The 12 Best Sci-Fi Western Movies Ranked

The western and science fiction genres have always been closely intertwined. Both require signature imagery, exciting action-adventure setpieces, and instantly recognizable heroes and villains; both can be utilized to reflect on larger societal issues. If westerns look at the past from a more nuanced perspective, sci-fi projects explore the future based on the reality that currently exists.

Western heroes were highly influential in the early days of science fiction. There wouldn't be modern sci-fi without the development of the Buck Rogers character, who first debuted in 1928 comic serials before appearing in subsequent serial adaptations, graphic novels, books, stage productions, and feature films. Rogers was a brave gunslinger who explored the furthest reaches of space — quite literally, a space cowboy. The character allowed for the development of more sci-fi heroes like Flash Gordon and Commando Cody, and later influenced Gene Roddenberry's concepts for "Star Trek" and George Lucas' development of "Star Wars."

Some science fiction westerns combine the two genres more directly. Among the most famous is 1973's "Westworld," an adaptation of Michael Crichton's acclaimed novel. The film directly contextualizes western archetypes within a sci-fi premise, as robotic gunslinger androids rebel against their creators in a futuristic theme park. Yul Brenner's terrifying performance as the fearsome gunslinger is synonymous with both genres. The film inspired the acclaimed HBO series of the same name from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy that soon begins production on its fourth season.

Here are the 12 greatest sci-fi western movies, ranked.

Some sci-fi westerns meld the two genres in subtle ways, but the combination is made crystal clear in a film titled "Cowboys & Aliens." Based on the beloved graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Jon Favreau's 2011 adaptation is, remarkably enough, not a spoof of either genre. It's surprisingly considerate of how helpless humanity would be to an advanced technological invader, and the limited technology of the Old West makes the characters' plight more challenging. It also subverts westerns with a more sensitive depiction of the relationship between settlers and native indigenous people.

Sullen, amnesiac outlaw Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the southern town of Absolution with no memory of his past, and soon discovers a mysterious intergalactic band attached to his arm. Lonergan is brought to the mercy of the powerful local figure Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), who thinks there could be a connection between the outlaw and the disappearance of his son, Percy (Paul Dano). They join forces to infiltrate a nest of aliens that threaten Absolution.

Westerns are often compelling because their environments are pre-established. There's not much detail required to explain that a story is set within the Old West, and as a result, the narrative can take place pretty much anywhere. Even if it's traditionally thought of as an American genre, Australian and Italian westerns are an integral part of the genre's history. Gareth Edwards explored this idea with his 2010 sci-fi western "Monsters;" there's little exposition explaining the post-apocalyptic premise, as the audience only learns about the mythology through the interactions between the characters.

"Monsters" follows cynical photojournalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy), who remains reclusive as he copes with a personal tragedy. Kaulder is recruited by his boss to embark on a dangerous cross-country mission to find his daughter, Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able). Samantha is trapped behind the Mexican border (a popular setting within westerns) and needs to be covertly brought to safety in the United States. The sci-fi elements are only gradually introduced during Kaulder's travels, as he must avoid extraterrestrial creatures that landed on Earth after the crash of a NASA ship in the desert.

Westerns often explore the starkness of the natural world, and "Monsters" shows the events of the post-apocalypse away from anything catastrophic. The limited exposure to the outside world allows Edwards to focus on the relationship between Kaulder and Samantha. Kaluder is initially not forthcoming, but he gradually opens up to his new companion and explains his tragic history.

George Miller's "Mad Max" series is the definitive sci-fi western franchise. The later films explored a gritty, run-down, post-apocalyptic future where mankind had been reverted to a chaotic Old West state, but the original 1979 film was pivotal in showing how the depletion of infrastructure began. The film chronicles the societal collapse through the eyes of the police officer Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), who only gradually becomes "Mad" as the story continues.

Compared to the subsequent installments, which are more action-packed and over-the-top, "Mad Max" is a relatively low-key character drama. Max pursues the dangerous motorcycle biker Crawford "Nightrider" Montazano (Vincent Gil) after he kills one of his friends on the police force, but Nightrider's allies Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and Bubba Zanetti (Geoff Parry) begin wreaking havoc throughout the city. It was Keays-Byrne's first collaboration with Miller, and he would later return to the series to play the main villain Immortan Joe in "Mad Max: Fury Road."

