A “masterpiece” western film is available to stream on Netflix for UK subscribers. Westerns make up one of the most beloved genres in film. Westerns have been made since the turn of the 20th century, and they have remained popular ever since, with some of them becoming cult classics and being considered among the best films ever made. One Western on Netflix is ranked as one of the best ones to watch on the streaming platform.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was released back in 2018 and was met with rave reviews from both critics and audiences. Currently, it has an impressive score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, with people praising the storyline and performances from familiar faces such as Liam Neeson, James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson and Harry Melling. It is an anthology movie, meaning it follows several different stories that all weave together in unexpected ways. It was written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, the pair known for massive hits like No Country for Old Men and The Big Lebowski.

Set in the American Frontier, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs tells six stories that all deal with themes of life and death. For example, the chapter ‘Near Algodones’ tells the story of a wannabe bank robber who comes close to death a number of times.

Meanwhile, the chapter ‘All Gold Canyon’ follows a prospector in search of treasure in a beautiful, untouched valley. Each story has been highly praised by viewers, and they are all inspired by the other films in the genre as well as classic American literature.

The Ballad of Buster Scuggs contains strong bloody violence, so it has an age rating of 15. With this in mind, it might not be the film for those who are a bit squeamish.

Among the positive reviews for this film is one from a fan on Facebook, who says: “The Coen bros have so many brilliant films (Fargo, No Country For Old Men, Big Lebowski), but The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs is a masterpiece and something that I am going to remember forever. 10/10.”

Meanwhile, one Rottem Tomatoes reviewer called it “simply perfect”, adding that it is “an uncompromising collection of stories of hardship, loss, and betrayal in the old west.”

Another shared: “The cinematography perfectly captures the gorgeous scenic views of the Midwest, and the Coen brothers definitely knew how to capture the characters and their layers, sometimes without a word being spoken. The back and forth of emotions you feel throughout this movie makes it all the more worthwhile.”

A third wrote: “Brilliant Coen brothers at their best! Very well written and directed. Amazing collage of stories woven together. The stellar cast all excels in character. Lots of action, drama, intrigue, emotion, dark humour, flair, romance and solid storytelling. Very entertaining, captivating and memorable.”

“Witty, absurd, and sharply satirical, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is yet another showcase of the Coen Brothers’ masterful command of storytelling,” said another.

However, the film didn’t seem to go over well with everyone. One negative review reads: “The worst movie I’ve seen in the last decade. Is this for real? Were you all on drugs watching this?”

While The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is considered one of the best Western movies to watch on Netflix right now, it doesn’t rank as high as The Power of the Dog (2021), which has an impressice 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Other well-reviewed Westerns on Netflix right now include The Harder They Fall (2021), The Hateful Eight (2017) and Broke (2025). Others in the genre are also available to stream, but they aren’t as highly praised, such as Gunslingers (2025), which has an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score of 5%.