The Western genre is packed with iconic films from decades past, but the modern landscape for the genre has shifted in a major way since its peak. Westerns are a fairly rare occurrence in today’s cinematic world, and they often struggle to connect with audiences in a major way when they do come out. Unfortunately, some of the best films in the Western genre released in the last few years have been overlooked and forgotten by audiences.
One of the best films in the Western genre in years was released in 2018, and struggled to make any kind of impact at the box office. Despite starring major actors like Liam Neeson, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, and Tim Blake Nelson, the film’s minor theatrical window came and went without much fanfare, and it was then released on Netflix to be forgotten. Directed by two of Hollywood’s best directors, 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs deserved far better, and it remains one of the best films of its decade.
The Coen Brothers’ Western Anthology Is A Darkly Hilarious Delight
The Film Showcases Numerous Comedic Tales In The Old West
Joel and Ethan Coen are perhaps two of the most important American directors of the last forty years. With countless masterpieces under their belts, like Fargo, No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski, and Raising Arizona, the brother directors have repeatedly proven themselves to be some of the most versatile and exciting filmmakers in Hollywood. Funnily enough, 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is arguably one of their weaker films, and it is still easily one of the funniest and most engaging films of the 2010s. The fact that it is genuinely on the lower end of the duo’s filmography is a testament to their incredible abilities, as The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is still an excellent, hilarious film.
Each vignette in the Western anthology is uniquely dark, breathtakingly shot and directed, and hilariously off-beat in ways that only the Coen brothers can achieve. Featuring the titular character of Buster Scruggs in only the first vignette of the film, the Coens repeatedly subvert audience expectations of the story in wonderfully amusing and engaging ways. Tim Blake Nelson’s portrayal of Buster Scruggs is a highlight, and the musical nature of his story is spectacular. The Coen brothers are no strangers to injecting their films with musical facets, with their hilarious O Brother, Where Art Thou? heavily relying on its bluegrass musical soundtrack and focus.
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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs effortlessly balances heart, humor, and darkness to create something truly unique. It’s a genuine shame that the film had such a short and lackluster theatrical release, as watching the hilarious anthology on streaming simply doesn’t compare to experiencing it on the big screen alongside a packed audience. Movies are better in theaters, and that has never been more true than with the Coen brothers’ works. The directing duo has always had a fascination with the Western genre, and their modern interpretations of the classic genre have kept it (at least somewhat) in the cultural zeitgeist. No Country for Old Men remains one of the best American films ever made, and its contemporary Western setting is utterly transfixing. On top of that film, their 2010 remake of the iconic John Wayne Western, True Grit, is nothing short of spectacular.
The Star-Studded Western Packs Its Tales With Dense Casts of Characters
A-List Stars Are Showcased In Minor Roles and Hilarious Cameos
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is, from its very first moments, clearly not interested in being what audiences expect or want. It’s not a typical story, it doesn’t follow typical conventions of its genre, and it doesn’t utilize its cast of all-star actors in ways that audiences would generally expect. With someone as well-known and well-regarded as Liam Neeson featured in the film, viewers would think that his role would be major, and would utilize his position as one of the most beloved and well-regarded action stars of the modern age. Instead, Neeson is featured in a bizarre, upsetting vignette focused on a mean-spirited showman/con artist.
Neeson goes against type by playing an almost pitiful wanderer who seeks nothing but the next “big thing” he can exploit to earn a little more cash from the masses. It’s a terrific role for Neeson, and despite its major shift away from the roles he typically finds himself in, it might just be his best performance in years. Alongside Harry Melling as the latest showcase in the con man’s traveling show, Liam Neeson gives an off-beat and soulful performance, despite his character’s crooked nature and terrible moral standing. If nothing else, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a fantastic showcase for what actors can do when they aren’t typecast into one specific kind of role. Liam Neeson shines, and so do many other actors who typically take on characters vastly different from their roles in the Coens’ bizarre anthology.
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The Coen brothers are masters of handling large ensemble casts, with films like Burn After Reading, Hail, Caesar, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? showcasing some of the best lineups of characters in all of modern American cinema. There’s nothing quite like a Coen brothers’ script, and when the brother directors bring in some of Hollywood’s greatest performers to bring their writing to life, movie magic occurs. Even their lesser entries like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs sparkle with life and creativity, and none of the people involved are giving anything less than their all. It’s so wonderful to see Westerns returning to the modern world of Hollywood, and films like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs prove that the genre is ripe for the picking, even decades after its popularity waned.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Showcases What a Modern Western Can Be
The Genre Could (And Should) Make A Comeback With Contemporary Audiences
The recent success of films like Sinners proves that there is absolutely audience interest in the Western genre, and even though Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic isn’t solely a Western, its aesthetic and narrative certainly evoke many of the genre’s most iconic aspects. The same goes for the Coen brothers and some of their recent works. Films like True Grit and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs were major successes with critics, and despite the fact that Buster Scruggs was swiftly relegated to the realm of streaming, audiences did sincerely connect with both films in a major way. If the 2018 western anthology had been given the chance to have a full and widespread theatrical release, there’s a good chance that it would have succeeded on a much larger scale.
Generally, Joel and Ethan Coen are a draw for audiences. Even people who aren’t major movie fans are at least somewhat familiar with the directing duo’s work, and the consensus on so many of the Coen brothers’ previous films is incredibly positive. Movie-goers loved Fargo, adored No Country for Old Men, and have continued to keep The Big Lebowski in the cultural landscape, even twenty-seven years later. The unique creative voice of the Coen brothers has enraptured audiences for decades, and for that reason, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs could have so easily been a major theatrical success. Streaming has killed so many films before they even got the chance to make a cultural impact, and that’s a huge shame. There are so many streaming films that would have enraptured theatrical audiences, but instead, they were destined to be scrolled past forever on Netflix.
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The Western genre has, in the past few years, made somewhat of a comeback, and its popularity on television in series like Yellowstone has certainly helped its overall appeal, but there’s still so much that can be done to make it a marketable and appealing genre for mass audiences. Something like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs showcases that the Western genre doesn’t have to just be one thing. There are so many sub-genres, so many mixes of flavors, that can be achieved with Westerns, and with films in general. That’s what the Coen brothers do so well — mix flavors. Their films are always so unique because they never simply do one thing. The modern movie landscape needs more unique, creative output, and despite its box office failure, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a perfect example. It’s easily one of the best films in the Western genre in years, and it remains one of the best movies of the 2010s overall.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
- Release Date
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November 9, 2018
- Runtime
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133 Minutes
- Director
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Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
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Tim Blake Nelson
Buster Scruggs
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