"Mad Max" explores the tragedy that sets the events of the franchise into motion. Max loses his wife Jessie Rockatansky (Joanne Samuel), and becomes hardened and skeptical about humanity's future. Many western heroes have traumatic origin stories, and Miller showed the sympathetic place in which these heroes earn their names. Max would become as crazy as the world that surrounded him by the time "The Road Warrior" rolled around, but here we get to see Max at his most lawful and relatable.

The original Flash Gordon character was introduced shortly after Buck Rogers, and was designed to directly compete with that iconic space cowboy. First appearing in comic strips in the mid-'30s, Flash Gordon was a similar cosmic adventurer with the same nobility and combat skills as a classic western hero. He would later appear in countless comic books, radio plays, serials, television shows, and cartoons, and filmmakers had tried for generations to adapt the character for the big screen. George Lucas, who had loved the character growing up, attempted to purchase the rights to an adaptation in the 1970s. When he was turned down by producers, he simply made "Star Wars" instead.

"Flash Gordon" finally made his way to the big screen in 1980, in a film directed by Mike Hodges. Hodges told the origin story of the titular New York Jets football star (Sam J. Jones) who is transported from Earth into the vast reaches of space. Flash is gifted with superhuman powers by the brilliant scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol), but he's captured by the intergalactic supervillain Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow). Flash gathers his allies to lead a revolution against the wicked dictator.

"Flash Gordon" is gleefully campy and doesn't attempt to modernize the original serials. The depiction of good and evil is completely earnest, although there are self-aware nods to the character's history. It's the perfect translation of one of the original sci-fi westerns.

The "X-Men" franchise expertly mixes genres to create stories that tend to feel unique amidst the typical superhero content in popular media. While the films ably translate the heroic depictions of the original Marvel comics, they also incorporate elements of fantasy, coming-of-age, comedy, and political satire. The franchise went in many different directions, but the solo films focused on Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) tended to pinpoint his isolation and inability to find inner peace. 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was an awkward blend of convoluted world-building, but James Mangold's more serious 2013 film "The Wolverine" inserted the character within a Samurai epic that felt closer in tone to the films of Akira Kurosowa than a traditional superhero story.

Mangold experimented with genres once more in 2017 with "Logan," a film so indebted to its western influences that it even includes clips from the 1953 Alan Ladd classic "Shane." Compared to the time-travel and world devastating events of the previous films, "Logan" tells a stripped-down story of Wolverine living within the outskirts of Texas. Asserting that stories of the "X-Men" are wildly exaggerated, Wolverine cares for the dying Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and doesn't intend to go on any more adventures. He's reluctantly called back into action when he discovers the young mutant girl Laura (Dafne Keen), who seeks his protection.

Placing Wolverine within a western was a brilliant choice, as it made his final screen appearance more emotional, and the R-Rating allowed Mangold to show the west with full brutality.

Three decades after the conclusion of the original trilogy, there were significant expectations for George Miller's fourth entry in the "Mad Max" franchise. The first two films masterfully incorporated the science fiction post-apocalyptic elements within the concept of an Australian western, but "Mad Max: Fury Road" surpassed every expectation. It explored classic western themes of an isolated society, a former law enforcement officer returning to nobility, and heist caper elements within all of its glorious, madcap action.

Tom Hardy stepped into the titular role that Gibson had made iconic, and though his grizzled bluntness fit the role perfectly, Hardy was outshined by the new protagonist Furiosa (Charlize Theron). An imperator for the warlord Immortan Joe, Furiosa rebels against her vicious boss and rescues his female breeders. Westerns are effective when they challenge traditional notions of masculinity, and having the female characters be featured so prominently here was integral.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" isn't just the best action movie since "Die Hard," but a great western. The stark imagery of the isolating desert and eccentric rogue's gallery feel lifted from the classics of western cinema, particularly with Immortan Joe's control of resources and water. Max fits the mold of a lonely gunslinger; he doesn't have a personal stake in the conflict, but he's called into acts of heroism nonetheless. Furiosa became the defining hero of a generation regardless of genre (don't worry, she'll be back).