10 Criminally Underrated Westerns You Must See Before You Die

4. Tombstone

Buena Vista Pictures

The early nineties saw two films based on the life of renowned gunman Wyatt Earp; Tombstone, which starred Kurt Russell in the title role, and Wyatt Earp, which was helmed by Kevin Costner. One fell afoul of both critics and the box office, while the other suffered the wrath of just one.

Tellingly enough, Tombstone and Wyatt Earp were originally part of the same project. Costner was heavily involved in production on the former project, written by Glory's Kevin Jarre, but felt that the script focussed too much on Earp's supporting cast - hence his decision to make an Earp movie of its own.

For those who've seen both features, the difference is obvious. While Costner's film was immaculately cast, it was boring, uneven and lethargic. Tombstone, on the other hand, benefited from Jarre's script, and exhibited a pace befitting of the drama surrounding the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the subsequent Earp Vendetta Ride. It was a box office success, but it's fair to say that critics overlooked some of the film's most compelling features, including Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday, an alcoholic gunman suffering from tuberculosis.

Kilmer gives the performance of his life in the role, but was still snubbed during awards season the following year. The fact he didn't even get a nomination is even more frustrating, but that shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying his performance today.

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.