Movies - TV
The Coen Brothers Movies Ranked Worst
to Best
By MARSHALL SHAFFER
19. The Ladykillers
This remake of the '50s British comedy of the same name is bogged down by the studio comedy elements that don’t really fit with the Coen Brothers’ usual style. The film never quite escapes an odd match of concept and artist, nor did it properly develop the chemistry between Tom Hanks’ character and the rest of his gang.
18. The Hudsucker Proxy
Despite being a box office failure and the issues with execution, "The Hudsucker Proxy" still has plenty of elements that make it a fun viewing. Unfortunately, the film makes for a bit of a tonal jumble as the brothers' unavoidably wry tendencies clash a bit with their intentions of making a valentine to old Hollywood comedies.
17. Intolerable Cruelty
While all the parts are there, such as the chemistry between George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, they still don’t seem to gel together. Miles Massey’s reserved character doesn’t match the zany antics that the Coens required of Clooney, while supporting characters like Cedric the Entertainer’s game show host and Billy Bob Thornton’s oil baron seem to belong to different movies.
16. Blood Simple
The Coens’ directorial debut feels more like a preview of what’s to come for the brothers rather than a complete film. However, that’s not entirely a bad thing, and the story about John Getz’s Texas bartender Ray getting involved with cheating and murder is masterful in its tone and imagery.
15. Miller's Crossing
The Coen Brothers' third directorial project is an acceptable mob movie, but in their desire to establish themselves as serious filmmakers, the story becomes heavy-handed with the telling instead of the showing. They’ve become more skilled at having the themes speak for themselves in their later works, but in “Miller’s Crossing,” it’s the characters who speak the movie’s meaning.