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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Death is always the issue-in life, and in the Western. Joel and Ethan Coen's The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a movie of six Western stories. In each, our common destination is approached by a different road. Through each, diverse characters hurry for their final appointment: Oregon Trail-travelers, a gold prospector, a motley crew of stagecoach passengers, a high-plains drifting bank robber, even a singing cowboy. These six stories escort them with a care that either respects, or mocks, the dignity of all.
The film stars Tom Waits, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tim Bake Nelson and Zoe Kazan and is shot with the harsh grandeur of the classic John Ford westerns.
The film stars Tom Waits, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tim Bake Nelson and Zoe Kazan and is shot with the harsh grandeur of the classic John Ford westerns.
- GenresFilmHumorShort Stories
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
40 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Joel Coen
39 books79 followersJoel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are four-time Academy Award winning American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy) to film noir (Miller's Crossing, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, No Country for Old Men), to movies where genres blur together (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Barton Fink). The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under the alias Roderick Jaynes. They are known in the film business as "the two-headed director", as they share such a similar vision of what their films are to be that actors say that they can approach either brother with a question and get the same answer.
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November 18, 2018Watched the movie twice upon its release on Netflix. I paused it every time one of the stories began or ended since it showed the first page and last page, respectively, from the book (unless, when the book is released, it's just the screenplay). Either way, I look forward to reading this.
January 1, 2026
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, two segments based on stories by Jack London and Stewart Edward White respectively
10 out of 10
This is one of the best films of 2018, deserving of a few Academy Awards, Golden Globes and other prestigious awards – the most relevant of all, the Cannes Festival Palme d’Or included.
It is original in that it does not present just one narrative – indeed, when the first segment, the Ballad, ends, the viewer is almost shocked, if amused by the sudden departure of the leading character, a pistolero named Scruggs, who shoots opponents with otherworldly speed and accuracy, even when he does not have a gun in his hand, only to be in his turn eliminated with such an ease that the scene becomes jocular and morbid…some spoiler alerts may follow…
Tim Blake Nelson – who has already been excellent in another Coen Brothers masterpiece, O Brother, Where Art Thou? – plays with masterful ease the preposterous Buster Scruggs, who is both amused, joyful and extremely deadly with his pistol, killing an opponent in the most bizarre circumstances -when holding a mirror, looking in it for his target and calculating the mirror effect, what impact his keeping it upside down has on the trajectory of the only bullet left has.
Scruggs enters a saloon, where the rule says that all weapons, pistols and shotguns have to be left at the entrance for storage, to avoid gun fights within, is considering joining a poker game, but decides to skip it when he sees the poor hand that is left on the table by the previous player, only to be forced to continue, by a man who somehow still has his revolver with him and is about to put a decisive hole in the protagonist, who is so good that he steps on the table and makes his rival shoot himself.
This motion picture is the cinematic equivalent of a splendid collection of short stories, with one tale more interesting, sometimes outrageous, tragic, with darker humor than the other, like the segment that is second in line, Near Algodones, with the exceptional James Franco in the role of a failed bank robber, who enters this branch in the middle of nowhere and tries to get the money.
He threatens the teller with a gun, this one is bending to supposedly get the bills, but he has already installed there two shotguns, ready to fire at potential wrong doers, fires them, forcing the intruder to duck, while the employee disappears and the cowboy takes the bills and tries to escape, wondering where the gifted adversary might be, makes it to a water well nearby, where he comes under heavy fire and is eventually apprehended and due to a blow on the head wakes up with a rope around his head.
A group of men is waiting for him to wake up, inform him that there has been a fair trial and he would be hanged, therefore he might consider giving his horse to one of the cowboys present, and when the sentenced criminal refuses, a band of Native Americans attacks the party, killing with arrows, hatchets all of those present, with the exception of the protagonist who is waiting on his horse, when a chieftain approaches, laughs at him and departs.
It looks like an even worse fate, for having been saved in the last second – like the famous Russian genius. Fyodor Dostoyevsky – for instead of dying in a more or less short time, with less pain, he would now wait on top of his horse, who is slowly moving about to grasp the few grass roots available, until a more sudden movement would leave the antihero in the air, without support and therefore hanging by the neck until he is finally dead.
There is a twist and a macabre joke about this, to avoid spoiling it, let us just mention the line “is it your first time (when you are supposed to be hanged)” uttered to an old, whining man that is waiting for his execution.
The part entitled “Meal Ticket” is still humorous at moments, but it could well be the darkest of the entire collection - together with The Gal Who Got Rattled – with a very cruel Impresario – a sibylline Liam Neeson – an artist without hands and legs – portrayed with majesty and outstanding talent by Harry Melling – who gives performances in various small towns and villages.
