O Brother, Where Art Thou?

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O Brother, Where Art Thou?

PG-13

Released Dec 22, 2000

1h 46m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

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156 Reviews

89%

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250,000+ Ratings

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is having difficulty adjusting to his hard-labor sentence in Mississippi. He scams his way off the chain gang with simple Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and maladjusted Pete (John Turturro), then the trio sets out to pursue freedom and the promise of a fortune in buried treasure. With nothing to lose and still in shackles, their hasty run takes them on an incredible journey of awesome experiences and colorful characters.

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Critics Consensus

Though not as good as Coen brothers' classics, the delightfully loopy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still a lot of fun.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Teens might enjoy this offbeat Odyssey adaptation.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 26, 2010

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

After making what are still probably their two best features, the Coen brothers came up with their worst, a piece of pop nihilism.

Nov 7, 2007

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Great dialogue, superb 'Scope camerawork from Roger Deakins, and a genuinely wondrous deus ex machina are among the delights.

Jan 26, 2006

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Conor Bryce

Film Ireland Magazine

This eccentric, moonshine-soaked ode to old-timey joy feels like home to me.

Mar 24, 2025

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is probably not the first film that one thinks of when it comes to George Clooney or the Coen brothers but it's still a pretty fun satire and masterpiece over 23 years later.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 24, 2023

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Simply the Coens luxuriating in a period setting and having a great time.

Rated: B+

Sep 3, 2022

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Marce S

Massively underrated film. One of my favorite movies of all time with rememberable characters, even the side characters, beautiful coloring and cinematography, a lot of fun, good music and good vibes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/13/25

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Wyatt K.

A classic movie with fun personalities and a great take on the Odyssey.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

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grain j

Everything about this movie was great

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

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Gareth v

A brilliantly offbeat blend of mythology, Americana, and bluegrass, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one of the Coen Brothers’ most distinctive and rewarding films. One of 2000's best movies.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

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Mitch B

This is my favorite comedy of all time. The humor, the characters, the journey, was all a lot of fun. Everett Mcgill is a first rate character portrayed by a first rate actor in George Clooney. I loved the retro feel, the feeling of being transported to a seemingly simplier time was a lot of fun to me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/30/25

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Scott J

A cult classic. One of the few movies that I want to own and have already seen multiple times

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/24/25

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Joel Coen

Director

George Clooney

Everett Ulysses McGill

John Turturro

Pete Hogwallop

Tim Blake Nelson

Delmar O'Donnel

John Goodman

Big Dan Teague

Holly Hunter

Penny

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Synopsis

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) is having difficulty adjusting to his hard-labor sentence in Mississippi. He scams his way off the chain gang with simple Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) and maladjusted Pete (John Turturro), then the trio sets out to pursue freedom and the promise of a fortune in buried treasure. With nothing to lose and still in shackles, their hasty run takes them on an incredible journey of awesome experiences and colorful characters.

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures, Universal Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Mike Zoss Productions, Working Title Films, Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, Le Studio Canal +, Buena Vista Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $45.5M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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