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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Western · Comedy · 2018

Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharp-shooting songster, a wannabe bank robber, two weary traveling performers, a lone gold prospector, a woman traveling the West to an uncertain future, and a motley crew of strangers undertaking a carriage ride.

Movie details

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

“Stories live forever. People don't.”

2018 Western · Comedy 2h 12m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharp-shooting songster, a wannabe bank robber, two weary traveling performers, a lone gold prospector, a woman traveling the West to an uncertain future, and a motley crew of strangers undertaking a carriage ride.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Ballad of Buster Scruggs?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Pardners

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Comedy · 1956

Rich momma's boy Wade Kingsley Jr. an Eastern dude, tries to follow in his murdered father's footsteps by returning to the West to partner up with Slim Moseley Jr.,the son of his father's former partner. Wade overcomes Slim's initial reluctance to accept him by using his fortune to buy a prize cow and new car to help Slim in his job as foreman on the Kingsley family ranch, currently under siege by a gang of outlaws called "masked raiders." Wade generously tries to pay off the ranch's mortgage with $15,000 of his own money, but unfortunately neither "pardner" realizes that respected banker Dan Hollis, the son of their fathers' murderer, is the leader of the gang.

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A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.

Americana

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Crime · 2025

After a rare Native American artifact falls onto the black market, a shy waitress with big dreams teams up with a lovelorn military veteran to gain possession of it, putting them in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal working on behalf of a Western antiquities dealer.

The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch

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An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.

Badland

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Detective Matthias Breecher, hired to track down the worst of the Confederate war criminals, roams the Old West seeking justice. His resolve is tested when he meets a determined pioneer woman who is far more than she seems.

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

Crime · 2007

Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.

Forsaken

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A Man Called Sledge

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Western · 1970

James Garner is Luther Sledge, the leader of a pack of rebels who are planning to steal a stash of gold. But after the thieves actually manage to get away with the bounty, they soon discover that the enemy lies within their midst. As they begin to bicker over who should get the biggest cut, the stage is set for a deadly showdown. Claude Akins and John Marley co-star in this Italian Western directed by Vic Morrow.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Joel Coen · Ethan Coen

Written by

Ethan Coen · Joel Coen

Tim Blake Nelson

Tim Blake Nelson

Buster Scruggs (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Willie Watson

Willie Watson

The Kid (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Clancy Brown

Clancy Brown

Curly Joe (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Danny McCarthy

Danny McCarthy

Curly Joe's Brother (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

David Krumholtz

David Krumholtz

Frenchman (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Thomas Wingate

Thomas Wingate

Gun Check Man (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Tim DeZarn

Tim DeZarn

Mean-Eyed Card Player (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

Court is in session

Put The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.