The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Perks: Directed by Sam Peckinpah, dubbed "Bloody Sam" for his realistic, explicit approach, "The Wild Bunch" is a graphic film. Few Westerns go to this extent to portray the brutality of outlaw living, but it was done so in order to remind the audience that the West was once a grisly, barbaric place. We often forget that cowboys like Gene Autry didn't actually roam around the West singing campy songs about lovesick buckaroos; in reality, there were once real outlaws like the Wild Bunch — men who would do anything to protect their lawless way of life. With its unique slow-mo cinematography, classic anti-hero characters and over-the-top shootouts, this controversial Western will surely remain popular for many years to come.