Every Coen brothers Movie, Ranked!
From 'Blood Simple' to 'Raising Arizona,' Moviefone counts down every feature film of the Coen brothers have directed.
(L to R) Best Director winners Ethan and Joel Coen backstage during the 80th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24, 2008. Credit/Provider: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Ethan Coen, better known as the Coen brothers, practically created their own genre and are one of the most acclaimed and celebrated directing teams of all time!
Beginning their career with modern classics like 'No Country for Old Men.'
In 2021, Joel Coen directed his first film without his brother, 'Geraldine Viswanathan.
In honor of Ethan Coen's new film, Moviefone is counting down every film the Coen brothers have ever directed together or apart.
NOTE: For this list we are only including the Coen Brothers full-length feature films, both together and solo, but we are not including their documentaries or participation in anthology movies like 'Paris, je t'aime.'
Let's begin!
20. 'Intolerable Cruelty' (2003)
(L to R) George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in 'Intolerable Cruelty.' Photo: Universal Pictures.
A revenge-seeking gold digger (George Clooney) with the intention of making a killing in the divorce.
Intolerable Cruelty
19. 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' (2018)
Tim Blake Nelson is Buster Scruggs in 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,' a film by Joel and Ethan Coen. Photo: Netflix.
Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharpshooting songster (Tyne Daly) and a motley crew of strangers undertaking a carriage ride.
18. 'A Serious Man' (2009)
Michael Stuhlbarg in 'A Serious Man.' Photo: Focus Features.
It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Fred Melamed).
17. 'The Man Who Wasn't There' (2001)
(L to R) Billy Bob Thornton and James Gandolfini in 'The Man Who Wasn't There.' Photo: USA Films.
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane (s McDormand) infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
The Man Who Wasn't There
16. 'The Ladykillers' (2004)
Tom Hanks in 'The Ladykillers.' Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
An eccentric if not charming Southern professor (Irma P. Hall).
The Ladykillers
15. 'The Tragedy of Macbeth' (2021)
Denzel Washington in 'The Tragedy of Macbeth.' Photo: A24.
From Academy Award©-winning filmmaker Joel Coen comes the propulsive, boldly cinematic 'The Tragedy of Macbeth,' starring Oscar-winners Denzel Washington and s McDormand as the devious, ill-fated “Macbeth” and “Lady Macbeth.” An original, striking reimagining of the classic Shakespearean tale portrayed in sumptuous black-and-white cinematography, 'The Tragedy of Macbeth' finds the titular general and his loyal wife older and warier, desperately striving against a merciless ticking clock as they attempt to seize upon a final opportunity for power. In the chaos that ensues, their grasp on the throne unravels, terror mounts and regret enshrouds every inch of their wretched world.
14. 'Barton Fink' (1991)
(L to R) John Turturro and Jon Polito in 'Barton Fink.' Photo: 20th Century Fox.
A renowned New York playwright (John Turturro) is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
Barton Fink
13. 'Blood Simple' (1984)
s McDormand in 'Blood Simple.' Photo: Circle Films.
The owner of a seedy smalltown Texas bar (John Getz) is having an affair with his wife (s McDormand). A chaotic chain of misunderstandings lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
12. 'O Brother Where Art Thou' (2000)
(L to R) John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson and George Clooney in 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
In the deep south during the 1930s three escaped convicts (George Clooney, John Turturro and Tom Blake Nelson) search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman (Daniel von Bargen) pursues them. On their journey they come across many comical characters and incredible situations. Based upon Homer's Odyssey.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
11. 'Raising Arizona' (1987)
(L to R) Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage in 'Raising Arizona.' Photo: 20th Century Fox.
When a childless couple (Nicolas Cage) decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets their lives become more complicated than they anticipated.
Raising Arizona
10. 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)
Javier Bardem in 'No Country for Old Men.' Photo: Miramax Films.
Llewelyn Moss (Tommy Lee Jones) hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.
No Country for Old Men
9. 'Fargo' (1996)
s McDormand in 'Fargo.' Photo: Working Title Films.
Jerry (Harve Presnell). It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge (s McDormand), a coffee-drinking parka-wearing and extremely pregnant investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her smalltime investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom, you betcha.
8. 'True Grit' (2010)
Jeff Bridges in 'True Grit.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Following the murder of her father by a hired hand, a 14-year-old farm girl (Jeff Bridges).
7. 'Drive-Away Dolls' (2024)
(L to R) Margaret Qualley as "Jamie" and Geraldine Viswanathan as "Marian" in director Ethan Coen's 'Drive-Away Dolls,' a Focus Features release. Credit: Wilson Webb / Working Title / Focus Features.
Jamie (Margaret Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Drive-Away Dolls
6. 'Hail, Caesar!' (2006)
Channing Tatum in 'Hail, Caesar!' Photo: Universal Pictures.
When a Hollywood star (George Clooney) mysteriously disappears in the middle of filming, the studio sends their fixer (Josh Brolin) to get him back.
5. 'The Hudsucker Proxy' (1994)
(L to R) Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tim Robbins in 'The Hudsucker Proxy.' Photo: Warner Bros.
A naive business graduate (Tim Robbins) is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.
The Hudsucker Proxy
4. 'Millers Crossing' (1990)
1990's 'Miller's Crossing.' Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Set in 1929, a political boss (Marcia Gay Harden).
Miller's Crossing
3. 'Burn After Reading' (2008)
Brad Pitt in 'Burn After Reading.' Photo: Focus Features.
When a disc containing memoirs of a former CIA analyst (Brad Pitt), they see a chance to make enough money for Linda to have life-changing cosmetic surgery. Predictably, events whirl out of control for the duo, and those in their orbit.
2. 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (2013)
Oscar Isaac in 'Inside Llewyn Davis.' Photo: CBS Films.
In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.
1. 'The Big Lebowski' (1998)
Jeff Bridges in 'The Big Lebowski.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.
The Big Lebowski
