Blood Simple

"An impressive directorial debut from Joel Coen and also Frances McDormand’s first screen performance of her career! It’s always cool to see the early work of people who are now considered masters of their craft."

"Tried this film on a flight after reading some suggestions. For a movie from the 80s, it aged really well cinematically (is that a word?) It's paced a bit on the slower side but turned out to be a good noir. It's not Fargo, but it's good."

"It is a thriller yes but even in scenes with crime and action I couldn't feel the "hype of the action scene" but rather than that, I felt overwhelmed with the thoughts of "what happens next""

"When it comes to the Cohen bros, I expect nothing but cinematic greatness, and this film is one of many that embodies that greatness. Honestly, I can see this as a "prototype" Fargo. It has all the dark humor, twists, turns, and great tension building that is present in all of Cohen Bros films. This entry is one of their darker ones but also one of their more fast paced ones as well. I thought the cast was great, especially with their comedic timing. I love how this film balances the thriller to comedy ratio. Also, the cinematography is some of the cleanest I've seen out of their films. The story was a simple revenge story gone wrong but the Cohen Brothers do a great job of paying attention to detail through their camerawork that gives you hints on what might happen next. This was overall a fun watch and worth watching multiple times. "

"A minimalistic, slow-burn, suspenseful drama, full of style, that is seemingly exclusive to the Coen Brothers. There were a few really slick cuts as well. I've believed for a very long time in the concept of function over form, and it appears the brothers take a similar approach when it comes to their forte, even while their form is top-notch. Personally, one of the only good things that came from the mostly unnecessary lock-downs was my Turner Classic Movie binge, yet somehow, I still managed to avoid/neglect this movie. Please don't hate me for being non-dutiful. I should have watched this decades ago. If you are one of the many fans of the Coen brothers, I dutifully recommend this debut."

"What a classic! "

"One of the Coen brothers best! Frances McDormand’s best roles. Dark and gritty"

"1984. The first film by Joel and Ethan Coen."

"Great movie, keeps you guessing "

"If you haven’t seen this movie, have you really seen any movies made in the last 30 yr? "