Blood Simple

Name: Blood Simple
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: January 18, 1985
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 83
Cast: Frances McDormand, John Getz

1985

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Universal acclaim based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 125 Ratings

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8.1

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8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 125 Ratings

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Blood Simple

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Movie Details & Credits

Circle Films | Release Date: January 18, 1985 | R

Starring: Frances McDormand, John Getz

Summary: Deep in the heart of Texas, a sleazy bar owner suspects his wife of having an affair and hires a private detective to confirm his suspicions—only to have the crosshairs turned back on himself. [Janus Films]

Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 99 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Owen Gleiberman

All in all, Blood Simple looks better than ever. Read full review

100

Staff (Not Credited)

A remarkably assured debut for Coen, formerly assistant editor on The Evil Dead. Read full review

100

Empire Ian Nathan

As black, sinful and nasty as a weekful of Hitchcocks, this is as fresh and intoxicating now as it was back then. In a word: deadly. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

(The Coens have) never again achieved the one-two punch of Blood Simple and "Raising Arizona" - the first darkly cynical, the second light-headedly comical. Read full review

Almar Haflidason

Intriguing, clever, and often surprisingly funny there's plenty to please in this thriller, that remains fresh and original. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

Grisly, stylish and often weirdly funny, Blood Simple is a reminder of how rarely an original artistic sensibility is announced to the world and how much better movies are when that sensibility is allowed to keep going its own way.

Pauline Kael

It’s so derivative that it isn’t a thriller—it’s a crude, ghoulish comedy on thriller themes. The director, Joel Coen, who wrote the screenplay with his brother Ethan, who was the producer, is inventive and amusing when it comes to highly composed camera setups or burying someone alive. But he doesn’t seem to know what to do with the actors; they give their words too much deliberation and weight, and they always look primed for the camera. So they come across as amateurs. Read full review

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User Reviews

geewah

Jan 24, 2021

One of the finest directorial debuts ever.
This is one dark, clever thriller that was a sign of things to come from the talented Coen brothers.
One of 1984's finest movies.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Critic_Tanner

Aug 19, 2015

Blood Simple. 1984 ★★★★

Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Blood Simple.” is an astonishing thriller. Both on a visceral level and on a written one. The characters and plots seem to double back on themselves multiple times in a logical way, and that is what I think is the secret to its total success.Blood Simple. 1984 ★★★★

Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Blood Simple.” is an astonishing thriller. Both on a visceral level and on a written one. The characters and plots seem to double back on themselves multiple times in a logical way, and that is what I think is the secret to its total success. It’s the type of thriller every character does something in front of the audience that seems the most logical, but with each character doing their own thing, things become complicated, and we know and remember who knows what, not because we can know what is happening, but because we want to know.

It should be a compliment to any filmmaker anywhere to know your audience wants to know what its characters know, but even then, somehow, someway, “Blood Simple.” is exceptionally interesting. It’s not a long film, running only 99 minutes, but the movie is kind of one long situation, in three different paths. One involves a Private detective, the girlfriend and her lover. The story is about a cheating wife, whose husband pays a private investigator to watch over her. Once he knows for sure, he makes the decision for him to murder his wife, along with her lover. But things don’t go smoothly. At all. It’s times like these I’d rather not reveal more of the story. But believe me, the story unfolds in an incredibly entertaining way.

The movie is also a neo noir I assume, but the movie is jam packed with rich, superbly quirky dialogue and ingenious plotting that it doesn’t have time to show off its high tech lush camera. But you do see some great light Technics in a bar, the cinematography is not showy, it only does so to be amusing for the audience to know that the filmmakers know what they are doing. It’s kind of a trust thing, confidence in the audience is giving to the filmmakers to try to impress their audience, but sooner or later, they need a story. And boy does “Blood Simple.” have one. It’s utterly fascinating, every character is given rich and dynamic lines that you’ll want to repeat to yourself after the movie’s over.

The best performances of the movie, by the way, are great. Especially from Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh. Hedaya is the kind of actor who doesn’t understand humor, and is always serious, no matter how awkward things get. And Walsh is a very peculiar one. Saying things and laughing as soon as he kills someone. That’s fascinating to me. And “Blood Simple.” has characters like that. Don’t miss it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

NickTheCritick

Nov 2, 2021

When Joel and Ethan Coen go for a noir/western You can be certain that you will never be disappointed. One of the greatest director's debut ever.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

MovieGuys

Jul 11, 2014

Blood Simple, the first Coen brothers film, is a more serious, slow, somber movie whose nuances are the most interesting part of it. The brothers didn't have their signature style yet, so the movie doesn't feel like a Coen brothers film, but it's worth watching if you want to see where JoelBlood Simple, the first Coen brothers film, is a more serious, slow, somber movie whose nuances are the most interesting part of it. The brothers didn't have their signature style yet, so the movie doesn't feel like a Coen brothers film, but it's worth watching if you want to see where Joel and Ethan made their start.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

mbeckford

Nov 2, 2020

The Coen brothers introduced their brilliant style of filmmaking with their debut "Blood Simple." Their movies are typically violent and gritty, and often comedic (not much comedy here though), "Blood Simple" starts as a simple tale (pun intended) of revenge that spirals in all the wrongThe Coen brothers introduced their brilliant style of filmmaking with their debut "Blood Simple." Their movies are typically violent and gritty, and often comedic (not much comedy here though), "Blood Simple" starts as a simple tale (pun intended) of revenge that spirals in all the wrong ways. And it introduces us to Frances "freaking" McDormand!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

BillC

Aug 29, 2009

A movie that doesn't follow a set pattern and you never know what is next. Bravo!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

poopoopeepee666

May 1, 2021

this is possibly the worst waste of time i have ever had the pain to endure. it’s just five hours of pure, unadulterated dog feces. oh wait- it’s only an hour and a half? i stand by what i said. i have absolutely no clue as to what demographic this movie is for. it’s boring, depressing, andthis is possibly the worst waste of time i have ever had the pain to endure. it’s just five hours of pure, unadulterated dog feces. oh wait- it’s only an hour and a half? i stand by what i said. i have absolutely no clue as to what demographic this movie is for. it’s boring, depressing, and so predictable it hurts. i created an account SOLELY to post this review.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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