Fargo

Play trailer

Fargo

R

1996

1h 37m

Comedy

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

06/14/2021

5/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

06/10/2021

5/5

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

Go to Full Review

Danny Leigh

Financial Times

06/09/2021

5/5

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

Go to Full Review

Jon Negroni

Thank God for Movies

Mar 9

10/10

30 years after the Cutlass emerged from the blizzard, Fargo is still the most honest American movie I know about the relationship between small human failure and catastrophic harm.

Go to Full Review

Adrian Martin

Film Critic: Adrian Martin

Jul 30

4/5

I think the film is a very careful meditation on what moral position can be meaningfully, intelligently taken, in this mad, apocalyptic world of ours.

Go to Full Review

Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Mar 27

4/5

A memorable black comedy that, without a doubt, stands out as one of the best within the Coen brothers' impressive filmography. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Ryan L

Jan 8

One of the greatest movies ever made.

See more

Wes

01/16/2025

This is such a fun movie by the Coen brothers. It is a slice of local color and black comedy.

See more

Eleanor H.

@hellacornyfeats 2d

2x 150 gummies, rum n coke, beernuts. awesome atmospheric feel/felt very human/would recommend/classic/unique vibes/good Tuesday evening watch

See more

Alfie M

@RT72569843 5d

I desperately wish Joel Coen leaned into the darker side of this film, instead of trying to use Bucemi for comedic relief. Peter Stormare is a breath of fresh air here, and was compelling throughout. Coen should've have much more darker storytelling. I do appreciate this films simplicity, it's raw, gritty and engaging throughout. Bucemi and Stormare absolutely make this, and wish we had more of them. While I understand Coen's use of awkward dialogue is to make it natural, sometimes it's a little bit too distracting. Fargo is engaging, and Coen is by-far the better brother. His direction is far better than much of Ethan's work, and overall creates more enjoyable films.

See more

Iambydefault

@johnhughesmuse Mar 10

Seriously awesome. I love this movie. So good.

See more

Gord W

@Grudmam Mar 9

Aw jeez. Get ready for Oh Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya. 181 times is enough to drive a man to stuff someone in a wood chipper.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Joel Coen

Director

Frances McDormand

Marge Gunderson

Steve Buscemi

Carl Showalter

William H. Macy

Jerry Lundegaard

Peter Stormare

Gaear Grimsrud

Harve Presnell

Wade Gustafson

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

View more videos

Suicide Kings

34%

74%

Suicide Kings

Watchlist

Devil in a Blue Dress

92%

71%

Devil in a Blue Dress

Watchlist

The Negotiator

75%

79%

The Negotiator

Watchlist

Cop Land

75%

67%

Cop Land

Watchlist

Jackie Brown

88%

85%

Jackie Brown

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

87 Fearless Women Movie Heroes Who Inspire Us

The 8 Best Ways to Turn a Movie into an Amazing TV Series

Rank The Freshest Movies of the 1990s

View more photos

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)

Most Popular at Home Now