Western films had their moment, most notably between the 1940s and the 1960s, known as “the Golden Age of the Western”. However, they have seen somewhat of a revival in recent years with the likes of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
They may be the lesser-known films of the Western genre, but these non-American Western films, often directed by British filmmakers, could be described as the underdogs.
Here are the top 10 British ‘roast beef’ Westerns ranked by watchers’ ratings on Letterboxd.
10. The Ballad of Kid Divine: The Cockney Cowboy (1992)
Coming in at number 10 is The Ballad of Kid Divine: The Cockney Cowboy, written by actor Alex Giannini and directed by Scottish actor George Rossi. The film is a very funny pastiche of the spaghetti and revisionist westerns of the 1960s and 1970s. Their first time appearing on screen together, it stars Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes. Morrissey plays an Irish bounty hunter with Clunes as his grotesque mute partner. With a strong sense that this film was a bit of a working holiday for a cast of big kids, it is a very fun watch.
9. Black Velvet Band (1997)
Made for TV, Black Velvet Band is a period drama that takes us back to the Victorian era as a gang of crooks find themselves sentenced to transportation to Australia. However, the story takes a turning point when their ship docks in South Africa and the crew manage to make their escape and head on, what becomes a Roast Beef Western adventure. With direction from Robert Knights, the film starred Nick Berry, Chris McHallem and Todd Carty, who had all previously appeared in EastEnders together.
8. Horse Opera (1993)
Set in the badlands of the American West, this film follows the inner world of George, a minor clerk in the Tax office and chairman of Nottingham’s cowboy society. The broad term ‘horse opera’ has been used to describe various Western films that have roots in the silent film era. Here, we see a strange journey through George’s mind in what can be described as an amusing yet unconventional take on the ‘horse opera’ theme from director Bob Baldwin.
7. Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956)
Directed by John Baxter, Ramsbottom Rides Again follows Yorkshire’s Bill Ramsbottom after he sells his English pub and makes his family move to Canada, where he has inherited a ranch from his grandfather, Wild Bill Ramsbottom. Once he arrives there, Bill runs into another Western comedy, which starred Arthur Askey, Glenn Melvyn and Sidney James.
6. The Harder They Fall (2021)
The Harder They Fall is a much more recent take on a Western, and it oozes with style and energy. Gunning for revenge, Outlaw Nat Love is gunning for revenge as he saddles up with his gang to take down his enemy, Rufus Buck, a ruthless crime boss who just got sprung from prison. Boasted by a starry cast including Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, RJ Cyler and Idris Elba, paired with an incredible soundtrack, the film proved a hit with viewers, earning 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
5. A Fistful of Travellers’ Cheques (1984)
When two students, Carlos and Miguel, arrive in Spain dressed as gunslingers and ready to live out their dream of being in a spaghetti western, they don’t know what they have let themselves in for. At a cafe in a remote town, they meet two Australian girls who have picked up a hitch-hiker littered with red flags. Directed by Bob Spiers, the film has been described as ‘laugh out loud funny’ by a reviewer on Letterboxd. Its impressive cast includes Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall, Pete Richens and Dawn French.
4. Slow West (2015)
Slow West follows a 17-year-old boy’s violent and emotional journey as he teams up with a mysterious gunman to find the woman he is infatuated with. Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smit-McPhee play the lead roles in this tense story full of twists and turns. In his impressive feature debut, John Maclean both writes and directs. The film is beautifully shot and offers a treat for lovers of Westerns and those new to the genre.
3. Ravenous (1999)
Captain John Boyd sets out on a mission to investigate reports of missing people in Fort Spencer, a remote Army outpost on the Western frontier. Boyd is quickly met by a wounded frontiersman who recounts a horrifying tale of a wagon train who its supposed guide has murdered – a vicious U.S. Army colonel who appears to have gone rogue. Fearing the worst, the regiment heads out into the wilderness to verify the horrifying claims. The film is directed by Antonia Bird and stars Guy Pearce. A viewer on Letterboxd describes it as “manifest destiny cannibal horror western that’s as bleak and bloody”.
2. The Power of the Dog (2021)
Benedict Cumberbatch stars opposite his onscreen brother Jesse Plemons in this mysterious yet menacing Western. The Power of the Dog follows a domineering but charismatic rancher as he wages a war of intimidation on his brother’s new wife and her teenage son. But when secrets come to light, he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love. Set in 1920s Montana, the Western psychological drama is about toxic masculinity and repression. With its slow-burning nature, the lethal ending will creep up on you.
1. The Proposition (2005)
Another tale of sibling conflict, this brutal story is set against the backdrop of misogyny, violence and colonial racism. Set in 1880s Australia, it follows Charlie Burns, played by Guy Pearce, as a lawman offers him a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows he must kill his older brother, who is wanted for both rape and murder. The film follows this moral dilemma, and violence ensues throughout. It is the second feature film written by the musician Nick Cave and directed by John Hillcoat.
