The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

This Coen Brothers anthology film is a wild take on the Western, offering six distinct tales set on the open frontier. Each story is unique—some are darkly comedic, others melancholy or downright tragic. The framing is clever: the film presents itself as a dusty old storybook, its yellowed pages flipping between vignettes about outlaws, gold prospectors, or vaudeville performers down on their luck. That first segment with Tim Blake Nelson’s singing gunslinger? It’s hilarious in a totally unexpected way.

What stood out for me the most was the sheer variety in tone and pacing. No two stories feel the same, yet they’re all stitched together with that signature Coen Brothers wit and sense of irony. A couple of the segments, like Tom Waits’s gold digger or Liam Neeson’s tragic stagecoach act, really lingered with me after the credits rolled. The script is full of tiny details—turns of phrase, character quirks—that add depth beyond the typical shootouts and saloons.

Not every story is equally strong. One of them (without spoiling which) felt a bit like filler; it dragged compared to the others and didn’t stick the landing for me. The overall structure takes you in many directions, sometimes abruptly, which is fun but can make it hard to settle into the movie’s rhythm if you’re expecting a single plotline or central hero to root for.

Cinematography here is gorgeous—bold desert vistas, snowscapes, candlelit interiors—shot with a vintage gloss that makes each storybook panel pop. The performances are spot on, with character actors and famous faces alike bringing real zest (and, often, pathos) to their brief time onscreen. The visual style feels playful but reverent, and there’s a musicality to the pacing, aided by Carter Burwell’s evocative score.

You would enjoy this if you like Westerns but want something that comments on the genre with a wink, rather than just replaying familiar tropes. It’s great for fans of dark humor, quirky storytelling, and anyone who doesn’t mind a movie that changes gears often. If you liked Fargo or O Brother, Where Art Thou?, this should be right up your alley.