Meal Ticket refers to the Artist, who has a one man show that includes impressive, remarkable acts, attended by small crowds where they are lucky, but with a public limited to only three –and even these seem to pay nothing for their entertainment – in places where there is no interest, or, like in this locality, a serious competition attracts the audience, who looks in awe at a hen that supposedly can count.
Impresario buys the hen, takes it on the wagon he shares with his Meal Ticket, the disabled, mesmerizing performer that is looking with despair at the feathered rival that is kept hanging in a small cage, up to the point where his companion stops near a ravine, where the monstrous man checks with a big rock the depth of the valley and the next scene explains why he did that…
All Gold Canyon is based on a story by Jack London and in it a prospector takes his mule near a river, where he tries and fails to find gold, up to the point where he appears to get lucky, with a rather remarkable finding in the big hole he has dug, only to see the shadow of a man that is standing above, with a pistol in his hand…
The Gal Who Got Rattled shares with Meal Ticket a very sinister streak, given the unexpected finale, the fate of Alice Longabaugh, a young woman who travels with her optimistic, but rather flawed, untrustworthy brother on one of the perilous, deadly wagon trails, where the sibling expires, the grieving woman has to settle some exaggerated debts towards the boy leading their equipage.
Billy Knapp, who leads and guides the wagons with the older Mr. Arthur, comes to the rescue, on the first instance in a rather cruel manner, offering to put down the President, a small, lovely dog that barks too much and has had the neighbors complaining, only to see him escape, return later and get the owner in trouble when the American Indians attack.
As the makers of The Big Lebowsky have used us, No Country for Old Men, Fargo, True Grit and so many other classics, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an outstanding, mesmerizing collection of stories.
10 out of 10
This is one of the best films of 2018, deserving of a few Academy Awards, Golden Globes and other prestigious awards – the most relevant of all, the Cannes Festival Palme d’Or included.
It is original in that it does not present just one narrative – indeed, when the first segment, the Ballad, ends, the viewer is almost shocked, if amused by the sudden departure of the leading character, a pistolero named Scruggs, who shoots opponents with otherworldly speed and accuracy, even when he does not have a gun in his hand, only to be in his turn eliminated with such an ease that the scene becomes jocular and morbid…some spoiler alerts may follow…
Tim Blake Nelson – who has already been excellent in another Coen Brothers masterpiece, O Brother, Where Art Thou? – plays with masterful ease the preposterous Buster Scruggs, who is both amused, joyful and extremely deadly with his pistol, killing an opponent in the most bizarre circumstances -when holding a mirror, looking in it for his target and calculating the mirror effect, what impact his keeping it upside down has on the trajectory of the only bullet left has.
Scruggs enters a saloon, where the rule says that all weapons, pistols and shotguns have to be left at the entrance for storage, to avoid gun fights within, is considering joining a poker game, but decides to skip it when he sees the poor hand that is left on the table by the previous player, only to be forced to continue, by a man who somehow still has his revolver with him and is about to put a decisive hole in the protagonist, who is so good that he steps on the table and makes his rival shoot himself.
This motion picture is the cinematic equivalent of a splendid collection of short stories, with one tale more interesting, sometimes outrageous, tragic, with darker humor than the other, like the segment that is second in line, Near Algodones, with the exceptional James Franco in the role of a failed bank robber, who enters this branch in the middle of nowhere and tries to get the money.
He threatens the teller with a gun, this one is bending to supposedly get the bills, but he has already installed there two shotguns, ready to fire at potential wrong doers, fires them, forcing the intruder to duck, while the employee disappears and the cowboy takes the bills and tries to escape, wondering where the gifted adversary might be, makes it to a water well nearby, where he comes under heavy fire and is eventually apprehended and due to a blow on the head wakes up with a rope around his head.
A group of men is waiting for him to wake up, inform him that there has been a fair trial and he would be hanged, therefore he might consider giving his horse to one of the cowboys present, and when the sentenced criminal refuses, a band of Native Americans attacks the party, killing with arrows, hatchets all of those present, with the exception of the protagonist who is waiting on his horse, when a chieftain approaches, laughs at him and departs.
It looks like an even worse fate, for having been saved in the last second – like the famous Russian genius. Fyodor Dostoyevsky – for instead of dying in a more or less short time, with less pain, he would now wait on top of his horse, who is slowly moving about to grasp the few grass roots available, until a more sudden movement would leave the antihero in the air, without support and therefore hanging by the neck until he is finally dead.
