John Lennon Championed 'El Topo,' Now Ranked Best Cult Classic Movie by Time Out
In many ways, the cult classic distinction may be the most meaningful in the movie industry. That informal accolade can only be earned by films that fans discovered for themselves and grew to love so much that they spread the word of their greatness. That is why it is so fascinating that a 1970 Western movie that was once championed by John Lennon has been ranked the greatest cult classic film of all time.
Why ‘El Topo' Was Ranked the ‘Best Cult Classic Movie of All Time'
In February 2025, Time Out released its list of the 40 "best cult classic movies of all time." Since a film from any genre can garner a dedicated fan following, it would have been very hard to predict which film would top the ranking. Still, the choice of the 1970 Western El Topo as No. 1 was a truly fascinating decision from the team behind the outlet.
Written by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who also starred in and helmed the movie, El Topo certainly isn't the typical Western. Time Out praised the film for combining "traditional genre tropes" with "deep spiritual symbolism," including "stigmata and much roaming in the wilderness." The widely respected outlet also pointed out that it was "one of those rare cult movies to feature an actual cult."
Other outlets have covered El Topo's unique place in history. For example, a July 2020 BBC article labeled it "the weirdest Western movie ever made" and noted several examples of the bizarre imagery it featured. The unique movie has also received a great deal of praise, even from people who haven't always embraced avant-garde films. In 1972, Roger Ebertgave El Topo a rare perfect four-star rating. The most famous movie reviewer ever gave it a better score than he later awarded to an all-time classic like The Shawshank Redemption, which he gave three and a half stars.
How John Lennon Championed El Topo
Time Out's article about the top cult classic movies details that El Topo was originally a "midnight movie" that was screened daily in New York at midnight for more than a year. Once he saw the movie several times during that era, John Lennon became a huge fan, according to Slash Film.
Lennon became so passionate about the film that he convinced The Beatles' former manager, Allen Klein, to buy the rights to distribute El Topo. In addition to playing a key role in the 1970 Western becoming available to wider audiences, Lennon also invested $1 million into Alejandro Jodorowsky's next movie, The Holy Mountain.
Next: 1956 Classic Once Dismissed as For ‘Children' Now Ranked ‘Best Western Movie of All Time'
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 1:54 PM.