Westerns are notoriously hit-or-miss when it comes to critical reception, but over the decades several have been able to achieve the coveted 100% rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. On Rotten Tomatoes, a film can be either "fresh" or "rotten", and the metric operates almost like a /fail, with very little nuance to an individual critic's score. A 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes indicates that all critics who reviewed the film put it on the positive side of the scale – it is not necessarily an indicator that the film is near-perfect.
For Westerns, a 100% score is typically difficult to achieve, but some of the classics have managed to hold on to this impressive rating throughout the years. A few of these classic Westerns benefit from a relatively small number of critic reviews, at least compared to modern blockbusters, which often have 200+ reviews comprising their Rotten Tomatoes score. While the Rotten Tomatoes score doesn't indicate perfection, a 100% is still a terrific signal of a movie's overall quality, as getting all critics to view a movie positively is a difficult achievement. Impressively, there are ten noteworthy classic Westerns still boasting a 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes decades after their initial release.
10 Stagecoach
The landmark Western from one of American cinema's most influential early directors, John Ford, 1939's Stagecoach features John Wayne in his breakthrough role alongside Academy Award winner Claire Trevor. An adaptation of a short story from fiction writer Ernest Haycox, the classic John Wayne and John Ford Western movie follows a group of strangers as they board a stagecoach to make a dangerous journey from the Arizona territory to New Mexico. At the time of writing, Stagecoach holds a 100% score from 47 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus noting that it typifies "the best that the Western genre has to offer."
Stagecoach is widely regarded as one of the most influential Westerns ever made, and was selected for preservation in the United States' National Film Registry due to its cultural significance. In addition to being the breakthrough role for John Wayne, the film won two Academy Awards and was nominated for five others. Many classic Western tropes are represented, including the use of Monument Valley as a filming location, horseback chases, gunfights, and a classic shootout that closes the film. While Stagecoach is still widely applauded as indicated by its Rotten Tomatoes score, it has more recently been criticized for its unenlightened depiction of Native Americans.
9 My Darling Clementine
Another John Ford masterpiece, 1946's My Darling Clementine stars Henry Fonda as legendary gunslinger Wyatt Earp in the period leading up to the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Like Stagecoach, Ford's My Darling Clementine is regarded as a landmark film in American cinema, and was also selected for the National Film Registry. It holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on 32 reviews, and the Critics Consensus calls it the "definitive dramatization of the Wyatt Earp legend."
As impressive as the Rotten Tomatoes score is, the film's influence in the American Western genre and beyond is even more astonishing. Numerous directors, including legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (via Far Out Magazine) have cited My Darling Clementine's significance to them, and it is commonly regarded as the greatest film in John Ford's iconic filmography. It is unique in its focus on the relationship between Wyatt Earp and Clementine, which gives the film more heart than the typical Western.
8 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1948's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre stars Humphrey Bogart in a classic adventure that has gone on to inspire other media since its original release. Another selection for the National Film Registry and the winner of three Oscars, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre famously features the (oft-misquoted) line from Gold Hat, the leader of the film's Mexican bandits, "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!" The film holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on 55 reviews, and the Critics Consensus makes special mention that the dark yet humorous film has been "remade, but never duplicated."
7 Red River
A selection from the height of John Wayne's star power, 1948's Red River offers a heavily fictionalized of the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the famous Chisholm Trail. Nominated for two Academy Awards and selected to the National Film Registry, Red River is touted as one of John Wayne's finest movies given the complexity of his tortured central character, the rancher Thomas Dunson. His costar, method actor Montgomery Clift, also received high praise from critics for his intense portrayal of Wayne's adopted son Matt Garth. Red River holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 33 reviews, although several of the critics do point out flaws with the film's ending.
Red River also dealt with some controversy, as director Howard Hawks was actually sued by director Howard Hughes, who claimed that the movie's climax bore too many similarities to his film The Outlaw, which Hawks had worked on. This, along with Hawks' issues with the film's original editing, led to the existence of multiple versions of the film. Although not still considered standard for the time period, Howard Hawks shot Red River on black and white, as he believed Technicolor technology would detract from the film's realism (via The Guardian).
