At the 2008 Oscars, Joel and Ethan Coen pulled off what only 4 other directors had done before them, walking away that night with 3 wins. The film, of course, is "No Country for Old Men," and they won for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Directors, and Best Picture. Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for his chilling portrayal of hitman Anton Chigurh, which was well-deserved, and the film was nominated for 4 other Oscars. At the time, it was their highest grossing film, and put right at the top of many critics' best film of the year lists. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we conclude our Dramas of the Brothers Coen series with a conversation about "No Country for Old Men." We discuss the nature of the landscape in this film, and how it not only fits in the context of this particular story but also how it fits in the look of the Coens' films we've included in this series. We talk about the performances from top to bottom, starting with Tommy Lee Jones, Bardem, Josh Brolin and Kelly Macdonald and going all the way through Stephen Root and Barry Corbin (as well as the amazing faces the Coens consistently cast in small roles), and how they each bring 100% authenticity to this film. We chat about the differences between the book and the film and how the Coens really treated Cormac McCarthy right with this adaptation. And we discuss the trust the storytellers put in the audience by allowing key moments to happen off-screen and by ending the film where they do. It's a master-class in filmmaking from a pair of the most interesting directors working today. Watch the film and tune in!

Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!!

• The Next Reel on iTunes
• The Next Reel on Facebook
• The Next Reel on Twitter
• The Next Reel on Flickchart
• The Next Reel on Letterboxd
• Guess the Movie with The Next Reel on Instagram
• Check out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest

And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts:

• Follow Andy Nelson on Twitter
• Follow Pete Wright on Twitter
• Follow Steve Sarmento on Twitter
• Check out Tom Metz on IMDB
• Follow Mike Evans on Twitter
• Follow Chadd Stoops on Twitter

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• Sitting in the Dark

• The Web
• Letterboxd
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Threads
• Bluesky
• YouTube
• Flickchart
• Pinterest
• Pete 
• Andy

• You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.
• Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
• Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.
• Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.
• Or sign up for AUDIBLE.