A lot can happen in the middle of nowhere.
Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!
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Character
Meticulous, cool and plot-driven.
- rawmeticulous
- cooloverwhelming
- character-ledplot-driven
- unpretentiousprestige
- sparerichly built
Who loves it, who doesn't
181 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Genre Devotees.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is this Joel Coen's best work?”
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“Is Jerry Lundegaard the real protagonist?”
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“Is it the best crime film of its decade?”
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Ask the title
A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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From the critics
The opening lines, as each paper serves them; the review is on their site. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- The New York TimesJanet MaslinMar 1996Deadly Plot by a Milquetoast Villain
Car salesman sets up kidnapping. Coens' snowbound film noir, merry and macabre.
Data provided by The New York Times.
Cast
- Frances McDormandMarge Gunderson
- William H. MacyJerry Lundegaard
- Steve BuscemiCarl Showalter
- Peter StormareGaear Grimsrud
- Harve PresnellWade Gustafson
- John Carroll LynchNorm Gunderson
- Kristin RudrüdJean Lundegaard
- Bruce BohneLou
- Steve ReevisShep Proudfoot
- Steve ParkMike Yanagita
Crew
- Joel CoenDirector
- Ethan CoenWriter
- Joel CoenWriter
- Roger DeakinsDirector of Photography
- Carter BurwellOriginal Music Composer
- Joel CoenEditor
- Ethan CoenEditor
- Ethan CoenProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
Pom Poko 199477% alikeClose across the board.
The Player 199276% alikeBoth cool, meticulous.
Knives Out 201976% alikeBoth meticulous, cool.
A Matter of Life and Death 194671% alikeBoth meticulous.
Pulp Fiction 199471% alikeBoth meticulous.
Fantastic Mr. Fox 200971% alikeBoth meticulous.
The Long Goodbye 197370% alikeBoth cool.
Batman Returns 199270% alikeClose across the board.
Thomas Was Alone 201271% alikeGame · Close across the board.
Samurai Champloo 200469% alikeTelevision · Close across the board.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
