The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

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The Coen Brothers return to the world of True Grit with this glorious anthology Western presented as six chapters of a book complete with colour plate illustrations.

The subject of death in the old, wild and frequently brutal west threads through a wonderfully varied set of stories that range from the comic and thrilling to the macabre and moving.
A balladeering gunman, an unlucky bank robber, a two man travelling theatre group, a young woman on the Oregon Trail, a grizzled gold prospector and five stagecoach travellers are b*ght to vivid life by Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Harry Melling, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, Brendan Gleeson, Jonjo O'Neill, Saul Rubinek, Tyne Daly and Chelcie Ross. Extra commendations go to brief supporting turns from Dave Krumholtz, Clancy Brown, Stephen Root, Ralph Ineson and Bill Heck.

All the tales have something special to offer, from the inventive comic shoot outs of the title tale to the tragic and moving chapter of Kazan on the Oregon Trail. Most impressive though is the two man travelling theatre group with Neeson as the manager and Melling as the performer. To say any more would spoil one of the best and most unexpected works of the Coens career. A macabre, melancholy and moving tale that may not have the quirky laughs expected of the Coens but feels strangely beautiful and profound.
Also any chance to see Tom Waits on screen is a pleasure and he excels as a determined gold prospector.

The icing on the cake is the gorgeous work of DoP Bruno Delbonnel and composer Carter Burwell.

If you have Netflix, this is a must see went it arrives November 16th.
Though if any opportunities to see it on the big screen come up again, definitely make an effort to go if you can.