The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

— Oh my! If you like quirky (I do), this is a film for you. It’s pretty to look at, with western vistas like hand-tinted postcards and characters looking and speaking almost as though they could be in a stage play instead of the western frontier. There’s a bit of Coen Brothers' love in each of the six fables that make up the film, feeling a lot like an homage to the classic western, but a satire too. The humor catches you off guard and sometimes results in a guffaw, sometimes a groan. The acting is polished, the script is crisp, and the direction precise. Some reviewers suggest that, in the current political context, there may be parallels between the unchecked power that exists in each of the fables and our own national situation. Violence in the Coens' west is commonplace and accepted, law is loose and unfettered, and society seems to turn a blind eye as the blood flows. Ignoring any political associations, it’s still an amazing film to watch and react to. I thought it was fun, but not everyone will. It’s also interesting as an example of the new phenomenon where theatrical and streaming release lines are fluid and blurred. [Netflix.]

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[2018. 133 min. Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen. Starring Tim Blake Nelson, Willie Watson, Clancy Brown, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Harry Melling, Tom Waits, Bill Heck, Zoe Kazan, Jonjo O’Neill, Brendan Gleeson, Saul Rubinek, Tyne Daly, and Chelcie Ross.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs-2018