There is a twist and a macabre joke about this, to avoid spoiling it, let us just mention the line “is it your first time (when you are supposed to be hanged)” uttered to an old, whining man that is waiting for his execution.
The part entitled “Meal Ticket” is still humorous at moments, but it could well be the darkest of the entire collection - together with The Gal Who Got Rattled – with a very cruel Impresario – a sibylline Liam Neeson – an artist without hands and legs – portrayed with majesty and outstanding talent by Harry Melling – who gives performances in various small towns and villages.
Meal Ticket refers to the Artist, who has a one man show that includes impressive, remarkable acts, attended by small crowds where they are lucky, but with a public limited to only three –and even these seem to pay nothing for their entertainment – in places where there is no interest, or, like in this locality, a serious competition attracts the audience, who looks in awe at a hen that supposedly can count.
Impresario buys the hen, takes it on the wagon he shares with his Meal Ticket, the disabled, mesmerizing performer that is looking with despair at the feathered rival that is kept hanging in a small cage, up to the point where his companion stops near a ravine, where the monstrous man checks with a big rock the depth of the valley and the next scene explains why he did that…
All Gold Canyon is based on a story by Jack London and in it a prospector takes his mule near a river, where he tries and fails to find gold, up to the point where he appears to get lucky, with a rather remarkable finding in the big hole he has dug, only to see the shadow of a man that is standing above, with a pistol in his hand…
The Gal Who Got Rattled shares with Meal Ticket a very sinister streak, given the unexpected finale, the fate of Alice Longabaugh, a young woman who travels with her optimistic, but rather flawed, untrustworthy brother on one of the perilous, deadly wagon trails, where the sibling expires, the grieving woman has to settle some exaggerated debts towards the boy leading their equipage.
Billy Knapp, who leads and guides the wagons with the older Mr. Arthur, comes to the rescue, on the first instance in a rather cruel manner, offering to put down the President, a small, lovely dog that barks too much and has had the neighbors complaining, only to see him escape, return later and get the owner in trouble when the American Indians attack.
As the makers of The Big Lebowsky have used us, No Country for Old Men, Fargo, True Grit and so many other classics, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an outstanding, mesmerizing collection of stories.
January 28, 2019
Really outstanding screenplay - all of the wit, pathos, and absurdity of the film was here in the film’s foundational building blocks. Reading their carefully constructed dialogue and precise directions gives me even more respect for their entire body of work.
August 11, 2020
Masterpiece
You know the story, but people cant get enough of them like children, because they connect the stories to themselves, and we all love hearing about ourselves, so long the people in the stories are us, but not us!!
Not us in the end especially!!
You know the story, but people cant get enough of them like children, because they connect the stories to themselves, and we all love hearing about ourselves, so long the people in the stories are us, but not us!!
Not us in the end especially!!
February 18, 2019
Of all the best adapted screenplay nominees, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was easily my least favorite of the nominated films - surprising, considering how much I adore the Coen brothers. I'm certain I've read other screenplays by the Coen brothers, but I strangely don't remember them, and most of those would've likely been adapted from source material as well. Despite being nominated in the adapted screenplay category, only two of the six short stories are based on existing material, making The Ballad of Buster Scruggs likely the most I've read of the Coens' original work.
As I said about the film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs shows the highs and lows of the Coens' styles. Stories like "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," "Near Algodones" and "All Gold Canyon" have the bleak, dark humor of the Coens that I truly love, while "Meal Ticket" and "The Mortal Remains" are simply bleak. Meanwhile, "The Girl Who Got Rattled" shows a more romantic side to the Coens that I didn't really know they had in them.
What I found most interesting about this screenplay is the way it's hardly written like a screenplay. This reads like a list of storyboards for shots the brothers will need, combined with the screenplay. It's a unique way of writing a screenplay, but considering the Coens usually direct their screenplays, it seems odd to me that they feel the need to do things this way. I would've imagined they would've written the screenplay and storyboard separately, but this does work well and it's so meticulously planned out that reading the screenplay is almost like rewatching the movie.
As I said about the film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs shows the highs and lows of the Coens' styles. Stories like "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," "Near Algodones" and "All Gold Canyon" have the bleak, dark humor of the Coens that I truly love, while "Meal Ticket" and "The Mortal Remains" are simply bleak. Meanwhile, "The Girl Who Got Rattled" shows a more romantic side to the Coens that I didn't really know they had in them.
