Movies Like Pale Rider (1985)

Pale Rider is a 1985 drama, western film from Clint Eastwood with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Great Day in the Morning and Meek's Cutoff.

Drama Western

Great Day in the Morning

1956

After a card game, Southerner Owen Pentecost finds himself the owner of a Denver hotel. Involved with two women, he then has to make even more fundamental choices when, with the start of the Civil War, he becomes one of a Confederate minority in a strongly Unionist town.

5.9

MagicScore

Meek's Cutoff

2011

A group of settlers traveling through the Oregon High Desert in 1845 find themselves stranded in harsh conditions.

6.5

MagicScore

Curse of the Forty-Niner

2002

A group of friends discover gold deep inside an old mine. But by taking the gold and think they've hit it big, they awaken a long dead miner who's Hell Bent on protecting his treasure.

4.1

MagicScore

My Darling Clementine

1946

Three brothers stop off for a night in the town of Tombstone. The next morning they find one of their brothers dead and their cattle stolen. They decide to take revenge on the culprits.

7.4

MagicScore

They Call Me Trinity

1970

The simple story has the pair coming to the rescue of peace-loving Mormons when land-hungry Major Harriman sends his bullies to harass them into giving up their fertile valley. Trinity and Bambino manage to save the Mormons and send the bad guys packing with slapstick humor instead of excessive violence, saving the day.

7.5

MagicScore

Shane

1953

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smouldering settler and rancher conflict forces him to act.

7.4

MagicScore

The Last Challenge

1967

An upstart outlaw baits a legendary gunslinger, now a marshal in love with a saloon keeper.

6.3

MagicScore

Heaven's Gate

1980

Harvard graduate James Averill serves as the sheriff of prosperous Jackson County, Wyoming, standing at the center of a conflict between impoverished immigrants and affluent cattle farmers. Politically connected ranchers enlist mercenary Nathan Champion—who is also vying for the affections of local madam Ella Watson—to combat the immigrant uprising. As tensions escalate, both Averill and Champion start to question their decisions.

6.8

MagicScore

The Outlaw Josey Wales

1976

After avenging his family's brutal murder, Wales is pursued by a pack of soldiers. He prefers to travel alone, but ragtag outcasts are drawn to him - and Wales can't bring himself to leave them unprotected.

7.4

MagicScore

#10

Trigun: Badlands Rumble

2010

In a quicksand surrounded town called Makka, rumors spread of a legendary robber named Gasback is after the town. To protect it, Mayor Kepler has hired bounty hunters. These hunters have been following Gasback from town to town in hopes of getting the bounty. Vash the Stampede is in town, along with Meryl and Milly, along with the female bounty hunter Amelia and Nicholas D. Wolfwood.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

The Badlanders

1958

Two men are released from the Arizona Territorial Prison at Yuma in 1898. One, The Dutchman, is out to get both gold and revenge from certain people in a small mining town who had him imprisoned unjustly. The other, McBain, is just trying to go straight, but that is easier said than done once The Dutchman involves him in his gold theft scheme. Based on the 1949 novel The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett, the story is given an 1898 setting. It is the second film adaptation of the novel following 1950's noir classic The Asphalt Jungle.

6.1

MagicScore

#12

High Noon

1952

Will Kane, the sheriff of a small town in New Mexico, learns a notorious outlaw he put in jail has been freed, and will be arriving on the noon train. Knowing the outlaw and his gang are coming to kill him, Kane is determined to stand his ground, so he attempts to gather a posse from among the local townspeople.

7.7

MagicScore

#13

High Plains Drifter

1973

A gunfighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago. After gunning down three gunmen who tried to kill him, the townsfolk decide to hire the Stranger to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.

7.3

MagicScore

#14

The Fastest Gun Alive

1956

Whenever it becomes known how good he is with guns, ex-gunman George and his wife Dora have to flee the town, in fear of all the gunmen who might want to challenge him. Unfortunately he again spills his secret when he's drunk. All citizens swear to keep his secret and support him to give up his guns forever -- but a boy tells the story to a gang of wanted criminals. Their leader threatens to burn down the whole town, if he doesn't duel him.

6.9

MagicScore

#15

From Dusk Till Dawn

1996

After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious vampire clientele.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

1962

Questions arise when Senator Stoddard attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon in a small Western town. Flashing back, we learn Doniphon saved Stoddard, then a lawyer, when he was roughed up by a crew of outlaws terrorizing the town, led by Liberty Valance. As the territory's safety hung in the balance, Doniphon and Stoddard, two of the only people standing up to him, proved to be very important, but different, foes to Valance.

7.8

MagicScore

#17

Desperado

1995

El Mariachi plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug lords, Bucho, for an action-packed, bullet-riddled showdown. With the help of his friend and a beautiful bookstore owner, El Mariachi tracks Bucho, takes on his army of desperados, and leaves his own trail of blood.

6.9

MagicScore

#18

The Outrage

1964

At a disused railway station, three men -- a con artist, a preacher, and a prospector -- discuss the recent trial and sentencing of the outlaw Juan Carrasco for the murder of a man and the rape of his wife. In their recounting, the three explore the conflicting testimonies of the parties involved in the crimes. Disconcerting new questions arise with each different version of the event.

6.0

MagicScore

#19

A Fistful of Dollars

1964

The Man With No Name enters the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among the three Rojo brothers and sheriff John Baxter. When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold intended to pay for new weapons is waylaid by the Rojo brothers, the stranger inserts himself into the middle of the long-simmering battle, selling false information to both sides for his own benefit.

7.8

MagicScore

#20

Sukiyaki Western Django

2007

A nameless gunfighter arrives in a town ripped apart by rival gangs and, though courted by both to join, chooses his own path.

6.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Pale Rider?

The top films similar to Pale Rider by MovieMagicScore are Great Day in the Morning (5.9), Meek's Cutoff (6.5), Curse of the Forty-Niner (4.1). Each shares drama/western themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Pale Rider worth watching?

Pale Rider holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 1,142 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Pale Rider?

Pale Rider (1985) is a drama, western film directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress.

Where can I find more recommendations like Pale Rider?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Great Day in the Morning Movies like Meek's Cutoff Movies like Curse of the Forty-Niner Movies like My Darling Clementine Movies like They Call Me Trinity Movies like Shane

About movies like Pale Rider

This ranked list pairs Pale Rider (1985), a drama and western film from Clint Eastwood, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Clint Eastwood take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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