Barton Fink

R

Released Aug 1, 1991

1 hr. 56 min.

Drama

List

90%

67 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Set in 1941, an intellectual New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) accepts an offer to write movie scripts in L.A. He finds himself with writer's block when required to do a B-movie script. His neighbor tries to help, but he continues to struggle as a bizarre sequence of events distracts him.

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Critics Consensus

Twisty and unsettling, the Coen brothers' satirical tale of a 1940s playwright struggling with writer's block is packed with their trademark sense of humor and terrific performances from its cast.

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Audience Member

The subject matter of this movie actually interested me more than I thought it would and the Coen brothers normally make awesome movies. John Turturro acts great, along with the supporting cast members who are the big Hollywood producers and writers. The film gets really interesting at a certain point when Mr. Fink wakes up next to a big surprise dead female body in his bed, which almost convinces you is a dream. John Goodman did well with his role too and his ability to make facial expressions that stand out, however I didn't like how they handled the closure of his character. I felt like they could've provided him with a better ending and one that was less ambiguous/made more sense. The very end of the movie with him on the beach though was a beautiful scene. I might rewatch it one day and I like and love other Coen brothers movies a lot better, but this works well enough!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/25/24

Full Review

Aender S

Usually I like films by the Coen brothers, but this one was too unnerving for me, in a negative way.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

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Alec C

The Coen Brothers add their slick signature to this surreal story of writer's block! Quirky one minute then macabre the next, we get hit in the gut by both barrels. Leaves us fascinated, but also a bit unsure of what the heck we just watched!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/20/23

Full Review

Mark M

Wow - what a ride. For my money this is John Turturo at his finest. The existentialism decorated within the seemingly shallow storyline creates a spectacle that kept me on the edge of my seat. Call me Brad Pitt in 'Seven' because I was screaming "What's in the box?!?"

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/19/23

Full Review

David H

Not quite as good as some Coën Brothers films, but not bad. It sort of goes off the rails at some point, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/14/23

Full Review

christina b

For those who said the movie is boring without a plot… I feel sorry for you. Because you entirely missed every message of this masterpiece

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/23

Full Review

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Joel Coen

Director

John Turturro

Barton Fink

John Goodman

Charlie Meadows

Judy Davis

Audrey Taylor

Michael Lerner

Jack Lipnick

John Mahoney

W.P. Mayhew

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Barton Fink is one for the record books.

Apr 6, 2020

Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

It's at its best when young Barton Fink simply stares at a picture of a bathing beauty contemplating the ocean -- a Hollywood dream.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 16, 2013

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

This is easily the best film about Hollywood that the Coens made, which is saying something.

Feb 22, 2024

Full Review

Elisa Guimarães

Collider

...what truly makes the hallway scene in Barton Fink so terrifying is not just its imagery, but what it represents in the grand scheme of the plot...

Jan 31, 2024

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Barton Fink seems to be the best film of the year... but it dissolves without leaving a trace, turning into the biggest deception of the year. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 8, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Set in 1941, an intellectual New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) accepts an offer to write movie scripts in L.A. He finds himself with writer's block when required to do a B-movie script. His neighbor tries to help, but he continues to struggle as a bizarre sequence of events distracts him.

Director: Joel Coen
Executive Producer: Ben Barenholtz, Bill Durkin, Jim Pedas, Ted Pedas
Screenwriter: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Circle Films, Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 1991, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.7M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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