The Coen Brothers' 93% Rotten Tomatoes Western Thriller Is Coming to Streaming Next Month

Of all the movies they’ve done, it would be easy to admit that No Country for Old Men is one of — if not the — darkest films that Joel and Ethan Coen have made. Starring a dynamic trifecta of acting greats, the neo-noir crime drama features Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin in leading roles, with a wildly impressive supporting cast to boot. It’s true that it’s the season for titles like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and The Merry Gentlemen, but if you’re looking for something to break away from the non-stop overflow of holiday-themed movies, you’ll want to head over to Paramount+ on December 1 when the drama will ride onto the streamer.

There’s something especially satisfying about a solid adaptation of a beloved book and that’s what you’ll find in No Country for Old Men, which was pulled from the pages of Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel of the same name. Set in Texas in the 1980s, the film introduces audiences to Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss, a down-on-his-luck Vietnam vet who works as a welder, saves money, and passes the time in the hot desert hunting game. One day, the hard-working blue-collar man’s world is flipped upside down when he happens upon an extraordinary life-changing amount of money. But, no one just forgets where they put their insane sum of cash and with that puzzle piece comes Bardem’s Anton Chigurh, a hitman fully lacking a conscience who is hot on the trail of the fortune. Following both the cash’s path and the dangerous killer is Jones’ Sheriff, Ed Tom Bell.

As is the case for most movies by the Coen brothers, the main players drive the plot and performances, but the ensemble lifts them up and helps them shine, all while acting as the glue that holds it all together. In the case of No Country for Old Men, such is done by the likes of Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Barry Corbin, Beth Grant, Tess Harper, Stephen Root, and Rodger Boyce.

‘No Country For Old Men’ Is a Critical Favorite

The Coen brothers are no strangers to a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, with movies like True Grit, Blood Simple, and Fargo topping the pair’s shared chart. The same can be said for No Country for Old Men, which landed a 93% critics’ approval rating. But that’s not where the critical acclaim stopped. The dark thriller absolutely crushed the award circuit, nabbing eight Academy Award nominations and taking home four, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Bardem. It pulled off similar acknowledgments at the BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and more.

In short, if Paramount+ is on your payroll, you should absolutely take advantage of the opportunity to see one of the Coen brothers’ most beloved movies when No Country for Old Men arrives on December 1.