+3
I'm sorry to see that you're not having much success so far with your western selections. The Outlaw Josey Wales and Hombre will both be on my ballot. I have high expectations for One-Eyed Jacks and The Big Country. I wasn't crazy about Shane, either, and I found the little boy incredibly annoying, but I plan on giving it another chance soon. Haven't seen Sukiyaki Western Django but director Takashi Miike specializes in WTF. I checked to make sure that the George Miller behind The Man From Snowy River isn't the same mastermind responsible for the Mad Max films, and it isn't, so there goes any potential interest. The Hanging Tree is indeed an underrated/underseen western gem, and the theme song is also one of the best of its kind. Hostiles is solid but underwhelming.
You put a lot more emphasis on the likeability of characters than I do. ("Sh*tty people being sh*tty to each other," as I think you described The Master, is probably one of my favorite narratives --- chalk that up to me being a misanthrope, I guess.) It's impossible for me to predict which characters will resonate with you, so I'm not sure which westerns to recommend. I'd love to see you give one of my personal favorites, The Gunfighter (1950), a chance. It's less than 90 minutes long, so it's got that going for it, and I'd like to think that you'll be emotionally invested and captivated . . . but who knows. For newer westerns, you might dig The Rider (2017), with its gorgeous cinematography and artful authenticity.