Review of Blood Simple (1985) by Kenneth L — 16 Jun 2010
Boy, do I love me some Coen brothers. This was their first film, and it's not their best, but it's still darn good. Like Fargo and No Country for Old Men, it's about a single crime that quickly spins out of control into bloody chaos.
I don't throw the word "heart-pounding" around a lot (in fact I don't think I've ever used it in a review), but I could definitely feel my heart pound in scenes of this movie, particularly the climax.
The movie is great at building tension like few others are (Inglourious Basterds comes to mind). It creates that wonderful, nervous feeling you get when characters misunderstand what's happened, but we in the audience know.
The acting by John Getz, Frances McDormand, and Dan Hedaya is all fine, but M. Emmet Walsh definitely steals the show as the slimy detective. The cinematography holds up much better than you might expect for a mid-80s movie.
I like the Coens more and more with each of their movies I see.
This review of Blood Simple (1985) was written by Kenneth L on 16 Jun 2010.
Blood Simple has generally received very positive reviews.
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