Until a few weeks ago, we didn’t know we were be getting a new Coen Brothers movie in 2018. The duo were working on a Netflix anthology series – and then suddenly the project was revealed to have morphed into a feature film, bundling up all of the episodes into one package. After a positive reception at the Venice Film Festival, the first trailer for The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs has arrived, hinting that the Coens are on their usual inimitable form.
Wild West setting? Check. Wry humour? Check. Gorgeous cinematography? Check. A starring role for Tim Blake Nelson? Check. Yes, Buster Scruggs is looking like Coens through-and-through. Early word from festival screenings is that the film blends whimsy with shocking violence – and while there's no bloodshed in this teaser there are some notably comic moments, from Scruggs’ leaving behind a cartoonish cloud of dust in a saloon, to a brilliantly glib closing line from James Franco. The film also stars the likes of Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Kazan, Liam Neeson and Tom Waits.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is coming to Netflix on 16 November, and word has it that the film will also get some kind of cinema release for those who want to catch the Coens’ work on the big screen.
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