Ever since bursting onto the scene with Blood Simple in 1984, the Coen Brothers have been steadily establishing themselves as among the most imaginative, creative, and unique directors in the industry. With a penchant for combining compelling and thrilling narratives with an undercurrent of pitch-black humor, the pair have a total of 18 feature films under their belt as a directing duo. Like many directors, they have built a close-knit team of frequent collaborators, including John Goodman, George Clooney, Steve Buscemi, and Frances McDormand.
Frances McDormand made her feature film debut in the Coen Brothers’ directorial debut, Blood Simple. It was around the same time that she married Joel Coen. The multi-Oscar-winning actress has since gone on to appear in eight of the brothers’ movies. She also appeared in The Tragedy of Macbeth, which was Joel Coen’s first project without the cooperation of his brother.
Here, we’re looking at every movie directed by the Coen Brothers that Frances McDormand has appeared in and ranking them.
8
‘The Man Who Wasn’t There’ (2001)
Billy Bob Thornton delivers a masterfully nuanced performance as a withdrawn, small-town barber. After suspecting his wife (played by Frances McDormand) of having an affair, he devises a plan to blackmail her lover in order to raise the funds needed to invest in an exciting new business prospect.
The Coen Brothers Put Their Unique Spin on the Noir Genre
Shot in black and white, The Man Who Wasn’t There lovingly pays homage to the classic noir films of yesteryear by including hallmark elements like introspective voiceover narration and McDormand’s femme fatale character. The brothers put their own spin on the genre, though, by subverting certain expectations. The story is taken out of the typical gritty, urban setting and relocated to a sunny small town in California, the jazzy score is replaced with slow, melancholic classical music, and the whole thing is injected with a dash of the Coen Brothers’ trademark dark humor and absurdism.
The resulting film feels joyfully familiar to fans of noir cinema while still seeming fresh and distinctly Coen-esque. The movie was a hit with critics and audiences alike and currently holds an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%.
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7
‘Hail, Caesar!’ (2016)
Set in the 1950s, Hail, Caesar! is a fictional story based on the real-life Eddie Mannix, a studio fixer who spends his days covering up scandals and keeping unruly stars in check. The story revolves around the troubles he faces when Hollywood superstar Baird Whitlock is kidnapped by a mysterious group calling themselves “The Future.”
‘Hail, Caesar!’ Is Both a Love Letter to and a Biting Critique of Hollywood’s Golden Age
This satirical dark comedy plays out like a love letter to 1950s Hollywood, with its lavish musical numbers, period-accurate aesthetics, and noir-inspired intrigue. At the same time, it playfully pokes fun at the excesses, eccentricities, and behind-the-scenes chaos that shaped the era. A meta-commentary on a time period the Coen Brothers are clearly deeply fond of, Hail, Caesar! features an all-star cast, including George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, and Frances McDormand as film editor C.C. Calhoun—an homage to female film cutters of the era, including Dede Allen and Margaret Booth.
6
‘Burn After Reading’ (2008)
Burn After Reading is a hilarious dark comedy that follows two bumbling gym employees who discover the memoirs of an ex-CIA analyst. Mistaking the memoirs for classified government documents, they embark on a ridiculous mission filled with outrageous misadventures in an attempt to profit from their find.
The Coen Brothers Excel in Creating Memorable Characters
From George Clooney’s portrayal of a womanizing U.S. Marshal to the two dimwitted gym employees, played by Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt, the Coen Brothers shine, as usual, in creating a cast of intriguing, eccentric, and memorable characters. Burn After Reading cleverly brings all these characters together in unexpected ways through a sharp, interwoven story that revels in its nihilistic absurdity.
5
‘Blood Simple’ (1984)
Blood Simple
- Release Date
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October 12, 1984
- Runtime
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96 Minutes
The pair’s first feature-length movie still remains among their finest. After a Texas bar owner discovers that one of his employees has been having an affair with his wife (played by McDormand in her impressive feature film debut), he puts a hit out on the couple.
