Bowlers with beards. A police chief is pregnant. A serial killer has a bowl cut.
The Coen brothers have been responsible for some of the most recognizable characters in the history of cinema since they burst onto the scene with Blood Simple 35 years ago.
There aren't a lot of directors who make movies that conform to Hollywood traditions, but the writer/director team known as the Coen brothers have managed to carve out a style that's as popular as it is.
How does their extensive list of movies compare to one another? Which ones are the best?
We've done our best to rank every single Coen brothers movie, even though the task was difficult and they didn't direct any of them.
The Big Lebowski and Fargo are classics. Is there a victory for No Country for Old Men? Is there Intolerable Cruelty? That's a Coen brothers film. The Coen brothers' new movie, The Tragedy of Macbeth, is technically more of a Coen brother movie, even though it wasn't directed by them.
19. The Ladykillers.
Credit: Touchstone
This may be the worst film the Coen brothers have ever made. It has some big shoes to fill after the 1955 original. You would think the Coen brothers would be able to do it with an all-star cast, but they didn't. The Coens' work is consistent with the comedy, but it's cartoon-y and ungrounded, and Hanks' accent feels more like a Foghorn Leghorn impression than an organic choice.
The movie begins with Hanks playing a classics "professor" who rents a room from a religious elderly widow, played by Hall. He plans to use Marva's house as a base for his group of criminals to carry out a casino vault robbery. stupidity and greed lead to hijinks as they dig them into deeper and deeper trouble. The Ladykillers is a fun film if you go in with realistic expectations. The movie is a bad Coen brothers movie.
The Ladykillers can be rented or purchased on Prime Video.
18. Intolerable.
Credit: Moviestore
Intolerable Cruelty is still a lot of fun even though it might not have the same edge or originality as other movies further down. In the movie, George Clooney plays a divorce attorney who is against Marilyn Rexroth, a woman who is against him. Everyone is always one step ahead of the other, and there are plenty of moments you won't see coming. If you just want something light, this is a good one to watch.
You can watch Intolerable Cruelty on Prime Video.
17. Raising Arizona.
The 20th Century Fox is credited to Melinda Sue Gordon.
There are all the elements. The Coens' second movie comes with a bunch of things, including a kidnapping, an ominous bounty hunter, and many other things. The problem for me was that these elements didn't come together as well as they do in some other Coen brothers movies, the characters weren't as well developed, and the story wasn't as fun. Raising Arizona felt like a training ground for ideas that would be better executed later on, like themes that are polished up in movies like The Big Lebowski.
You can watch Raising Arizona on Prime Video.
16. The man was not there.
Credit: Working Title
This film noir had so much potential yet it is not a perfect Coen brothers movie. The Coens usually do well in noir and this one doesn't do much to elevate the genre. One thing you can't deny is that this is one of the best shots of the duo's movies. This homage to classic noir was shot entirely in black and white and features the talent of the Coens' long time cinematographer, Roger Deakins.
Ed Crane is a barber who is not happy with his situation in the film. Ed is having an affair with a rich man, Big Dave, while his wife is having an affair with a hard-drinking, department store bookkeeper, Frank. Big Dave Brewster is blackmailed by a conman when he convinces Ed to invest in a get-rich-quick scheme. This Coen film is a good-but-not-great film noir that ends in a weird yet satisfyingly unexpected way, with an all-star cast that shines in it.
The Man Who Wasn't There can be rented or purchased on Prime Video.
15. Caesar!
Credit: Alison CohenRosa
A film about making a film in 1950s Hollywood has a ridiculously star-laden cast. George Clooney and Josh Brolin play Eddie Manx and his client, a movie star, in a story about a group of communist screenwriters who kidnapped a movie star. Gossip columnists Thessaly Thacker and Thora are looking for a story. I can't help but think that the Coens have made a better film about movie-making than the one we've seen so far.
You can rent or buy it on Prime Video.
14. A man is serious.
Credit: Moviestore
Many of the Coen brothers' movies have their own obliqueness and complexity, but A Serious Man takes things to a whole other level. The movie follows the misfortunes of Larry Gopnik, a Jewish academic in 1960s Minnesota whose wife wants a divorce while he's struggling to make tenure in the wake of a series of anonymous letters. Gopnik's life goes from bad to worse, and when he turns to his faith for help the various rabbis he consults with seem unable to offer constructive advice. It makes sense that A Serious Man is chaotic and vague, but the bleakness makes it hard to enjoy.
You can rent or buy A Serious Man on Prime Video.
