them from Fort Smith, Arkansas, deep into the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) to find their man.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: stylized, suspense, harsh, exciting, spaghetti western, period piece, action adventure, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 76%
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Plot Summary:
Lonesome Dove is a Western television miniseries based on Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, Lonesome Dove was originally broadcast by CBS on February 5, 1989, drawing a huge viewing audience, earning numerous awards, and reviving both the television western and the miniseries.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 384 min
Plot tags: epic, touching, realistic, entertaining, anime, sentimental, captivating, contemplative, soap opera, serious
Similar in 88%
Young Guns (1988)
Plot Summary:
A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 67000
Genere: Action, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: stylized, suspense, harsh, serious, exciting, epic, hood, period piece, realistic, dark comedy
Similar in 77%
Wyatt Earp's Revenge (2012)
Plot Summary:
Wyatt Earp is approached by a journalist for an interview about how he became a famous sheriff. Earp told the story of how he was a fearless U.S. Marshall. If 27-year old Wyatt Earp comes out that his first girlfriend Dora Hand was murdered. Together with his friend Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman and Charlie Bassett he goes hunting for the perpetrator.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, realistic, captivating, tense, rough