Fargo

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Fargo

R

Released Mar 15, 1996

1h 37m

Comedy

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

"Fargo" is a reality-based crime drama set in Minnesota in 1987. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has gotten himself into debt and is so desperate for money that he hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi), (Peter Stormare) to kidnap his own wife. Jerry will collect the ransom from her wealthy father (Harve Presnell), paying the thugs a small portion and keeping the rest to satisfy his debts. The scheme collapses when the thugs shoot a state trooper.

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Critics Consensus

Violent, quirky, and darkly funny, Fargo delivers an original crime story and a wonderful performance by McDormand.

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

The North Dakota setting is icily evocative, the supporting characters perfectly pitched (remember Marge's old flame Mike Yanagita?), while the air of sadness that blankets the film like snow adds genuine profundity.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 14, 2021

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Its brilliance [lies] in making the forces of law and order look as interesting and funny as the bad guys.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 10, 2021

Full Review

Danny Leigh

Financial Times

McDormand aside, the secret might be the perfect pitch of the black comedy, the two elements in rare harmony.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 9, 2021

Full Review

Tom Ryan

The Sunday Age

Immaculately plotted, beautifully written and superbly shot by British cinematography Roger Deakins, a longtime Coen collaborator, Fargo is a treasure.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 16, 2024

Full Review

Sarah Cortinaz

InSession Film

Fargo begins with a thunderous orchestral score by Carter Burwell as it beckons the audience towards the tragic events that are about to unfold.

Rated: A+

Apr 23, 2024

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

Fargo is a masterwork, one of the best films we’ve ever gotten to dissect the uneasy balance behind good and evil in a world where everyone might come across as nice.

Feb 22, 2024

Full Review

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Totally Legal A

One of the greatest movies of all time; got robbed at the Oscars because Joel just had to flash that it was “Based on a true story” before the opening, should have won best picture over The Boring English Patient (one of Ray Finnes’ worst works) as well as best original screenplay once again because Joel thought no one would believe the Coen Brother’s brilliant script and tale, that one opening statement may have very well set film making back; trust your gut; if you have an original story and idea own it, if you pawn it off on “a true story” no one has time to research that basically one time a guy tried to use a wood chipper to get rid of a body, takes up about 3 min of the film, smh; to date still the Coen’s masterpiece and solidified them as national treasures.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/25

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Torben B

Classic and a must-watch film !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/25

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John E

I finally watched this rave reviewed movie last night Jan 11, 2025 - can't see what anybody likes about it. Unbelievable characters especially the bad guy kidnapper, killers. These Coen Brothers have a very sick, insulting view of regular folks in North Dakota, Minnesota - like everyone is a dumb Ted Knight character from the Old Marry Tyler Moore Show. There are no nice, characters to identify with except the woman police officer from Brainard MN - everyone around her is weird, stupid, difunctional like a SCTV character from "Great White North".

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/13/25

Full Review

Filmy M

Ok - I watched this as a teen…. So everything is down hill from there, I know. But… this is my favourite film. I said it. A simple murder story mixed with complex, amazing cinematography and dialogue. All characters are believable topped off by the amazing Margie (FMcD). This is a beautiful masterpiece, please watch it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

Audience Member

A genuine masterpiece with a lot of heart. I feel as though movies today try far too hard at making a convoluted plot to mess with the viewer. This movie has nothing to hide, no tricks to pull, and yet it doesn’t hold your hand neither. You just go on this ride. And I think It is arguably a better movie because of it. We see how everything takes place and how we got from point A to point B in a perfectly linear timeline. If there is a film that should be shown to aspiring filmmakers, it’s definitely this one. 5/5 stars. As far as I’ve seen, the Coen’s never disappoint.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/06/25

Full Review

Eric P

Probably one of my top 10 or top 15 fav. movies of all time. I am slightly nostolgic for 90s movies, but I watched this again a few months ago (for prob. the 5th time...10th time?) and it's still amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

Full Review

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Joel Coen

Director

Frances McDormand

Marge Gunderson

Steve Buscemi

Carl Showalter

William H. Macy

Jerry Lundegaard

Peter Stormare

Gaear Grimsrud

Harve Presnell

Wade Gustafson

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Fargo: Official Clip - Pancakes

0:55

Fargo: Official Clip - Whoa, Daddy

3:41

Fargo: Official Clip - A Little Bit of Money

2:01

Fargo: Official Clip - Fake Phone Call

1:29

Fargo: Official Clip - Lundegaard's Dealership

1:54

Fargo: Official Clip - Carl and the Parking Attendant

1:04

Fargo: Official Clip - Officer Lou's Police Work

1:40

Fargo: Official Clip - The Wood Chipper

1:55

Fargo: Official Clip - A Finder's Fee

3:31

Fargo: Official Clip - Morning Sickness

2:09

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Synopsis

"Fargo" is a reality-based crime drama set in Minnesota in 1987. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has gotten himself into debt and is so desperate for money that he hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi), (Peter Stormare) to kidnap his own wife. Jerry will collect the ransom from her wealthy father (Harve Presnell), paying the thugs a small portion and keeping the rest to satisfy his debts. The scheme collapses when the thugs shoot a state trooper.

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
Production Co: Gramercy Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: R (Sexuality|Language|Strong Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 15, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.5M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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