While the Western genre and its archetypes epitomize an iconic era in American history, most movies are generally just works of fiction. And while they make for great movies, it’s always those that are inspired by or at least nominally depict true stories that draw the most attention.

From more heroic depictions of real-life figures to grittier depictions of actual events, they’re all entertaining. Next time you’re in the mood for a thrilling Western based on a true story, settle in with these five century-sprawling picks you can stream in the U.S.—our top one being the most quotable Western ever.

5

Wyatt Earp

An in-depth look at an iconic lawman

Kevin Costner not only stars in the 1994 biopic Wyatt Earp as the titular character, but he also serves as its director and producer. Though quite self-indulgent, the film is grounded, detailed, and historically accurate in its portrayal of the legendary lawman. It leaves no stone unturned over the course of its three-and-a-half-hour runtime, including its depiction of the legendary Gunfight at the OK Corral as a tight, cramped 15-foot confrontation.

At an early age, Wyatt learns that nothing matters more than the law and family, and thus the foundation is laid for him to become a respected sheriff wherever he goes. Not only does the film chronicle his early years and the circumstances that ultimately drive him to Arizona, but it also focuses on the Earps’ feud with the Cowboys and delves much more deeply into Wyatt’s personal life.

4

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Deconstructing a legendary myth

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 Western crime drama adapted from the 1983 novel of the same name. It remains faithful in its historical accuracy as it pertains to the death of real-life outlaw Jesse James. Though Warner Bros. initially intended the film to be a shoot-‘em-up led by Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, it instead became a meditative deconstruction of the Western genre and all its mythmaking around the notorious outlaw.

Battery Life

Up to 20 hours

Noise Cancellation

ANC, Adaptive Audio, and Transparency mode

Pitt stars as James, the fastest gun in the west. While planning his next big heist, he launches pre-emptive strikes against those looking to collect the bounty placed on his head, while his new recruits, Robert (Affleck) and Charley Ford (Sam Rockwell), grow increasingly jealous, disillusioned, and resentful. When they seize an opportunity and Robert, who idolized James, guns him down, everything backfires when his fame is elevated to near-mythical status.

3

Young Guns

Revenge led by an all-star cast

Emilio Estevez stars as Billy the Kid in 1988’s Young Guns, a modern, thrilling, stylized take on the Lincoln County War. Set in 1878 New Mexico, the war’s feud between rival factions became famous because of the Kid’s involvement. While the Western depicts actual people and events, it does take its fair share of creative liberties—added romances, aging characters to be middle-aged, a heightened portrayal of violence, and a different fate for a key villain.

After he’s recruited by distinguished rancher John Tunstall (Terence Stamp) to join the Regulators, a group of wayward young men serving as his cowhands, Billy and the misfits go on a blood-fueled rampage after their mentor is killed by rival businessman Lawrence Murphy (Jack Palance). The more obsessed he grows with exposing Murphy as a corrupt villain, sizable bounties are placed on his head and on those of the Regulators (Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney, and Charlie Sheen).

2

The Revenant

A bleak story of survival and rebirth

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy star in 2015’s The Revenant, which kept audiences riveted with a clear antagonist to root against. The hit Western is based on Michael Punke’s 2002 historical novel of the same name and depicts the exploits of Hugh Glass, a real-life 19th-century frontiersman. While the broader elements of Glass’s ordeal are inspired by historical accounts, others are not, like the addition of a son and revenge-seeking. Creative, thrilling embellishments like this fuel our protagonist’s motivation to keep going, giving us something else to root for on top of his lone survival.

During a hunting and trapping expedition with his son in the uncharted Dakota wilderness in 1823, Glass (DiCaprio) is ambushed by indigenous warriors and then brutally mauled by a bear and left for dead. In the process, greedy trapper John Fitzgerald (Hardy) murders his son. As he claws his way back from the brink of death, Glass not only seeks to escape the hostile territory, but he’s also hellbent on avenging his son’s death.

1

Tombstone

Modern cinema’s best Western

One of the most memorable, thrilling, quotable Westerns of all time is 1993’s Tombstone. It is loosely based on real events that took place in the 1880s in Southeast Arizona, including the infamous, thoroughly mythologized Gunfight at the OK Corral as well as that fateful duel between the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday against a ruthless Cowboy gang.

The classic film details the gang’s villainous behavior as Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) relocate to Tombstone, Arizona. When they become gang targets, together with Doc Holliday (the late Val Kilmer), they pick up their guns once more to restore order to a lawless land. After his brothers are ambushed by outlaws, Wyatt launches a heart-pounding, revenge-fueled ride against those who remain.

Tombstone was a turning point that marked a Western legend passing into cinema in a remarkable way that has endured over time. No other depiction of the gunfight has been done before or since. Even today, it’s a wildly entertaining ride through history as it’s transformed into myth, even though the whole Ringo-Doc Holliday duel is completely fictional.

Whether you prefer family-friendly Westerns, grit-filled depictions, or free classics, there are plenty out there to choose from, so saddle up while the genre is hot!