Clint Eastwood’s Genre-Defining Western Fades From Streaming Top 10 After Unexpected Run

Thanks to the prolific Taylor Sheridan and the global success of the likes of Landman and Yellowstone, the Western genre's modern renaissance has been a huge triumph. A genre once considered past its sell-by-date, the Western is now not just back in the saddle but is popular with younger audiences, who are now being encouraged to head back to a golden age for the genre and indulge in the classics. One such classic, and possibly the genre's most defining film, is Italian director Sergio Leone’s 1966 epic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

After becoming one of the ten most-streamed movies on Tubi in the U.S., The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has faded into the background on the free streamer, posing the perfect opportunity for budding young Western fans to unearth this all-time classic. Starring Clint Eastwood in his most iconic role, the film is the final installment in the loosely connected "Dollars trilogy," which also includes A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.

At the time of its release, although a hit with many, the film received backlash from some critics, who generally dismissed any entry into the spaghetti Western genre. In Renata Adler's review for The New York Times when the movie first came out, she remarkably dubbed it "the most expensive, pious and repellent movie in the history of its peculiar genre."

Time Has Helped Showcase 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly's Genius

Retrospectively, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is regarded as one of the greatest in cinema's illustrious history, boasting a pair of near-perfect 97% scores on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus on the site reads, "Arguably the greatest of the spaghetti Westerns, this epic features a compelling story, memorable performances, breathtaking landscapes, and a haunting score." A synopsis for the movie reads:

"In the Southwest during the Civil War, a mysterious stranger, Joe (Clint Eastwood), and a Mexican outlaw, Tuco (Eli Wallach), form an uneasy partnership -- Joe turns in the bandit for the reward money, then rescues him just as he is being hanged. When Joe's shot at the noose goes awry during one escapade, a furious Tuco tries to have him murdered. The men re-team abruptly, however, to beat out a sadistic criminal and the Union army and find $20,000 that a soldier has buried in the desert."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is currently streaming on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for more.

Release Date December 22, 1966

Runtime 161 minutes

Writers Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone, Mickey Knox

Producers Alberto Grimaldi

Cast

• 
•