A “masterpiece” Western crime thriller based on a classic novel is hailed by fans as “perfect”. No Country for Old Men (2007) is set in 1980s Texas, and follows the intersecting lives of Llewelyn Moss (played by Brolin), a war veteran who discovers a life-changing fortune in the desert after a drug deal goes wrong, ruthless assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) who has been tasked with recovering the money, and lawman Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) who is investigating what happened at the ill-fated meeting.

The film was adapted from Cormac McCarthy‘s best-selling 2005 novel of the same name. The movie was written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, the duo known for modern classics like The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?. No Country, as its known among fans, was critically acclaimed, scooping four Oscars including Best Picture.

Bardem also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor gong for his chilling performance as Anton, with the Coen brothers clinching Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film is regarded as one of their best works to date, and is regularly named among the greatest films ever made.

A Redditor writing on the popular r/movies subreddit said the gritty drama is “perfect”.

“I had this inkling in the back of my mind for years I had gotten a poor experience with this movie,” they wrote. “I watched it again a year ago alone and loved it. I watched it again tonight and loved it. The movie’s intense, perfectly paced, and very well executed.

“It is now one of my favourite films. Go watch it if you haven’t,” they added.

Another commented: “Probably my favourite film at this point. Liked it the first time, and each time after it has got better and better.

“Give the book a try. I actually prefer the films handling of the story, but the book is definitely worth a look.”

A third added that it’s “one of the most suspenseful films of the past few decades and a masterclass on a modern Western”.

A lover of the film wrote on IMDb: “A truly epic masterpiece, a slow chilling suspense with next to no music throughout the film is a rare sensation exclusive to this film, it captures the true essence of the 1980’s neo western atmosphere, the acting is super and the pacing is sublime – Truly worthy of winning its four oscars in a very competitive year back in 2007.”

Renowned film critic Roger Ebert said of the movie: “Many of the scenes in ‘No Country for Old Men’ are so flawlessly constructed that you want them to simply continue, and yet they create an emotional suction drawing you to the next scene.

“Another movie that made me feel that way was “Fargo.” To make one such film is a miracle. Here is another.”

The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong bloody violence, so viewer discretion is advised.

No Country for Old Men is streaming now on Paramount+ and on Amazon Prime for those with a Paramount+ subscription. It’s also available on YouTube with a Primetime subscription and can be bought or rented on Sky Store, Curzon, and Apple TV.