Top-20 Coen Brothers Movies
All the films of Joel and Ethan Coen, rated by how good I think they are! I've also added "writers only"-credits to fill out the list, but excluded their short films and remakes of their movies. Haven't seen "Bridge of Spies", "Gambit" or "Unbroken" yet though, so will fill out the rest of the list later!
List activity
11K views
• 26 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
18 titles
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJeff BridgesJohn GoodmanJulianne MooreJeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.A movie I live by. Absolutely fantastic in every way!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve BuscemiMinnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.Hilarious comedy-thriller, doesn't come much better than this!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsGeorge ClooneyJohn TurturroTim Blake NelsonIn the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.Great music, great characters, and a typically bizarre storyline makes this one of their all-time classics!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsGabriel ByrneAlbert FinneyJohn TurturroTom Reagan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.Much more entertaining than it usually gets credit for - and actionpacked too!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsNicolas CageHolly HunterTrey WilsonWhen a childless couple--an ex-con and an ex-cop--decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than they anticipated.Really silly, and really 80's - just the way I like 'em!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn GetzFrances McDormandDan HedayaThe owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.Can't believe this was one of their very first outings - a very fine comedy/crime-thriller with great performances!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn TurturroJohn GoodmanJudy DavisA renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.Maybe their only "horror"-movie, even though it's not exactly listed as such, it's really disturbing in some parts! Good stuff.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.Interesting story, with some odd plot-twists make this one definitely watchable!
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsLouise LasserBrion JamesPaul L. SmithA pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair.Unfortunately they didn't direct this film (or get Bruce Campbell in the lead as intended), but it's still great silly fun!
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJeff BridgesMatt DamonHailee SteinfeldA stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer.As remakes come, this one is actually quite succesful.
- DirectorJoel CoenStarsBilly Bob ThorntonFrances McDormandMichael BadaluccoA laconic, chain-smoking barber blackmails his wife's boss and lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong.Remember to watch it in the correct black & white-version and not those *beep* coloured editions!
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsTim RobbinsPaul NewmanJennifer Jason LeighA naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.Can't really remember this movie so well actually, haha... but I think it was pretty good, as I recall. So here it is!
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.Lots of good music, but the plot seems a bit (too) pointless, as the main protagonist just wanders about throughout the movie, with no real goal as such.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsBrad PittFrances McDormandGeorge ClooneyA disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.A little too short and abrupt ending spoil an otherwise entertaining crime/comedy-flick.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsGeorge ClooneyCatherine Zeta-JonesBilly Bob ThorntonMiles, a high-profile divorce lawyer, wins a case for his rich but adulterous client Rex Rexroth. But Rex's ex-wife, Marylin, who is no saint and is a gold-digger, plots to take revenge on Miles.A slightly different type of movie for the brothers - it's definitely watchable, but nothing compared to their other comedies!
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJosh BrolinGeorge ClooneyAlden EhrenreichA Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.It was alright, but definitely felt like they were trying a bit too hard on this one.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsMichael StuhlbargRichard KindSari LennickLarry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics teacher, watches his life unravel over multiple sudden incidents. Though seeking meaning and answers amidst his turmoils, he seems to keep sinking.A little bit dull for the most part... but has its moments!
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTom HanksMarlon WayansIrma P. HallAn eccentric, if not charming Southern professor and his crew pose as a classical ensemble in order to rob a casino, all under the nose of his unsuspecting but sharp old landlady.A little bit too silly for my liking... but it's still watchable, if not for anything else, then just to see great actors (Tom Hanks, J.K. Simmons, etc) in really bad parts.