The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century post-Civil War America, where life was cruel and cheap, the stories of six different people, united by death, unfold. Starting with "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs", cheerful Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson), the deadly gunslinger with a lighting-fast right hand and a lovely singing voice, is about to discover that talent alone is not enough. Next up in "Near Algodones", an ambitious bank robber has a rendezvous with the gallows, and in "Meal Ticket", an aging traveling impresario goes the extra mile to grab the audience's attention. Following, in "All Gold Canyon", an unsuccessful, silver-haired prospector is convinced that his luck is going to change in the middle of nowhere. Then, in "The Gal Who Got Rattled", beautiful Alice finds out that romance and stray bullets don't mix. Finally, in "The Mortal Remains", five passengers crammed in a stagecoach share life philosophies, only to realize that looks can be deceiving. - Actors:
- David Krumholtz, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Clancy Brown, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Root, Ralph Ineson, Harry Melling, Tim Blake Nelson, Tom Waits, Matthew Willig, Saul Rubinek, Tyne Daly, Bill Heck, Chelcie Ross, Jesse Luken, Katy Bodenhamer, Aesop Aquarian, Jonjo O'Neill
- Directors:
- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Producers:
- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Megan Ellison, Robert Graf, Sue Naegle
- Writers:
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Jack London, Stewart Edward White
- Others:
- Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Mary Zophres
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Music & Musicals
- Awards:
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Reviews (1) of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Yeehaw, Then You Die - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs review by griggs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a strange, beautiful beast—six Western vignettes stitched together with Coen Brothers flair and just the right amount of gallows humour. Originally meant for TV, the whole thing has a slightly off-kilter look—super-saturated skies and dusty dreamscapes that don’t always sit right but somehow suit the tone. There’s real craftsmanship here, from the melancholy score to the sharp writing and gorgeous cinematography.
It plays with Western tropes in a way that’s affectionate rather than mocking—plenty of nods to the classics but filtered through that Coen weirdness. Some stories are charming, others downright grim. The tonal gear-shifting can be jarring; just as you’re settling in with one tale, it ends—sometimes with a punch, sometimes with a shrug.
Not every segment lands, but the overall effect is oddly haunting. It’s a high-concept campfire anthology—singular, patchy, but worth the ride.