Is This The Final Coen Brothers Movie...Ever?

Formerly ecarle.

Much is being made in the movie press these days about how Quentin Tarantino is now preparing production on what he swears will be his "Tenth and Final Movie." Maybe yes, maybe no, but that's QT's story and he's sticking to it, basing his decision on how "old time aged directors" like Hitchcock, Ford, Wilder, and Hawks made sub-par movies in their 60's and 70's instead of going out on top.

We shall see if Mr Tarantino goes though with that ...or comes back at a later date.

In the meantime...while we weren't paying attention..could it be?...that an "great auteur director"(or a pair of them) have ALREADY given us their final movie?

Joel and Ethan Coen.

If they have, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is it. Netflix got their last one(which I think is very good and reflects both their narrative talent, their dialogue-writing talent and their visual talent.)

But wait: ONE of the Coen Brothers has directed a movie SINCE Buster Scruggs:

Joel Coen directed The Tragedy of MacBeth, which nabbed an Oscar nom for Denzel Washington and starred Joel's famous Oscar winning wife Frances McDormand.

Still, that was NOT a "Coen Brothers movie," and imdb doesn't show any forthcoming productions from EITHER the Coen Brothers or Joel Coen alone.

Thoughts:

ONE: Maybe even with their dual directing credit over the years, Joel Coen HAS been the real directorial brains of the operation. But: doubtful. They seem to work as true collaborators.

TWO: Well, the brothers ARE in their 60s and that's when QT thinks the "old time directors"(a few of whom were damaged alcoholics) ran out of gas. Plus some smoked. We have a healthier crowd today and guys like Spielberg, Scorsese and Ridley Scott, not to mention Clint Eastwood, have worked right on through their 70's and into their 80's in some cases. (That said, only Scorsese seems to have been able to make a few classics during that age.)

THREE: Turns out that the Coens have actually made some statements about this situation, saying that this is more like a "break" after many years of making movies together(going back further than the start of QT's career.) No permanent decision has been made on not making another "Coen Brothers movie."

Still, Buster Scruggs is from 2018 and now that seems like a long time ago. 5 years. Before COVID changed the movie business forever(and Buster Scruggs sits right there on streaming where it started, less a brief theatrical run.)

I'd say at this point it looks like we proabably WILL lose Tarantino for quite a few years after his "final film"(The Movie Critic) and MIGHT lose the Coen Brothers if so much time passes that they find other things to do with their later years together.

In which case: too bad for us. Directors who also write their works are true "auteurs" and we never get too many of those. It will be too bad to lose two -- er, three - of them.