13. True.
Skydance productions is a credit
Jeff Bridges takes on the role of a deputy in this western, hired by a young girl to chase down the outlaw who killed her father. The 1969 John Wayne film was an adaptation of the 1968 novel of the same name. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is amazing, and Matt Damon gets to play the Texas Ranger LaBoeuf. Steinfeld is excellent as the no-nonsense 14-year-old trying to keep them both in check as Bridges is on top form as always. Why doesn't this one make it higher on the list? It is difficult to compare True Grit with other westerns because it is not quite as memorable as some.
You can rent or buy True Grit on Prime Video or NOW TV in the UK.
12. Burn after reading.
The title of the studio canal is working title.
Burn After Reading is a Coens' black comedy with some serious star-power and an impressively convoluted plot. The story revolves around two less-than-genius gym trainers who attempt to blackmail a former CIA agent whose wife is having an affair with a U.S. marshal. There is a lot going on. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, there are some genuinely amusing and shocking moments, and it feels more relevant than ever. The only downside is that it sometimes feels almost too meta, with levels of parody and convolution tripping over themselves.
Burn After Reading can be rented or purchased on Prime Video.
11. The tragedy of a famous author.
Credit: Alison Cohen
This one is not a Coen bros movie, it is a Coen bros movie. After his wife performed as Lady Macbeth in a performance that inspired him,Joel adapted this Shakespearean classic on his own. Four-time Academy Award-winning actress,Frances McDormand, reprised her role as the ruthless villainess who encouraged her husband to murder in order to get the crown. Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is meeting McDormand at her level of excellence. Backed by an excellent ensemble, this dynamic duo destroys, whether whispering schemes, touching in tenderness, or delivering truly legendary lines.
This centuries-old tale is given a new vision byJoel, using settings that blur the visual expectations between screen and stage. Audiences are urged to descend into murder, madness, and doom by real imagery around the witches. Bruno Delbonnel's cinematography is black and white. It captures these stars' precise performances as instantly timeless. It's not really a Coen Bros movie for a number of reasons. So...
You can watch the movie on Apple+ after it hits theatres.
10. Where Art Thou?
Credit: Touchstone, Universal, and Kobal.
Would people put this one higher up? Absolutely. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a Coen mish-mash of extreme silliness, following the escapades of three escaped convicts on the hunt for buried corpses. There's a lot to love about this one and its clever satirisation of the American South, but for some reason it just hasn't stuck in my memory like the other cult favorites. Maybe it's too silly? Maybe there isn't enough darkness to contrast with the comedy. It's not the popular opinion, but I think it can't compete with the Coens' work.
You can watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? on AMC+ or rent it on Prime Video.
There are 9. The story of a man named Buster.
That's Tom Waits. The credit is given to:
The anthology is a collection of short stories from the American frontier and is a movie. The films cover a range of characters, from the elderly gold prospector to the recently widowed widow, who are trying to make their way in the unforgiving Wild West.
Some of the stories are stronger than others, and not everyone will be a fan of the six-in-one structure, but there's a lot of entertaining stories on offer.
You can watch the movie on the internet.
8. It was blood simple.
The young McDormand was in her first movie. Credit: River Road
The Coens' first feature film was a neo-noir crime thriller full of affairs, identity mix-ups, and one very unusual bit of body disposal. Blood Simple is a movie about a bartender named Ray (John Getz) who is having an affair with his boss' wife. There is a lot of jealousy, suspicion, and one very shady private detective prepared to go to some fairly extreme lengths to get what he wants.
Even though this one may not be as polished as some of their later work, it's still incredibly accomplished and entertaining, especially for a first feature.
Blood Simple can be rented or purchased on Prime Video.
7. The proxy is called the Hudsucker Proxy.
Polygram, Warners, Silver, and Kobal are all credited.
The Coen brothers' 1994 comedy was a box office flop, but it is still considered a mid-tier movie. It deserves better. Sam Raimi and the Coen brothers wrote a comedy called The Hudsucker Proxy that pays homage to the screwball comedies of Hollywood's Golden Age. Tim Robbins plays a small-town American businessman who comes to the Big Apple with big-city ambitions. He'd be a fool not to take it when happenstance hands him the reigns of the company. Amy Archer smells a rat. She goes undercover as a secretary to find a scoop and ends up falling for the rube. Can this odd couple outwit the corporate America?
This broad comedy is so sweet it could rot your teeth. The Coens love noir and have a winsome romance that adds spice with blackmail, betrayal, jealously, and death. The cast is a crackerjack one, with Charles Durning, Steve Buscemi, Bill Cobbs, and Bruce Campbell, and they bring plenty of zing to zip past the rough edges.
You can rent or buy the proxy on Prime Video.
6. Barton Fink.
It's difficult to write a script with noisy neighbors. Credit: Circle
It's easy to imagine the Coens having a lot of fun with this one. John Turturro plays a successful playwright who makes the move from New York to Hollywood to take a lucrative screenwriting job. After setting himself up in a gloomy hotel, and meeting the intimidating studio boss, Fink soon finds himself with a case of writer's block, which he's forced to navigate via interactions with his neighbour.