A Sign of Things to Come
Blood Simple is a tense neo-noir thriller that laid the groundwork for future Coen Brothers and Frances McDormand masterpieces. A visually mesmerizing, gripping tale of suspense and violence with an undercurrent of dark humor—albeit more subtle and restrained than in their later works—Blood Simple offers early evidence of the Coen Brothers’ warped sensibilities, knack for imaginative and unique filmmaking, and McDormand’s commanding screen presence.
4
‘Barton Fink’ (1991)
Barton Fink
- Release Date
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August 1, 1991
- Runtime
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116 minutes
Set in the 1940s, the crux of Barton Fink’s plot revolves around the titular young New York City playwright with writer’s block and his increasingly bizarre interactions with his insurance salesman neighbor in a run-down hotel. Leaning into the realms of arthouse and postmodern cinema, Barton Fink is full of literary allusions and religious overtones, as audiences bear witness to the troubled writer gradually losing his grip on reality.
‘Barton Fink’ Is Less Accessible
John Turturro and John Goodman deliver powerhouse performances as the writer and the neighbor, respectively, with Frances McDormand making a small appearance as a stage actress. Despite struggling to resonate with mainstream audiences and bombing at the box office, it remains one of the Coen Brothers’ most critically successful films, scoring 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning three Academy Award nominations.
3
‘Miller’s Crossing’ (1990)
The Coen Brothers’ first and only attempt at a classic gangster movie just so happens to be one of the finest gangster films of all time. Miller’s Crossing gives you everything you want and expect from a great gangster flick while still remaining unquestionably a Coen Brothers movie. Set during Prohibition, it follows a scheming mob enforcer caught between two warring mob bosses. By focusing more on the internal struggles of its characters, the Coen Brothers add an element of unpredictability and psychological tension to the existing gangster movie formula.
The Coen Brothers Cast Friends and Family in Minor Roles
With Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney taking on the lead roles, the Coens cast family and friends in minor parts. This included their good friend Sam Raimi, who appears as the snickering gunman at the siege of the Sons of Erin social club, and Joel Coen’s wife, Frances McDormand, who appears as the mayor’s secretary.
2
‘Raising Arizona’ (1987)
Quite possibly the quirkiest and most upbeat movie of the Coen Brothers’ career—and arguably their funniest—Raising Arizona follows the chain of events set in motion when an ex-con and his wife kidnap a child in an attempt to start a family.
‘Raising Arizona’ Combines Slapstick and Absurdism with Dark Comedy
The Coen Brothers somehow successfully turn a dark story about kidnapping and desperation into a laugh-out-loud comedy romp. Nicolas Cage steals the show with his outlandish portrayal of the kidnapping ex-con, delivering a performance that verges on slapstick. Similarly, John Goodman and Frances McDormand add a layer of over-the-top absurdity to the proceedings as his unruly and unpredictable acquaintances.
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1
‘Fargo’ (1994)
Fargo
- Release Date
-
April 5, 1996
- Runtime
-
98 Minutes
Long before the successful television series, the Coen Brothers delivered one of the greatest dark comedies of all time. Frances McDormand stars as a pregnant police chief investigating a bizarre triple homicide in a remote, snow-covered Minnesota town.
The film is a dark and suspenseful crime thriller that carries a generous dose of deadpan humor and quirky characters. This blend of suspense and hilarity creates a narrative that keeps audiences riveted while consistently surprising them with moments of absurdity and sharp wit.
Frances McDormand Won an Oscar for Her Outstanding Performance
The Coen Brothers have earned their place as cinematic maestros, excelling in both twisty dark thrillers like No Country for Old Men and hilarious, irreverent comedies like The Big Lebowski. Fargo lands in the perfect spot between the two, showcasing the directing duo’s ability to seamlessly merge these seemingly opposing genres.
The movie also provides the perfect platform for Frances McDormand to showcase her versatility as an actress, delivering a performance that masterfully blends heart, emotion, and warmth with wit and dry humor. Her performance is among the finest ever committed to film, setting the stage for her to become the highly celebrated and respected actress she is today—and earning her an Oscar for Best Actress in the process.