What I found most interesting about this screenplay is the way it's hardly written like a screenplay. This reads like a list of storyboards for shots the brothers will need, combined with the screenplay. It's a unique way of writing a screenplay, but considering the Coens usually direct their screenplays, it seems odd to me that they feel the need to do things this way. I would've imagined they would've written the screenplay and storyboard separately, but this does work well and it's so meticulously planned out that reading the screenplay is almost like rewatching the movie.
July 18, 2019
this was a screenplay, which isn't something I've read before. It was enjoyable imagining how the movie would play out, but since I always see books as movies, it felt a little just like an outline for an unfinished book. But that's my quibble with the format, not the text itself.
pros:
- imaginative and original, it was certainly interesting and kept me fairly gripped (the text more than the Netflix actually, but that may have been because I read the screenplay first)
- occasionally funny, especially the 'first time?' gallows humour which made me snort
- very good writing with some lovely turns of phrase
cons:
[-the format]
- it was depressing knowing someone would die in each one, which may have been something of the point idk. but it ruined the suspense somewhat
- didn't like that the only disabled character, and the only main female character, both died.
- some endings were unclear - I wasn't sure on the ending of meal ticket until I saw the program, and I wasn't sure on the end of the last one either, and I haven't seen the end of the Netflix film yet to see how that handles it
overall good and i'm glad I read it
pros:
- imaginative and original, it was certainly interesting and kept me fairly gripped (the text more than the Netflix actually, but that may have been because I read the screenplay first)
- occasionally funny, especially the 'first time?' gallows humour which made me snort
- very good writing with some lovely turns of phrase
cons:
[-the format]
- it was depressing knowing someone would die in each one, which may have been something of the point idk. but it ruined the suspense somewhat
- didn't like that the only disabled character, and the only main female character, both died.
- some endings were unclear - I wasn't sure on the ending of meal ticket until I saw the program, and I wasn't sure on the end of the last one either, and I haven't seen the end of the Netflix film yet to see how that handles it
overall good and i'm glad I read it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2019
"Pan-shot!"
If you liked the movie, you'll like this volume, as it is the screenplay to the movie. Though not as pretty.
This book doesn't add much, so it may not be worth it. It is cool though, that the include the six color plates at the back of the book, and they are good looking! Also, the cover is in better detail than I saw on the film, and it's clear to me now that there are six trails winding off the words in the title, which I also found to be pretty cool!
Finally, I guess I missed the theme of the movie, as the back cover states, "Death is always the issue." "..., our common destination is approached by a different road." "These six stories escort them with a care that respects, if not their dignity, their service to fiction."
O.K., so now I see it. Duh.
If you liked the movie, you'll like this volume, as it is the screenplay to the movie. Though not as pretty.
This book doesn't add much, so it may not be worth it. It is cool though, that the include the six color plates at the back of the book, and they are good looking! Also, the cover is in better detail than I saw on the film, and it's clear to me now that there are six trails winding off the words in the title, which I also found to be pretty cool!
Finally, I guess I missed the theme of the movie, as the back cover states, "Death is always the issue." "..., our common destination is approached by a different road." "These six stories escort them with a care that respects, if not their dignity, their service to fiction."
O.K., so now I see it. Duh.
January 5, 2022
I half-wish they had taken the time to turn this vignette screenplays into proper short stories (hence the 4 stars rather than 5). Unlike with some screenwriting, I think there is the mileage with this to make a successful play at more traditional story format. Much more-so than QT's attempt with OUATIH. The film is great, and if you enjoyed the film you will enjoy the screenplay. Of course some of the wonderful acting and music is lost, but you can easily see why these guys consistently make amazing films--it's all there in the writing, it just needs to be extrapolated for the screen.
March 25, 2022
An excellent screenplay. You know there is murder in all the characters, and it is all right. The world accepts it, and She will not resist or even protest. The protagonists are half insane and half-gods. It meant that they would drive their strength against a mountain and plunge their strength against all odds - Hadi Atallah, author of 'Rosemary Bluebell.'
January 14, 2022
this was a very exciting book covering the many different people who crossed the plains. Some were killed others attacked by white men. I really liked this book with the various stories contained in it.
September 15, 2025
This movie and screenplay is phenomenal. I love every single story. My favourite one is the one with the man with no arms and no legs. It is so cruel and sad. There is a wide selection of different genres in this one. Funny, cruel, sad, supense, and more. All in all, recomend.
June 19, 2020
He licks the snow, then falls.
September 24, 2021
A storybook on western life. There are lessons for a commoner.
November 4, 2022
Coen brothers always leave you blue..and questioning everything..
August 27, 2023
This was a good collection of short stories. I read this book first & then saw the Netflix adaptation of the same. Good Stuff.
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