The 15 best Coen brothers movies: from crime comedies to hardcore thrillers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

"Fargo", "Big Lebowski", "No Country for Old Men" and other striking works of famous partners.

1. Just blood

• USA, 1983.
• Thriller, drama, crime.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The rude and cruel bar owner Marty suspects Abby's wife of cheating on one of his subordinates. He hires private detective Lauren to gather evidence, and then asks the detective to kill the couple. He acts differently, launching a chain of insane events.

Formally, the debut picture was directed only by Joel Coen. But his younger brother Ethan worked on the script and produced the film. Therefore, from the very beginning, the partners worked together. Already in this work, their style was born: a combination of cruelty, a twisted plot and references to the classics of cinema.

Holly Hunter was originally cast as Abby. She found herself busy in a theatrical production and invited her neighbor Frances McDormand to audition. Later, she will regularly play with the Coens, and will also marry Joel.

2. Raising Arizona

• USA, 1987.
• Comedy, crime.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Petty criminal High and his wife Ed, who works in the police, have been trying to have a child for a long time. Having learned that the owner of a chain of stores Nathan Arizona had five children at once, they decide to kidnap one, believing that no one will pay attention to the loss. But that was not the case - a bounty hunter is sent in search of the baby, and his former cellmates turn up to Huy. As a result, the initially stupid plan collapses completely.

The Coen brothers conceived this film as the complete opposite of the previous one and traded dark noir for comedic grotesque. At first, critics did not appreciate the picture, considering it an empty stylization. But the audience liked the bright story, and over time, "Raising Arizona" was finally recognized as a classic of cinema.

The picture also greatly increased the popularity of the novice actor Nicolas Cage, who played the main role in it.

3. Miller's intersection

• USA, 1990.
• Thriller, drama, crime.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

During the Prohibition era, a conflict between mafia clans is brewing in one of the US cities. The thing is that the petty fraudster Bernie started selling the secrets of his boss. The head of another group, Leo, refuses to kill the villain because he is in love with his sister. The clever criminal Tom Reagan will have to deal with difficult vicissitudes, although he has many problems of his own. For example, he owes a large sum to the bookmaker.

In Miller's Crossing, the Coen Brothers attempted to bring the ideas of crime fiction master Dashil Hammett onto the screen. They took as a basis the books "The Glass Key" and "Bloody Harvest", but in the end they came up with their own original plot, retaining only the atmosphere and some of the moves.

4. Burton Fink

• USA, UK, 1991.
• Drama, thriller, comedy.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Aspiring screenwriter Barton Fink moves to Los Angeles to work on a wrestling story for a Hollywood studio. He checks into a cheap hotel and starts writing. Things are going very slowly, as Fink has absolutely no knowledge of the topic. In addition, some strange, almost mystical events are constantly taking place in the hotel.

The Coen brothers decided to make a film about the creative crisis after having struggled to come up with the plot of Miller's Crossing. The authors decided not to remain within the framework of a typical drama, but turned everything into a surreal mixture and comedy. In many ways, they continued the ideas of Roman Polanski and his "apartment trilogy". And it is all the more ironic that it was this director who headed the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, which presented the main prize to Barton Fink.

5. Hudsaker's henchman

• USA, UK, Germany, 1994.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

College graduate Norville Barnes is looking for a job in New York City, but due to his lack of experience he can only get a job as a courier at Hudsaker Industries. Suddenly, the president of the company commits suicide right in the middle of a meeting. To save the firm from bankruptcy, Barnes is appointed interim director. It would seem that the beginner's career went up at lightning speed. However, this entails many difficulties.

After various films, one way or another connected with crime, the Coens decided to shoot a bright comedy in the style of the films of the famous Frank Capra. Moreover, in the new work, the directors began to refer to their previous works: "Hudsaker Industries" was mentioned in "Raising Arizona", and from there came the song that the dead president of the company sings. And the character Karl Mundt appeared in Barton Finke.

6. Fargo

• USA, UK, 1996.
• Thriller, drama, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 98 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Car dealership employee Jerry Landegaard is having money difficulties. He decides to demand a ransom from a wealthy father-in-law and hires two bandits to kidnap his wife. The participants in the process do not shine with intelligence, the plan collapses, because of which people die. A police woman Marge Gunderson takes on the tricky case.

This painting is often called the best work of the Coen brothers. It combines the typical filmmaker's crime comedy and philosophical reflections on the nature of cruelty. Fargo has received seven Oscar nominations and two awards: Francis McDormand for Best Actress and the brothers themselves for the screenplay.

And since 2014, a series of the same name has been launched on the FX channel. He does not repeat the plot of the film, but often refers to the work of the Coens.

7. The Big Lebowski

• USA, UK, 1998.
• Comedy, crime.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Slacker Jeffrey Lebowski, nicknamed the Dude, only loves to drink the White Russian cocktail and play bowling. Once his quiet life is violated by two bandits who by mistake break into the hero's house. It turns out that Dude was confused with his rich namesake. Lebowski goes to their real goal in order to demand compensation for the damage caused, but unwittingly finds himself drawn into a series of criminal events.

