Blood Simple

R

Released Jul 7, 1984

1h 37m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

List

94%

Tomatometer

111 Reviews

88%

Audience Score

25,000+ Ratings

"Blood Simple" was the first feature film from Joel and Ethan Coen. This is the newly restored and re-edited director's cut of the film, introduced by Mortimer Young. The stylish crime thriller premiered at film festivals in 1984. "Blood Simple" begins deep in the heart of Texas, where a jealous saloon owner hires a cheap divorce detective to kill the saloon owner's younger wife and her bartender lover. But the detective gets a better idea: he follows the two lovers, and...

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Critics Consensus

Brutally violent and shockingly funny in equal measure, Blood Simple offers early evidence of the Coen brothers' twisted sensibilities and filmmaking ingenuity.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Blood Simple is entirely self-concious, and good for it.

Dec 6, 2022

Full Review

Adam Nayman

The Ringer

What holds up best about Blood Simple, besides its vice-tight plotting and the rotten charisma of M. Emmet Walsh's evil, manipulative private eye Visser, is the sheer exuberance of the Coens's visual style.

Apr 15, 2019

Full Review

Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Blood Simple is a reminder that the Coens are formalist film-makers first, with keen noses for composition and taut, structured storytelling, as well as masters of black comedy.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 8, 2017

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Bodies are shot, stabbed, dragged, and buried, blood is spilled and wiped up, evidence planted, swiped, and swapped, and nobody really knows what the story is. Except the audience, and we’re generally a beat behind.

Apr 6, 2024

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Blood Simple not only put the Coens on the map but guaranteed that cinema would never again be the same.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 7, 2024

Full Review

Dimitris Passas

PopMatters

The debut neo-noir feature film by the brothers Ethan and Joel Coen is perhaps their most enchanting work. Blood Simple remains loyal to the classic noir tradition while evolving the genre’s prototypical narrative structure.

Nov 28, 2023

Full Review

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michael g

This was the only one of their films I'd never seen. No surprise, though. The brothers demonstrated their brilliance right from the start.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/26/24

Full Review

Brad M

Cool old movie. It's def. Worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/24

Full Review

John J P

Overrated. I get it that it's Coen brothers, Frances McDormand, and the guy the Fly vomited on. Onbe of the sparest scripts I can ever imagine. ten minutes of screen time in silence. To me, it's a run of the mill kill your horrible husband movie. The acting is meh. The directing is meh. The lighting, everything is just, meh. 96% Tomato rating? Nonsense.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

Full Review

Salvador Z

This strange movie is the Coen brother’s first project, so even though it’s not great, I’ll cut them some slack. It has its moments but I was bored a lot.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/24/24

Full Review

ron b

This skillful low budget film shows you why the Coens earned the trust of the studios and their lasting success.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

Full Review

Dani G

There's a reason why this film is a cult classic. Simple but efficient, a great opera prima from the Coens

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/22/24

Full Review

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Joel Coen

Director

John Getz

Ray

Frances McDormand

Abby

M. Emmet Walsh

Private Detective

Dan Hedaya

Julian Marty

Samm-Art Williams

Meurice

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Synopsis

"Blood Simple" was the first feature film from Joel and Ethan Coen. This is the newly restored and re-edited director's cut of the film, introduced by Mortimer Young. The stylish crime thriller premiered at film festivals in 1984. "Blood Simple" begins deep in the heart of Texas, where a jealous saloon owner hires a cheap divorce detective to kill the saloon owner's younger wife and her bartender lover. But the detective gets a better idea: he follows the two lovers, and...

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Distributor: USA Films
Production Co: River Road
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 7, 1984, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 1, 2016
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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