The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

R

Released Nov 8, 2018

2h 12m

Western

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

235 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

An anthology of six short films that take place in 19th-century post-Civil War era during the settling of the Old West.

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Critics Consensus

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs avoids anthology pitfalls with a consistent collection tied together by the Coen brothers' signature blend of dark drama and black humor.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

As with the Coens' oeuvre on the whole, the various stories are unified by an impressive sense of craft and a lamentable sense of smugness.

Feb 24, 2020

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Roxana Hadadi

Pajiba

It's disappointing that the Coens don't even try to upend any classic Western clichés in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - they apply some grim humor to various situations, but that's about it.

Feb 7, 2019

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Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs feels like the Coen brothers' B-sides compilation... . That smugness to which the Coens are susceptible is in plentiful supply here.

Jan 26, 2019

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

A fun, playful homage to the Western genre that boasts laughs and excitement.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 14, 2024

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The stories that involve the least efflorescent Coen dialogue — the ones driven by stark silences or old coots talking to their mules — come off the best.

Rated: A-

Aug 24, 2022

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

From the opening credits to the final scroll the Coens lean into their creative freedom and show off an undeniable joy of filmmaking.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Tom F

The Coen Brothers show off all their tricks in this series of stories set in the mythical West.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

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Jasper M

The first two stories are amazing, the two in the middle felt a bit drawn out, the last two were amazing once again. Not their best work, but all in all very good and entertaining.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/16/24

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John O

The first story and second stories are pretty entertaining, but after that it's just plain boring.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/16/24

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Anthony I

The movie is plain boring. It started so well, that it kept my focus at all times. After the second story, it just went plain and tasteless. I watched it until the middle and after that i started skipping forward until the end. I couldn't spend another minute of watching the movie in a normal manner. The stories are not connected with each other and the movie is a regular "The story of life" type. The... "Tragic turn of life and death" It's not terrible... but it's not even remotely good. If the movie was about the first and the second story, i would've given it 5 stars.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/15/24

Full Review

Aidan B

While I do wish some of the stories were more explored and others maybe not as much, "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is still another hit from the Coen Brothers that perfectly blends a great story, fantastic performances, and witty humor.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/13/24

Full Review

Jason L

Starts off strong with a comedic and satirical tone. But the stories are weak and the bad guy always wins. Lackluster with great scenery but there are better views of the Wild West. Deadwood is still the king, just a mid movie. If you have nothing else to watch, it's slightly entertaining.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/08/24

Full Review

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Joel Coen

Director

Ethan Coen

Director

Tim Blake Nelson

Buster Scruggs (Segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Willie Watson

The Kid (Segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

David Krumholtz

Frenchman in Saloon (Segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

James Franco

Cowboy (Segment "Near Algodones")

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: Trailer 2

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

An anthology of six short films that take place in 19th-century post-Civil War era during the settling of the Old West.

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Producer: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Netflix, Annapurna Pictures
Rating: R (Some Strong Violence)
Genre: Western, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 8, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 16, 2018
Runtime: 2h 12m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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