The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Movie Review

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix
Written by: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (written by), Jack London (story "All Gold Canyon"), Stewart Edward White (based on the story "The Gal Who Got Rattled" by)
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson
Rated: R
Trailer and Information Page

Plot
This anthology Western series features six chapters with a distinct story about the American West.

Verdict
Each of these skits has a quite a different tone. The first two are a bit more fun, and I wanted that humor to continue, but the subsequent skits do have their own merit. I like the first two skits the most, followed by the fourth. The third certainly packs a punch though. This starts off fun and becomes increasingly more morose. The west was a treacherous time though, and maybe the movie seeks to mirror that. 
Watch it.

Review
After first watching this I wished for more. I really like chapter one and two, but the other chapters felt lacking. Despite that, I was still thinking about this movie and all of the chapters the day after which doesn't happen frequently. I've warmed to the stories as I've thought about them and written a review on them.

I have to mention the poster, which has six winding paths branching from the text. This is bookended with an actual book. These are stories in the book with a color plate image from each story.

The first chapter follows Buster Scruggs, and it's the only skit he's in which makes it strange the title uses his name.
You figure Scruggs is a joke, some kind of farce. He looks like a dope, but he's devious and deadly. He's a fun character, that breaks the fourth wall. He's endearing because he looks like a victim and acts like a villain. He's a standout character, something none of the other skits quite match.

The six skits keep the pacing fast, but I understand why a studio would pass. It isn't typical. Maybe it's better suited for streaming.

I like Franco in the second chapter as a bank robber. This story has some of the typical Coen brothers twists and humor. My favorite line is in this skit. Franco, with a noose around his neck, turns to the guy beside him who is bawling and asks, "First time." In context it's hilarious.

The next chapter is quite a bit slower. I didn't like it as much, but the ending does pack a punch.

The fourth chapter is also a bit slower, following a gold prospector. It's also the story that I've changed my mind on the most.

The fifth chapter follows a wagon train. The last chapter doesn't have the punch I'd like. It's most suited to be the final chapter, but it's also bland.