The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

R

Released Nov 8, 2018

2 hr. 12 min.

Western

Comedy

Drama

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List

89%

236 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Netflix

Watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs with a subscription on Netflix.

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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Adam M

It was an interesting series of short stories. I didn't know what to expect going in but I was entertained the whole way through. Almost every story is tragic in some way. So be prepared. Well acted and well filmed.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Alec C

Prepare for some tales of the Old West, courteously of the Coen Brothers. A singing outlaw, an unlucky robber and an aging prospector are some of the stories in this American anthology of violence, danger and excitement. With a stellar cast portraying each of their characters with gusto, this is unlike any other western movie you've ever heard of!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

Full Review

Johannes S

The movie contains six stories and every one of them is well-written with beautiful cinematography and solid acting. The different stories are dark, cheerful, cruel, and so on, each holding their own. It is also safe to say that we need more from Buster Scruggs.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

Full Review

Pana M

I loved Buster Scruggs at the beginning. And then he dies….PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE….make a full movie about Buster Scruggs….unique, funny and very entertaining.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/24

Full Review

Juan Pablo C

An exceptional dive to history that reflects on human nature, at a relatable comic distance, where the audience is capable to digest and still understand how life was worthless in the Wild West.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/24

Full Review

Terry H

Liked it. It's a collection of short stories in settings that take place in the old west. They have quirky themes that end up sucking you in to the story and just waiting to see how they turn out. Very cinematic scenery also. Well worth the watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

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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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

It's far more existential and even primal in the way the film circles around, as most Coen films do, to the simple and unforgiving notion that the meanings people assign to their lives rarely matter.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 4, 2022

Full Review

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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
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
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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