Movies like How the West Was Won (1962)
The best movies like How the West Was Won (1962) are The Way West (1967), The Big Trail (1930) and The Big Sky (1952). If How the West Was Won hooked you with its western, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDances with Wolves (1990)7.8/10 from 4,908 votes
- NewestMeek's Cutoff (2011)Released 2011
The Way West (1967)
In the mid-19th century, Senator William J. Tadlock leads a group of settlers overland in a quest to start a new settlement in the Western US. Tadlock is a highly principled and demanding taskmaster who is as hard on himself as he is on those who have joined his wagon train. He clashes with one of the new settlers, Lije Evans, who doesn't quite appreciate Tadlock's ways. Along the way, the families must face death and heartbreak and a sampling of frontier justice when one of them accidentally kills a young Indian boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Trail (1930)
Young scout Breck Coleman leads a wagon train along the dangerous trail to Oregon as he tries to get the affection of the beautiful pioneer Ruth Cameron and plans his revenge on the harsh scoundrels who murdered a friend of his in the past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Sky (1952)
Two tough Kentucky mountaineers join a trading expedition from St. Louis up the Missouri River to trade whisky for furs with the Blackfoot Indians. They soon discover that there is much more than the elements to contend with.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBend of the River (1952)
Two men with questionable pasts, Glyn McLyntock and his friend Cole, lead a wagon-train load of homesteaders from Missouri to the Oregon territory...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMeek's Cutoff (2011)
A group of settlers traveling through the Oregon High Desert in 1845 find themselves stranded in harsh conditions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDavy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)
Davy Crockett and his sidekick Georgie compete against boastful Mike Fink ("King of the River") in a boat race to New Orleans. Later, Davy and Georgie, allied with Fink, battle a group of river pirates trying to pass themselves off as Native Americans.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFlaming Star (1960)
Pacer Burton, a young man of mixed Kiowa and white heritage, is caught between two worlds as conflict erupts between Native Americans and white settlers in Texas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRiver of No Return (1954)
An itinerant farmer and his young son help a heart-of-gold saloon singer search for her estranged husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDavy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955)
Legends (and myths) from the life of famed American frontiersman Davy Crockett are depicted in this feature film edited from television episodes. Crockett and his friend George Russel fight in the Creek Indian War. Then Crockett is elected to Congress and brings his rough-hewn ways to the House of Representatives. Finally, Crockett and Russell journey to Texas and the last stand at the Alamo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn Old Oklahoma (1943)
Cowboy Dan Somers and oilman Jim "Hunk" Gardner compete for oil lease rights on Indian land in Oklahoma, as well as for the favors of schoolteacher Cathy Allen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeronimo: An American Legend (1993)
The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers. One in particular, Geronimo, is restless. Pushed over the edge by broken promises and necessary actions by the government, Geronimo and thirty or so other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHombre (1967)
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.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWagon Master (1950)
Two young horse traders guide a Mormon wagon train to the San Juan Valley and encounter rugged terrain, the cutthroat Clegg gang, hospitable Navajo, and moral challenges on the journey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure (1995)
A young boy draws on the inspiration of legendary western characters to find the strength to fight an evil land baron in the old west who wants to steal his family's farm and destroy their idyllic community. When Daniel Hackett sees his father Jonas gravely wounded by the villainous Stiles, his first urge is for his family to flee the danger, and give up their life on a farm which Daniel has come to despise anyway. Going alone to a lake to try to decide what to do, he falls asleep on a boat and wakes to find himself in the wild west, in the company of such "tall tale" legends as Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, John Henry and Calamity Jane. Together, they battle the same villains Daniel is facing in his "real" world, ending with a heroic confrontation in which the boy stands up to Stiles and his henchmen, and rallies his neighbors to fight back against land grabbers who want to destroy their town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Indian Fighter (1955)
A scout leading a wagon train through hostile Indian country gets involved with a Sioux chief's daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Wagon (1956)
When a handful of settlers survive an Apache attack on their wagon train they must put their lives into the hands of Comanche Todd, a white man who has lived with the Comanches most of his life and is wanted for the murder of three men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRio Grande (1950)
Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke is posted on the Texas frontier to defend settlers against depredations of marauding Apaches. Col. Yorke is under considerable stress by a serious shortage of troops of his command. Tension is added when Yorke's son (whom he hasn't seen in fifteen years), Trooper Jeff Yorke, is one of 18 recruits sent to the regiment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDances with Wolves (1990)
Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar tries to commit suicide—and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNevada Smith (1966)
Nevada Smith is the alias of Max Sand, the son of an Indian mother and American father. When they are killed by three men over gold, Nevada sets out to avenge them. The young man is taken in by a gun merchant who shows him how to shoot, on time and correctly.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove's Enduring Promise (2004)
In the 1800s frontier, Missie Davis is a bright and beautiful schoolteacher whose love for the prairie is matched only by her passion for books. When Missie encounters Grant, a handsome New England railroad executive, she feels as though she's met a hero from one of her novels.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDomino Kid (1957)
A rancher vows revenge on the five men responsible for his father's death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
The Feud of the Trail (1937)
A man who's a dead ringer for the leader of an outlaw gang kills the gang leader, then takes his place to try to bring the gang to justice.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Battles of Chief Pontiac (1952)
In pre-Revolutionary America, the efforts of a Colonial officer trying to broker a peace deal between Indian chief Pontiac and British and American settlers are threatened by the commander of a Hessian mercenary unit who embarks on a campaign of extermination against the Indians.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
The Good Bad-Man (1916)
Passin' Through, an unconventional Robin Hood-esque figure, robs trains or locals in whimsical ways—such as stealing a ticket punch or charging fines for watches—and gives the proceeds to single mothers and orphans. Initially driven by the belief that he was born out of wedlock, he uncovers a dark past involving a villain, leading to a pursuit of revenge and redemption.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Trail of the Falcon (1968)
In the latter half of the 19th century, gold is discovered in the Black Hills, sacred land of the Lakota people. Gold diggers, profiteers and adventurers flock to the region. Among them is the hard-hearted land speculator Bludgeon, who tries to expel the Lakota using brutal methods. Lakota warriors retaliate, and soon the gold diggers' town becomes a battlefield.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Shane (1953)
A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smouldering settler and rancher conflict forces him to act.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Searchers (1956)
As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Worth the HypeMovies like thisApache Gold (1963)
The construction of the Great Western Railroad creates heavy conflict between the railway company and neighboring Indian tribes. Worse, criminal gang leader Santer sets his eyes on a gold mine located on holy Indian land and influences the construction supervisor to re-rout the planned railroad straight through Apache land. Old Shatterhand, who works as a measurement technician, discovers the evil plan and searches contact with the Apaches in an effort to avert war.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLast of the Renegades (1964)
Forester, a ruthless oil baron, wants to create a war between the native American tribes and the white men. Old Shatterhand, Winnetou and their sidekick Castlepool try to prevent this.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlueberry (2004)
U.S Marshal Mike Donovan has dark memories of the death of his first love. He keeps peace between the Americans and the natives who had temporarily adopted and taken care of him. The evil actions of a white sorcerer lead him to confront the villain in the Sacred Mountains, and, through shamanic rituals conquer his fears and uncover a suppressed memory he would much rather deny.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both western
SnoozefestMovies like this
Like How the West Was Won and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like How the West Was Won?
The closest matches to How the West Was Won are The Way West (1967), The Big Trail (1930) and The Big Sky (1952). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after How the West Was Won?
Start with The Way West (1967), the closest match to How the West Was Won.
What is the highest-rated movie like How the West Was Won?
Dances with Wolves (1990), rated 7.8/10 by 4,908 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like How the West Was Won?
Meek's Cutoff (2011) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like How the West Was Won?
Yes: The Way West (1967), The Big Trail (1930) and The Big Sky (1952).
How are movies similar to How the West Was Won chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside How the West Was Won, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.