The Man With No Name Trilogy (1964-1966)

Director: Sergio Leone

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Gian Maria Volonte

As you may have guessed, this first entry is actually a trio of movies: A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. They're also the most well-known spaghettis by a country mile. If you're new to the genre, this is absolutely where you should start. These three films have it all; Sergio Leone's powerful direction, jaw-dropping cinematography and soundtracks, and of course the undeniable charisma of Clint Eastwood, who was born for the role.

Fun fact: Contrary to the "expert" advice Eastwood was given about an Italian western being a bad career move, the Stranger trilogy essentially made his career. Taking a jab at this, his own production company—Malpaso—literally means "bad step."

Django (1966)

Director: Sergio Corbucci

Stars: Franco Nero

Synopsis: A coffin-dragging gunslinger and a prostitute become embroiled in a bitter feud between a clan of Southern racists and a band of Mexican Revolutionaries.

This is possibly the best-known Italian western outside of the Leone movies, and absolutely one of the very best. Stylish, violent and full of bloody action, Django is another great entry point for new fans. This movie inspired dozens of unofficial Django spinoffs (including a similarly-titled Tarantino film), but this is the original. It also features my all-time favorite spaghetti conclusion. Simply epic!

Django the Bastard (a.k.a. The Stranger's Gundown) (1969)

Director: Sergio Garrone

Stars: Anthony Steffen

Synopsis: A mysterious stranger takes revenge on former Confederate officers who during the Civil War betrayed and were responsible for the massacre of their unit.

Clint Eastwood's "Stranger" inspired a ton of knockoff performances, perhaps none as similar as Anthony Steffen. He doesn't do much acting in this movie, mainly scowling and pursing his lips. But his version of Django does have a sort of supernatural presence which makes this film very watchable, if not exceptional.

Death Rides A Horse (1967)

Director: Giulio Petroni

Stars: Lee Van Cleef, John Phillip Law

Synopsis: A young gunfighter forms a tenuous alliance with an aging ex-outlaw to track down and eliminate the bandits who killed his family, until the surprising end.

There are dozens—if not hundreds—of spaghetti westerns available in the public domain. Many of them are not very good, this one is. If you're looking for a killer spaghetti without a cent of investment, check this flick out for free on your preferred streaming service.

Day of Anger (1967)

Director: Tonino Valerii

Stars: Lee Van Cleef, Guiliano Gemma

Synopsis: A scruffy garbage boy becomes the pupil of a famed gunfighter, and the stage for confrontation is set when the gunman becomes unhinged and overruns the boy's town through violence and corruption.

If Clint Eastwood was anxious to move on from spaghetti westerns, Lee Van Cleef was only too willing to hang around and reap the benefits of his newfound stardom. Once again he portrays the sagely gunfighter bestowing knowledge and wisdom upon the angry young student seeking redemption.

The Great Silence (1968)

Director: Sergio Corbucci

Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski

Synopsis: A mute gunfighter defends a young widow and a group of outlaws against a gang of bounty killers in the winter of 1898, and a grim, tense struggle unfolds.

Many feel that this western epic is Django director Sergio Corbucci's greatest moment for a number of reasons, particularly the snowy setting, which gives this film a mood and feeling like no other Italian western. Equally compelling is Ennio Morricone's perfect soundtrack and the performance of spaghetti's all-time greatest villain, Klaus Kinski (of course there is Lee Van Cleef, but even his villainous roles are mostly heroic).

And that ending... wow.

Cemetery Without Crosses (1969)

Director: Robert Hossein

Stars: Robert Hossein, Michele Mercier

Synopsis: A melancholic gunfighter is drawn into a vengeful and tragic kidnapping plot by his widowed ex-lover.

Spaghetti western movies have the coolest titles; A Colt In the Fist Of The Devil, A Coffin For The Sheriff, No Room To Die, and of course this movie here. It doesn't hurt that Cemetery Without Crosses also happens to be a brilliant film in its own right.

Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)

Director: Sergio Leone

Stars: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson

Synopsis: A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.

Not gonna lie. This movie is highly regarded as one of the best spaghettis ever and therefore deserves a spot on this list, but it's not one of my personal favorites. It feels a bit too "big budget" for my tastes, more like a traditional John Ford western. That doesn't make it a bad movie by any stretch, just not what I'm looking for in a spaghetti western.

Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967)

Director: Guilio Questi

Stars: Tomas Milian

Synopsis: Various factions, including a half-breed bandit, a gang of homosexual cowboys, and a priest, feud over stolen gold in a surreal town.

