A film where the director's talent is undeniable yet unrefined. Some odd character choices and a few logical stretches are not enough to tank the film as it is watchable and interesting.
Watched “Blood Simple.” Catching up on remaining titles in the Coen Brothers canon.
It’s a paradigm of the chaos-narrative that would characterize their films. Plots about butchered plotting. The potency of idiocy. Self-serving choices based on limited information direct a destructive path.
But a chaotic story doesn’t imply an amoral world. The events are meaningless only in the Ecclesiastes “under the sun” sense. There is an arc to the moral universe.
In the end, the abused finds her voice.
Very obviously made early in their careers, but it's enjoyable all the same. Pacing was an issue. The editing was a bit irritating and so many shots lasted longer than they needed to and left me feeling impatient with the film.
The beginning of the Coen brothers’ addiction to tracking shots. As far as noir thrillers go, it’s pretty airtight. Nice film to have on during a quiet night in.
Reviews
Blood Simple
Evan May reviewed
Blood Simple
June 16, 2025Watched “Blood Simple.” Catching up on remaining titles in the Coen Brothers canon.
It’s a paradigm of the chaos-narrative that would characterize their films. Plots about butchered plotting. The potency of idiocy. Self-serving choices based on limited information direct a destructive path.
But a chaotic story doesn’t imply an amoral world. The events are meaningless only in the Ecclesiastes “under the sun” sense. There is an arc to the moral universe.
In the end, the abused finds her voice.
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