The last Best Picture-winning Western is now free on Pluto TV

When I think of Westerns, I typically think of grizzled men with big hats and steely eyes shooting down outlaws in the desert. This image has been associated with legendary Western movies like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, and Once Upon a Time in the West. However, more recent "neo-Westerns" have deconstructed classic cowboy movies, telling modern stories that subvert classic tropes and follow morally ambiguous characters. One of the most acclaimed neo-Westerns is the Coen Brothers' film, No Country for Old Men.

Based on the bestselling novel by Cormac McCarthy, this 2007 movie follows Llewelyn Moss, a Vietnam War Veteran who steals a briefcase full of money left in the desert after a drug deal goes wrong. As he tries to keep the cash for himself, Llewelyn finds himself hunted by the psychopathic hitman Anton Chigurh, while Sheriff Ed Tom Bell investigates the crime.

No Country for Old Men presents an especially dark thriller. For one thing, Bardem brings one of cinema's most chilling villains to life in an Oscar-winning performance as Chigurh. He walks around killing just about anyone he encounters with very little care, acting less like a man and more like a chaotic force of nature. Also, with crime and greed overwhelming the characters, there is hardly any hope for anyone in this film. Ultimately, none of the characters get a happy ending, with the dark cloud of reality looming over everyone for the entire runtime.

No Country for Old Men has a 93% "Certified Fresh" rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also made over $171 million in theaters on a $25 million budget. It also won several awards and received eight Oscar nominations, winning four. To this day, No Country for Old Men is the last Western film to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, making it one of the most significant members of the genre. And now, you can watch this movie for free.

No Country for Old Men is now free to stream on Pluto TV

You can now stream this Oscar-winning masterpiece

No Country for Old Men is now available for free on Pluto TV. You won't need to sign up for an account to stream the film. However, it is an ad-supported platform, so you'll have to watch the movie with some ads every now and then. You can start streaming by going to the Pluto TV website in your browser. You can also use the Pluto TV app on your Android/iOS phone, tablet, streaming stick, or smart TV.

If you'd rather watch without ads, you can also stream it on Peacock or Paramount+ with a paid subscription. Fans of physical media can also get themselves a disc copy of the film. The Criterion Collection has 4K and Blu-ray versions of the movie available on Amazon.

What else is on Pluto TV?

Stream several classic Western films and shows

Pluto TV has become a go-to hub for die-hard Western fans. Along with No Country for Old Men, the platform has classic movies like True Grit, The Mask of Zorro, El Dorado, High Noon, Stagecoach, Bone Tomahawk, and Hondo.

You can also stream several classic Western shows, including Rawhide, The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza. Pluto TV even has entire channels dedicated to streaming episodes of each of these shows, and they're free to watch as well.

While Pluto TV has plenty of iconic cowboy programs, No Country for Old Men is far from a traditional Western. Chaos is king, good men turn greedy, and justice doesn't get served. If you're a Western fan looking for something different to watch, then stream this Coen Brothers classic now.