Hell or High Water: The 2016 Film Named Best Modern Western and Sixth Best Western Ever
Many of the most acclaimed Western movies of all time were produced decades ago and starred icons like Clint Eastwood or John Wayne. However, over the last few decades, there have been a handful of fantastic films from the genre that have stood out so much that they have become categorized among the greats. One 2016 crime drama is so stellar that it has been named the greatest modern Western film and one of the best Western movies ever made.
What Movie Has Been Named the Best Modern Western and One of the Best Western Movies of All Time?
In 2025, Rotten Tomatoes updated its official ranking of the "100 Best Modern Westerns & Neo-Westerns Ranked." The ranking may have looser qualifications than many fans likely would expect since it featured a movie that is more than forty years old, 1985's Silverado. That timeline meant that many acclaimed movies made the cut, like Unforgiven, True Grit, No Country for Old Men, Tombstone, Dances with Wolves, Desperado, and even Logan. Despite the extremely fierce competition, Hell or High Water was ranked No. 1.
In addition to topping that impressive ranking, the film also appeared on Rotten Tomatoes' "Best Western Movies of All Time" ranking. The ranking's top 5 picks were all iconic movies that have been celebrated for decades: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, High Noon, Stagecoach, and Rio Bravo in that order. Then, the famous website listed Hell or High Water as the sixth-best Western movie ever produced, which was a massive compliment to the film.
Before it landed on impressive rankings, Hell or High Water was nominated for and won a slew of awards. Most notably, it was nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing categories. If that wasn't enough, it holds an impressive 97% Tomatometer score based on critics' reviews and an 88% Popcornmeter rating from users.
There are several reasons why Hell or High Water deserves to be celebrated as a must-see movie for any fan of Western movies. One of the most obvious is that it features performances that should go down in film history. Jeff Bridges arguably gave one of the best performances of his career as a world-weary Texas Ranger. Additionally, Chris Pine and Ben Foster are so convincing as brothers that it is hard to believe they aren't related. All three actors give performances that viewers won't want to look away from.
Hell or High Water is also gorgeously shot, and Taylor Sheridan's screenplay is extremely tight while also giving scenes room to breathe. Another one of its biggest strengths is that the world it exists in feels entirely real.
An Overlooked Modern Masterpiece
Despite all those reasons and others that make Hell or High Water a masterpiece, the movie has flown remarkably under the radar. As The Wrap reported in 2016, the movie only opened in 32 theaters initially. After that, it would only go on to make $37.5 million at the worldwide box office. Also in 2016, the film's greatness was discovered by so few people that The Malestrom called it the "sleeper hit of the year." Years after it was released, it continued to get so little attention that MovieWeb labeled it "One of the Most Underrated Westerns of the Century" in January 2026.
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This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 6:15 AM.