Netflix’s ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ Tells Wild Stories

Ryan Ash, Staff Writer

The Cohen brothers released their newest film, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” on Netflix this November. The film is an anthology containing six short stories, all set in the Wild West era.

The whole movie is presented as someone reading a story book called “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” and as it transitions between the stories, the movie gives the audience a sneak-peak of what is to come in the next chapter with a full-page illustration and a caption.

The stories in the movie include a larger-than-life cowboy who can’t be beat in a shootout, a bank robber whose plan goes awry, a quadriplegic orator from London who is drawing smaller and smaller crowds, an old gold prospector who’s trying to strike it rich, a perilous wagon train to Oregon and an ominous carriage ride with five strangers going to Fort Morgan.

In true Cohen brothers fashion, nearly all of these stories contain gritty themes of death and hardship, and most end with at least one person being killed.

The whole movie is shot extremely well and is aided by the vast, sweeping landscapes that dominate the Wild West. The movie’s soundtrack is also a very strong, propelling it to something this is a feast for both the eyes and ears.

With a two hour and 12 minute run time, the movie’s six short stories have varying lengths, from 10 to 48 minutes. Viewers will likely not enjoy every story in the film, but if patient, will soon be rewarded with an entirely new one.

If you have some time to burn, this movie is most likely worth a watch. Getting past the nontraditional storytelling method could be tough for some viewers, but if one is able to do so, they’ll be pleasantly surprised.