5 Essential R-Rated 2000s Westerns That Are Still Perfect Today

Article excerpt

At the start of the new millennium, the Western genre underwent a significant transformation. Filmmakers leaned more into dark, grounded realism while maintaining elements fans were familiar with. There was a slow shift from classic nostalgia adventures with the introduction of the R-rating in 1968 and Sergio Leone's influence taking root in North America in the 1970s.