Bass X Machina Fans, Here Are 6 Supernatural Westerns to Watch, Including High Plains Drifter and Near Dark

A Western With Steampunk Style

The cast also includes Karl Urban, Maggie Q, Christopher Plummer and Lily Collins. Though critics gave the film mixed reviews and it underperformed, its action and production design offer plenty to enjoy; it runs for less than 80 minutes, excluding credits.

A Space Western on Mars

John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars is set in 2176, but its remote outposts and dusty wasteland give the red planet an Old West feel. A group of heroes, including a young Jason Statham, faces miners possessed by the spirits of Mars’s former inhabitants.

The film’s sets and effects are described as chintzy, and its nested flashbacks make the story convoluted. Still, its blend of classic Western elements and futuristic technology can make it a lively B-movie for viewers in the right mood.

Eastwood’s Eerie Morality Tale

In High Plains Drifter, Clint Eastwood directs himself as the Stranger, who arrives in an isolated mining town and agrees to protect its residents from bandits. His motives reach beyond the immediate threat: he wants the town to answer for past wrongs.

The film carries clear horror undertones and suggests the Stranger may be supernatural. In its finale, he paints the town red and renames it “Hell.” Audiences continue to debate whether the character is a spirit, while a brutal whipping scene adds to the film’s grim edge.

Vampires Across the Desert

Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark mixes horror with a Neo-Western setting. Although it performed poorly on release, it has since become a cult favorite, praised for its desert imagery and Tangerine Dream score.

The vampire gang is shown as a family, with the affection and conflict that relationship brings. Their violence makes that bond unsettling: in one disturbing scene, the group treats people trapped in an isolated bar like cattle being led to slaughter.