6 Fort Apache
1948's Fort Apache features Henry Fonda, John Wayne, and Ward Bond (the latter two stars having the most 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores of any actor) in post-Civil War Arizona as former military men now in control of the Fort Apache outpost. The film also stars Shirley Temple as the daughter of Henry Fonda's character. Fort Apache is famous as one of the first major Hollywood Westerns to depict Native Americans in a sympathetic light, and is lauded for its respect and authenticity in that regard. The film holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, although that rating includes just 21 critic reviews.
Fort Apache stands out for its pointed social and political commentary, which balances with the typical Western action. It is the first in John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy", and was succeeded by She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande. The latter two also starred John Wayne in similar roles as an aging cavalry officer after the American Civil War, with all three films focusing on post-war conflicts with Native Americans.
5 Winchester '73
1950's Winchester '73 stars James Stewart as a lawman pursuing an infamous outlaw, a somewhat common plot line in American Westerns. Another National Film Registry selection, Winchester '73 carries some significance in the movie business as the first film where an actor received a percentage of the receipts as compensation. It holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on 28 reviews, but is a good demonstration of how that rating works – many critics enjoyed the film, but very few lauded it as an all-time great.
Stewart, who is most famous for his starring role in It's a Wonderful Life, got a significant amount of control over Winchester '73 thanks to his agent's negotiation to earn him a percentage of the receipts, with the actor reportedly being the one to choose director Anthony Mann. It is also one of the earliest known examples of an actor redefining his on-screen persona through film choice. Stewart had embodied a very typical American everyman up until that point, but Winchester '73 gave him the opportunity to play against type as a tough, vengeful lawman. Most critics on Rotten Tomatoes single out his performance in the film, in fact.
4 Old Yeller
Disney's 1957 coming-of-age tale Old Yeller is mostly famous for its heartbreaking ending, but the movie has also been recognized as a high-quality Western since its release. It chronicles a young boy's relationship with a stray dog that becomes an important part of his family, right up until he is forced to put the dog down himself when it contracts rabies. Old Yeller holds a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes on 22 reviews, with the Critics Consensus calling it "an exemplary coming of age tale."
The film had a significant impact on an entire generation of young moviegoers, as Old Yeller's death is often ed among the saddest scenes in film history. There are over 50,000 audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, demonstrating just how many people are familiar with the movie compared to others on this list. Having one of the most famous endings in movie history, Old Yeller's 100% critic rating is somewhat of an anomaly.
3 The Shooting
1966's The Shooting highlights many of the typical American Western characters, like the volatile gunslinger, former bounty hunter, and mysterious young woman, but it brings much more to the genre with how much tension it builds. It is actually one of Jack Nicholson's earliest starring roles, as he plays the aforementioned gunslinger Billy Spear. The Shooting holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on 22 reviews, but interestingly enough there are several who specifically call out problems with the movie's production and overall story. The mystery at its heart and the film's ability to ratchet up the tension as it progresses overcomes most of its other flaws, making its 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating all the more impressive.
2 El Dorado
The cast of 1967's El Dorado is incredible, and certainly is an important part of the movie's 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. John Wayne stars, but Robert Mitchum, James Caan and Ed Asner help make the movie a triumphant Western classic. Ed Asner plays a ruthless tycoon to great effect, Robert Mitchum shines as a sheriff unable to perform the duties of his office due to his alcoholism, and Wayne and Caan thrive as the noble gunfighters who fight back for the common people. El Dorado holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on 24 reviews, with many of the critics noting how moving the film is despite its relatively common overarching plot.
1 The Grey Fox
1982's The Grey Fox is one of many Westerns based on a true story, as it recounts the life and times of stagecoach robber Bill Miner, a famously polite bandit who is the supposed originator of the phrase "hands up" during a robbery. Richard Farnsworth stars as Miner, and shines in what is considered to be an atypical Western, especially given its Canadian origins. The Grey Fox holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on the strength of 29 reviews, with most critics praising the film's rousing spirit of adventure.
While many of the typical Western elements inhabit The Grey Fox, its strength lies in the departures from genre tropes. For example, the movie follows Miner after he has been in prison for 30 years, so his introduction into a world he doesn't know is unusual in a genre where the stars usually feel like they were pulled right out of the scenery. Much of the praise, however, is reserved for Farnsworth, who is celebrated for his depiction of the strong, aging outlaw.