Many spaghettis are known for their surreal, otherworldly quality, but this one's just... bizarre. It's often advertised as a "horror western," whatever that term implies. In any case, if you're looking for something a bit different from the rest, Django Kill may be right up your alley.

Fun fact: If you're keeping score, you'll notice this is the third Django movie on this list with the third different starring actor.

A Pistol For Ringo (1965)

Director: Duccio Tessari

Stars: Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Sancho

Synopsis: An angel-faced gunfighter is tasked with infiltrating a ranch overrun by Mexican bandits and saving their hostages, including the fiancée of the local sheriff.

This wouldn't be a spaghetti western list without a Ringo movie starring Giuliano Gemma (a.k.a. Montgomery Wood), so why not go with the original that started it all? Gemma's Ringo is more light-hearted than most Italian western heroes, which makes for a refreshing change of pace from the countless "Stranger" stereotypes.

My Name Is Nobody (1973)

Director: Sergio Leone

Stars: Terence Hill, Henry Fonda

Synopsis: A young, easy-going gunman worships and competes with an old gunfighter who only wants to retire.

The traditional spaghetti western was losing steam by the early '70s, so a comedy western should come as no surprise. This one happens to be directed by Sergio Leone, who did not make bad westerns.

If You Meet Sartana... Pray for Your Death (1967)

Director:  Gianfranco Parolini

Stars: Gianni Garko, William Berger

Synopsis: A cabal of dignitaries hire Mexican and American gangsters to steal their bank's shipment of gold as part of an insurance scam, but master gunfighter Sartana interferes with their plans.

Another series in the "Stranger" vein. Five of the most essential Sartana films have been collected in Arrow Film's Sartana Collection on Blu-ray. Highly recommended.

Klaus Kinski—the legendary spaghetti heel—makes an appearance in this film. His numerous roles in great Italian westerns are almost enough to make me forget he also remade Nosferatu. Almost.

The Big Gundown (1967)

Director: Sergio Sollima

Stars: Lee Van Cleef, Tomas Milian

Synopsis: A bounty hunter hunts down Cuchillo Sanchez, a Mexican peasant accused of raping and killing a young girl.

Just another great spaghetti starring Lee Van Cleef, the genre's most iconic star.

Fun fact: Most Italian westerns were filmed not in Italy but in Almeria, Spain. Directors and producers found that the dry desert locale was perfect for replicating the classic Old West environment.

Arizona Colt (1966)

Director: Michele Lupo

Stars: Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Sancho

Synopsis: Bandit Gordo frees a group of prisoners, forcing them to join his gang or die. Arizona Colt, declining to do either, heads for Blackstone City where Gordo is planning a robbery.

This one won't show up on many "Best Of" lists, but it is another entertaining spaghetti starring the charismatic Giuliano Gemma.

Fun fact: Ennio Morricone is recognized as the undisputed king of spaghetti soundtracks, but there are many other composers that have contributed numerous classics as well, including Bruno Nicolai, Luis Bacalov, Piero Piccioni, Riz Ortolani, and Arizona Colt composer Francesco De Masi.

Red Dead Revolver (2006)

Synopsis: A young gunfighter vows to avenge the murder of his parents at the hands of corrupt officials.

Technically, Red Dead Revolver isn't a spaghetti western... it isn't even a movie. But it is the best video game tribute to the spaghetti western genre that has ever existed, and that includes the follow-ups Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2.

Revolver was definitely improved upon by its sequels. But whereas the Redemption series attempts to elevate the western video game genre (succeeding on many fronts), Revolver comfortably wallows in escapist camp and nostalgia. It is a dyed-in-the-wool love letter to classic spaghettis, from the one-dimensional plot to the distorted camera lens to the authentic licensed soundtrack.

Yojimbo (1957)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Stars: Toshirô Mifune

Synopsis: A crafty ronin combines mischief and heroism in his dramatic adventures.

Once again, not truly a spaghetti. But Yojimbo is without question the single most relevant film outside the genre, as this is the movie Leone set out to emulate (okay, outright copy) when filming A Fistful of Dollars, an Italian production of an American Western that was actually filmed in Spain and based upon a Japanese movie.

Leone's dynamite take on Yojimbo lit the fuse for literally hundreds of Italian westerns that followed, but they all owe a tip of the hat to Akira Kurosawa's original samurai masterpiece. Incidentally, Japanese screen legend Toshirô Mifune went on to star in the acclaimed spaghetti western Red Sun.