It may sound strange now, but after the success of Fargo, critics literally smashed the new work of the Coens. And the audience was not delighted with the ridiculous story of a slacker. The Big Lebowski flopped at home and paid off only through its international release. But over the years, everyone fell in love with the eccentric comedy, the picture became a cult, it is often quoted and parodied in modern films and TV series.

8. Oh, where are you, brother?

• USA, UK, France, 2000.
• Adventure, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Ulysses Everett McGill, who is serving time in hard labor, plans to escape. Only he is chained to two more prisoners. McGill tells his comrades that he managed to hide a million dollars before his arrest and is now ready to divide it into three. In fact, he has completely different reasons for escape.

It was from this picture that the brothers-directors began to collaborate with George Clooney. They will unofficially unite their subsequent collaborations into a "trilogy about idiots," and the actor will direct the film "Suburbicon" based on the Coens' script.

9. The Man Who Wasn't

• USA, UK, 2001.
• Crime, drama.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

1949 California hairdresser Ed Crane gets an opportunity to earn extra money by investing in advanced dry cleaning technology. To get money, he blackmails his wife's lover. Soon Ed gets involved in dangerous games: his plan is revealed, which is why suspicion of murder falls on his wife.

Some critics believe that The Man Who Wasn't There explicitly refers to the novel The Outsider by Albert Camus. Although the story has a completely new plot, the picture follows the general ideology of the book and takes some twists from it.

The Coens shot the film in color, but ended up making it black and white to create a classic film noir feel.

10. Old people don't belong here

• USA, 2007.
• Thriller, drama, western.
• Duration: 122 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Vietnam War veteran Llewellyn Moss enters the scene of a gangsters shootout and discovers a car with corpses and a load of heroin. The last surviving participant of the carnage tries to hide with a suitcase full of money, but also dies. Moss decides to appropriate the valuable finds, and the assassin Anton Chigur follows in his trail.

Over the years, many have become accustomed to the fact that the works of the Coen brothers are filled with irony and black humor. But No Country for Old Men, based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, is dark and very harsh and unconventional. And it is all the more surprising that the film was awarded an Oscar for Best Film. In total, she received several dozen nominations for various awards.

11. Burn after reading

• USA, UK, France, 2008.
• Comedy, crime, drama.
• Duration: 92 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Agent Osborne Cox is fired from the CIA and sits down for a memoir. The wife, who is cheating on him with married Harry Pfarrer, decides that among her husband's materials there are numbers of secret accounts, and steals a disc with records. By chance, the information falls into the hands of gym instructor Chad and his colleague Linda, who dreams of enlarging her breasts. The couple are considering selling the supposedly classified materials.

The Coens' next comedy has an incredible cast. The directors' favorites George Clooney and Frances McDormand were joined by Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich and many other popular artists. Moreover, they all play the most ridiculous characters.

12. Iron grip

• USA, 2010.
• Adventure, drama, western.
• Duration: 110 minutes
• IMDb: 7, 6.

After the death of her father at the hands of bandits, 14-year-old Matty decides to take revenge. She hires an aging lawyer, Rooster Cogburn, and Texas ranger LaBeefe to hunt down and kill the villain. But the motley trinity cannot find a common language in any way.

Charles Portis' novel Iron Grip was already being screened in 1969. Then he brought John Wayne "Oscar" for Best Actor. While filming their version, the Coens added their signature irony to the plot. The result is not just another typical western, but rather a deconstruction of the genre, which looks interesting these days.

13. Inside Lewin Davis

• USA, 2013.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Musician Lewin Davis is going through the death of a close friend and stage colleague. The hero spends the night with friends, tries to find a cat and is interrupted by performances in small clubs. However, Davis still considers himself very talented and dreams of becoming a star.

Experiments in the genre of musical films Coens began in the days of the film "Oh, where are you, brother?". They composed the soundtrack of the new film from folk songs from the 1960s. For the main role, the authors invited Oscar Isaac, who did an excellent job. The biggest challenge for him was playing with the cat, because the actor is afraid of these animals.

14. Long live Caesar

• USA, 2016.
• Comedy, drama, musical.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 3.

A historical picture of Ancient Rome is being shot in Hollywood. Suddenly disappears the leading actor Byrd Whitlock - he is captured by the communist organization "Future". Eddie Mannix, a specialist in clearing crime scenes from evidence, is sent in search of the star.

Formally, the "trilogy about idiots", in all the films of which Clooney played the main role, ended with "Burn After Reading." But in the end, the directors and the actor also released the fourth film, where the star again appears in the form of a dullard.

15. Ballad of Buster Scruggs

• USA, 2018.
• Western, drama, comedy.
• Duration: 133 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

The film consists of six short stories, which are set in the Wild West. And even the atmosphere changes from part to part. It all starts with a perky musical about a singing cowboy, and then switches to more serious stories. For example, about a disabled artist performing in different cities. Or an elderly prospector who dreams of finding a nugget.

The Coen brothers, like many other directors, eventually moved to streaming services. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was released on Netflix, which allowed the authors to present the plot in the form of an unusual anthology, where the plots are united only formally.