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

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

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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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Cade H.

Fun and easy to watch, the short story format became a bit redundant towards the end

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

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Tom S

If you're looking for an overacted Hollywood western this is not it. "Slow" for pop culture but rewarding if you settle down into it. The wagon train episode left me emotionally flattened. Oh my!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

Full Review

Xavier V

En mi opinion esta secuencia de cortometrajes es entretenida de ver, aunque creo que las historias si llegan a ser originales, sin tomar en cuenta el primer acto creo que son bastante predecibles. Pero en general me gustó tanto la fotografia como el ritmo. Creo que si estás empezando a escribir guiones de cortometrajes vale mucho la pena ver esta pelicula para tomar inspiracion o referencias tanto visuales como narrativas.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/01/25

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Kevin F

The worst movie I've seen in the last decade. Is this for real? Were you all on drugs watching this????

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

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Frans B

Thoroughly entertaining. Watched it many times and it makes me smile every time. Very entertaining and original in concept, cleverly woven into a complex merging of events. Recommended for sure

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/19/25

Full Review

bob c

Too episodic to be taken seriously. Yet contains flashes of the dark humour and malanthropic view for which the Coens are justly renowned. But it signals they’ve run out of steam.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/18/25

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: Annapurna Pictures, Netflix
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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