Blood Simple
Rent/Purchase
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
What critics thought
The Coen Brothers' debut arrived nearly fully formed, with critics marveling at the visual invention and dark wit on display from first-time filmmakers. The film is praised less for its noir plot mechanics than for the specific, unsettling texture it wrings from them — the dread of incomplete knowledge, of evidence that won't stay hidden. Even Pauline Kael, who found the story crude and ghoulish, conceded that M. Emmet Walsh's performance was something special.
“Black humor, abundant originality and a brilliant visual style make Joel Coen's Blood Simple a directorial debut of extraordinary promise.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
“A lot has been written about the visual style of Blood Simple, but I think the appeal of the movie is more elementary. It keys into three common nightmares: (1) You clean and clean, but there's still blood all over the place; (2) You know you have committed a murder, but you are not sure quite how or why; (3) You know you have forgotten a small detail that will eventually get you into a lot of trouble.”
Chicago Sun-Times
“a crude, ghoulish story with thriller themes”
Pauline Kael·The New Yorker
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJoel Coen
StarringJohn Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams, M. Emmet Walsh
ComposerCarter Burwell
Blood Simple
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
What critics thought
The Coen Brothers' debut arrived nearly fully formed, with critics marveling at the visual invention and dark wit on display from first-time filmmakers. The film is praised less for its noir plot mechanics than for the specific, unsettling texture it wrings from them — the dread of incomplete knowledge, of evidence that won't stay hidden. Even Pauline Kael, who found the story crude and ghoulish, conceded that M. Emmet Walsh's performance was something special.
“Black humor, abundant originality and a brilliant visual style make Joel Coen's Blood Simple a directorial debut of extraordinary promise.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
“A lot has been written about the visual style of Blood Simple, but I think the appeal of the movie is more elementary. It keys into three common nightmares: (1) You clean and clean, but there's still blood all over the place; (2) You know you have committed a murder, but you are not sure quite how or why; (3) You know you have forgotten a small detail that will eventually get you into a lot of trouble.”
Chicago Sun-Times
“a crude, ghoulish story with thriller themes”
Pauline Kael·The New Yorker
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJoel Coen
StarringJohn Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams, M. Emmet Walsh
ComposerCarter Burwell
Rent/Purchase