A modern Western has been hailed as “simply perfect”, with fans praising its “excellent” performances and “hilarious dialogue”. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) is an anthology Western, made up of six stories featuring starkly contrasting themes and characters.
Directed by the Cohen brothers, who are known for classics like The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men, the film features a rich range of characters that embody in different ways the bleak realities of the American Frontier. O Brother, Where Art Thou? star Tim Blake Nelson plays the titular bouyant, singing cowboy, Buster, but there are several other famous faces on show, including Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson, James Franco, and gravelly-voiced music legend Tom Waits. One Audience Reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes wrote: “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!”
Another called it an “uncompromising collection of stories of hardship, loss, and betrayal in the old west”, describing the film as: “Simply perfect.”
A third said the movie “has it all”, “Dark humor, pathos and hope”.
“Well acted and incredibly written each story will hold your attention throughout the entire film,” they continued.
“I didn’t know what to make of the opening, but Buster Scruggs sucked me in with his wit and hilarious dialogue. The next episodes are more sombre and just as intriguing. Well worth watching.”
Another said: “I avoided watching this movie for years, because the trailer looked so bad. I broke down and watched it recently, and it was excellent. The photography was wonderful, the stories offbeat and humorous at times, and the acting was excellent all around.”
The film is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, and has a 89% score on the site’s Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given the film a positive review).
The film has a rating 15, and contains strong bloody violence, according to the British Board of Film Classification – so it may not be for everyone.
The Ballad of Buster Scuggs is streaming now on Netflix.