Spaghetti western is a nickname for western films made by Italians ( spaghetti is an Italian pasta). These films were popular with large audiences in the second half of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.

The genre owes its name to the fact that these were produced by Italian studios. At first it was a pejorative term, caused by the perceived poor quality of some of these films. Although most spaghetti westerns were made quickly and cheaply and were not always original, there are still quality films. Since the 1980s, the spaghetti western has risen in popularity.

Many spaghetti westerns have become cult films .