There's a lot happening in this movie, from an exploration of the creative process and its many obstacles to the tension between art for money and art as a vehicle for meaning and change. The Coens handle it all with a deft touch, throwing in some incredibly amusing moments, and creating a movie that you'll want to watch again the minute the final shot cuts to the credits.
Barton Fink can be rented or bought on Prime Video.
5. Fargo.
Michael Tackett is credited with working title, Polygram, and Kobal.
Fargo, with its snowy North Dakota setting and offbeat black comedy style, has managed to inspire a very popular TV show. One of the most memorable roles in Hollywood history is that of heavily pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson, who tries to untangle a messy murder and its links to some hired kidnappers, with things quickly spiralling in the amusingly chaotic way only Coen brothers movies can. William H. Macy is a car dealer, Peter Stormare is a kidnapper, and Steve Buscemi is a criminal.
Fargo can be rented or bought on Prime Video.
4. Llewyn Davis is inside.
That one is a really troublesome cat. Credit: Moviestore
It might not be as famous as some of the Coens other movies, but Inside Llewyn Davis deserves its spot near the top of this list. The film is about a folk singer named Llewyn Davis who was in New York's Greenwich Village in the '60s. Davis is struggling to get his big break but is hampered by a lack of money, constant bad luck, and the death of his former musical partner, which hangs over him like a cloud as he deals with lost pet cats, strange carpool companions, and a competitive music scene he can never quite The film is partly inspired by the autobiography of folk singer Dave Van Ronk, and the soundtrack is a perfect backdrop to a movie that beautifully captures that.
You can watch Inside Llewyn Davis on Prime Video.
3. Miller's Crossing is located in the state of Delaware.
It's going to end badly. Credit: Moviestore
The genre of gangster movies is very competitive, with many classics like Goodfellas and The Godfather. Miller's Crossing deserves a seat at the table. The movie follows Tom Reagan, a mobster caught in an escalating war between two rival crime bosses who also happen to be having an affair with one of the boss' girlfriends.
Miller's Crossing has some truly legendary scenes, from bookie Bernbaum begging for his life in the woods to mobster O'Bannon having a shootout in his dressing gown. The moments are as brilliant as they are because they subvert expectations. This isn't a movie that plays out how you think it will go. Miller's Crossing is rough and ragged around the edges, which is unlike the smart character arcs of The Godfather's Michael Corleone and Al Capone. You don't know where it's going, but it's better for it.
Miller's Crossing is available to watch on Disney+.
2. The Big Lebowski.
"Walter, man..." Credit: Polygram, Working Title, and Shutterstock.
The Big Lebowski is one of the first movies that comes to mind when you think of a cult classic. It has to be one of the Coens' best films because of its cast of characters, quotable lines, and a powerhouse central performance from Jeff Bridges as The Dude.
The movie starts with a case of mistaken identity, with Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski getting confused for a totally different Lebowski who just so happens to be a millionaire, and then in some serious trouble with some bad people. The farce that follows is spectacularly entertaining and involves blackmail, stolen rugs, and more bowling than you can shake a White Russian cocktail at. John Goodman is brilliant as angry Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak and Steve Buscemi's nervous Donny is the perfect complement to their bowling trio, not to mention the excellent supporting performances from the likes of Peter Stormare, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
There's an annual Lebowski Fest where fans get dressed up and play games, and you're still in doubt about the enduring popularity of this movie. There aren't many movies that leave that kind of legacy.
The Big Lebowski can be watched on Prime Video or on the Showtime channel.
1. No country for old men.
If looks could kill. Miramax, Paramount, and Kobal are all credited.
I'm going to say that the greatest villain we've seen so far this millennium is the one played by Bardem. With his bowl cut and dead-eyed gaze, he's both terrifying and terrifyingly evil, a force of chaotic evil who sweeps through everyone in his path without a hint of emotion or remorse. He flips the coin at the gas station. It was brilliant. His cat-and-mouse game with Llewelyn Moss? It was brilliant. The good news is that he doesn't need to carry a movie with him. The film is exceptional.
No Country for Old Men is a neo-western that is based on a novel by Cormac MacCarthy. Roger Deakins' cinematography and a cast of memorable characters, some poster-worthy dialogue, and staggering moments are what follows. The first time I watched it, I was left with mixed emotions, but the more I watch it, the better it gets. It's the kind of movie that you can watch over and over and still enjoy the thrill and tension of the core chase, even as you notice small details that you completely missed on earlier viewings.
Which one is your favorite film by the Coen brothers? Call it, friendo.
No Country for Old Men can be rented or purchased on Prime Video.
