The world of filmmaking has many iconic directors. Most of them work solo, though, and don’t want another person sitting in the director’s chair. That’s not the case for Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The two brothers have worked together as a team for decades. They keep creating new movies, many of which become classics in time. There are very few brother duos in Hollywood and even fewer of those who can make excellent films.
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Ethan and Joel Coen have been directing feature films together since the 1980s. Since that time, they have built a unique directing style. Their movies are easily recognizable and a lot of them have gained high ratings on Metacritic.
10Intolerable Cruelty (2003) - 71
Despite its name, watchingIntolerable Crueltyisn’t intolerably cruel toward the audience. Instead, viewers will enjoy a complex story full of subtle humor.The film stars George Clooneyand Catherine Zeta-Jones as two people who engage in a complicated battle. Clooney plays a divorce lawyer and Zeta-Jones portrays the wife of his newest client. The chemistry works brilliantly between the main actors and many scenes between them are comedy gold.
9Hail, Caesar! (2016) - 72
Not every director has the courage to make fun of Hollywood, but the Coen brothers did exactly that inHail, Caesar!The film shows Hollywood as a strange placefull of even stranger people. It doesn’t have a united storyline. Instead, it gives space to multiple characters whose paths meet from time to time. The film is full of humorous moments and famous actors, such as George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, and Channing Tatum.
8The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) - 73
The Coen brothers like to tell stories taking place in the past. Besides the age of the Wild West, they also seem to prefer the 1940s. The story ofThe Man Who Wasn’t Thereoccurs in 1949. Billy Bob Thornton plays Ed Crane, a man who works as a hairdresser and has very few things to be happy about. The Coen brothers, once again, worked with Frances McDormand on this film, and all actors were excellent in it. Unlike other films from the brothers,The Man Who Wasn’t Thereis black and white, which makes it even more intriguing to watch, setting the tone for the period.
One noticeable pattern in the Coen brothers' filmography is thatthey often make westerns. In their work, however, they offer their own interpretation of the saturated genre.The Ballad of Buster Scruggsis, so far, the directing duo’s latest film, and it’s once again a unique western.
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The film has six parts and works as an anthology. Each part tells a different story about the Wild West. The good news is that even if the audience doesn’t like one story, it will end sooner or later, and a new one will begin.
6True Grit (2010) - 80
The Coen brothers rarely make remakes of older films, butTrue Gritis an exception to this rule. It works with the same story asTrue Gritfrom 1969. However, the newer version offers its own spin on the story. A young girl, Matilda, wants to get revenge for her father’s murder. She hires the marshal Rooster Cogburn who likes to shoot almost as much as a drink. The film has many great actors, such as Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, as well as theyoung Hailee Steinfeld who played Matilda.
5Blood Simple (1985) - 82
Blood Simpleis one of the oldest films the Coen brothers worked on together,which released in 1985. As a result, it’s not as well-known as some of their other films. The film’s main hero, a bar owner named Marty, discovers his wife has an ongoing affair with the bartender, Ray. Marty hires a private detective to get rid of the lovers, but things don’t go according to plan. Despite its age, the film has many traits typical for the Coen brothers' films.It’s surprising, has a unique sense of humor, and it’s clever from start to finish.
4A Serious Man (2009) - 84
Despite its high rating,A Serious Manhasn’t become as iconic as other films from the Coen brothers. Its main hero, Larry, struggles with making sense of his life. His wife wants to leave him, his son has problems, and his brother is sleeping on his couch.
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Larry seeks advice from several different rabbis, even though it may not sound like it based on the description,A Serious Manis, in fact, a comedy, and one that has many hilarious moments.
3Fargo (1996) - 85
When a film ends up getting a TV retelling, it’s usually because it’s an excellent movie.Fargois no exception. The crime thriller became the most popular Coen Brothers film, and it’s now a classic. William H. Macy played a car salesman who has debts. To solve the problem, he decides to hire two criminals to kidnap his wife. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan. All actors gave excellent performances, even thoughFrances McDormand as the pregnant investigator, Marge Gunderson, stands out even among the top-tier cast.
2No Country For Old Men (2007) - 91
No Country for Old Mengave Javier Bardem one of his most iconic roles. Bardem portrayed the merciless professional assassin Anton Chigurh. Even though he didn’t have the leading role, he stole for himself every scene he appeared him. The film focused on Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss, who found a suitcase in the desert with two million dollars inside. From there on, things went very wrong, very fast. All actors in this gave excellent performances. The film won four Academy Awards, including one for best film and another for best directors.
1Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - 93
The highest-rated film on Metacritic from the Coen brothers is the 2013 Oscar Isaac movie,Inside Llewyn Davis. Isaac plays the lead role of a talented but unsuccessful musician who struggles to build his career. The film also stars Carey Mulligan as Jean, a young woman Llewyn had gotten pregnant. The critics praised the tone of the film as well as the performances within.Inside Llewyn Daviseven got the must-see stamp from the critics, and the film was nominated for two Academy Awards.
