However, in examining the most essential Westerns, I wanted to focus on two things: the movie's overall quality, and its level of influence on the Western genre itself. I’ve come to appreciate just how influential the Western genre has been in the development of American cinema across all genres. In its subversion of Western tropes, No Country For Old Men creates something entirely new out of the basic clay of the Western genre. However, it's essential viewing because of how perfectly it blends traditional Western tropes with a gripping, intimate mystery of identity. Its rollicking score and sound both earned Academy Award nominations, and it remains eminently rewatchable for those seeking an exciting classic Western movie experience.