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

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Gábor N

I first saw this movie back in 2004 when I was 17 years old and I absolutely did not like it. Now I watched it again after 20 years passed and I must say it is a masterpiece! The acting (especially Macy), the shooting, the story, the atmosphere are all masterclass. I think this is the kind of movie you need to grow up and mature a bit to really see and appreciate its quality.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/11/24

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William B

This movie is a top notch 4 star movie. The drama is thick, the story is good and the cold northern cinametography is excellent for it's location and the feel it portrays. It's not a block buster, it's a really good movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

Full Review

Robert S

Yeah, this movie is really, really good, yeah? Love It! Frances McDonald, Peter Stormare, everybody is great. And, being from the PNW, I get the ND/Minn setting, because so many of my friends and neighbors were from there, doncha know!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

Full Review

David d

Movie is boring. Some people like movies because they fancy that they *have to* because they have to be cool and liking a particular movie is part of the cool club. I count Tarantino movies in this group. it's SLOW" Francis McDormands' accent is nails on a chalk board. I'm not even from northern middle America or Canada... where I imagine they really dislike accents that are fake that are supposed to be theirs. I'm from Boston where they also take on fake accents in movies... The guy who plays the car salesman is really unlikeable and I never liked him as an actor from the beginning... The movie just sucks. The people who think it's good are just wrong

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/30/24

Full Review

Rosen K

This is by far one of the most boring movies I have ever seen in my entire life, so much so that it prompted me to make an account here and say it. I watched it while having dinner, lost my appetite, stood up and started doing the laundry. Then I poured my beer in the sink and went to bed. My wife (who picked the movie) thinks I'm mad at her, but in reality this movie is so astoundingly mind-numbing it felt like a lobotomy.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/17/24

Full Review

3D W

The characters and dialogue were amazing. You could tell what the characters were feeling without them telling you. The movie had me at the edge of my seat and even brought me to tears.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/17/24

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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