In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the first several movies that the Coens made, from 1984’s Blood Simple to 1998’s The Big Lebowski.
In Part 2, we covered O Brother, Where Art Thou in 2000 to No Country for Old Men in 2007.
It’s time to take a look at the movies they have made in the years since. To no one’s surprise, there are some incredible movies in today’s list, too.
Burn After Reading (2008)
Part spy movie, part dark comedy, and part screwball comedy, Burn After Reading is not one of the Coens’ most popular movies — but I consider it one of their best. Brad Pitt plays Chad, and Frances McDormand plays Linda, a pair of gym workers who stumble upon a CD that contains the memoirs of a former CIA analyst (John Malkovich). Thinking that they have come across top-secret government information, they hatch the harebrained idea to sell the CD to the highest bidder. Like all schemes in Coen films, it does not work out. The movie also stars George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and J.K. Simmons.
Who should watch it? This is a fun satire of spy movies, and so anyone who likes satire or spy movies would probably like this one!
A Serious Man (2009)
A Series Man is set in Minneapolis in 1967. Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a physics professor who is in the middle of a number of personal and professional crises. He seeks advice from a number of rabbis about his life, which is getting more and more outside of his control. The movie’s themes include faith, suffering, and uncertainty. Additional cast members include Aaron Wolff, Sari Lennick, Fred Melamed, and Richard Kind.
Who should watch it? This one flew under the radar a bit, so casual Coen Brothers films may not have seen it yet. It has an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and is probably the Coens’ most intellectual movie. It’s a great movie for anyone who likes to think about life’s really big questions.
True Grit (2010)
True Grit is the Coen Brothers’ second remake. It is based on Charles Portis’s novel of the same name, and there was also a version in 1969 starring John Wayne and Kim Darby. The Coens’ adaptation reunites them with Jeff Bridges, who plays the drunk, angry, and miserable Rooster Cogburn, a US Marshall. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, a teenage girl who hires Cogburn to help her track down the man who murdered her father. They also team up with LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), a villain in his own right.
Who should watch it? True Grit feels like a classic western, and people who love westerns will probably enjoy its pace, plot, and visuals. It’s also great for Jeff Bridges fans, as he turned in one of the best performances of his career.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
This may be my personal favorite Coen movie, even though The Big Lebowski is the one I have the most sentimental attachment to. Inside Llewyn Davis is full of incredible music — originals and folk classics. It follows Llewyn Davis (played by Oscar Isaac, whose hair and beard are AMAZING in this), a struggling folk musician in the 1960s who is still reeling from his musical partner’s suicide. The movie is a painful depiction of depression and cynicism and whether or not it is worth trying to create something meaningful in such a bleak and dark time of life. It does not fully answer that question, by the way! The movie’s supporting cast includes Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Adam Driver, and Garrett Hedlund.
Who should watch it? I WANT to say everyone, but the truth is that this movie might not be for everyone. (My 13-year-old, for example, thinks it’s the most boring movie they’ve ever seen.) I recommend it to anyone who likes a meaningful exploration of a complicated character. Oh, and Oscar Isaac fans, of course.
Hail, Caesar! (2016)
The Coen Brothers return to Hollywood for Hail, Caesar! This movie follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a “fixer” for the executives at Capitol Pictures. He gets tasked with finding a kidnapped movie star (Baird Whitlock, played by George Clooney), all while trying to manage his day-to-day responsibilities. The movie’s characters include a dramatic and demanding director (Ralph Fiennes), a synchronized swimmer (Scarlette Johanson), a singing cowboy (Alden Ehrenreich), and a tap-dancing movie star (Channing Tatum).
Who should watch it? Some people have described Hail, Caesar! as a love letter to Hollywood. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is working their way through the Coens’ filmography, but also to folks who love old Hollywood.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is another Coen Brothers’ western — but instead of a feature film, it is six vignettes set in the Old West, starting with a singing gunslinger named Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson). Additional vignettes star James Franco (a bank robber), Liam Neeson and Harry Melling (a pair of traveling performers), Tom Waits (a prospector), a woman on the Oregon Trail (Zoe Kazan), and a group of travelers debating morality (Brendan Gleeson and Jonjo O’Neill).
Who should watch it? While highly reviewed, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is probably best for people who are already interested in the Coen Brothers, short films, or Westerns.
What’s next for the Coen Brothers?
2018 was quite a while ago, especially after such a prolific 30 years in filmmaking… so what’s next for the Coen Brothers?
According to IndieWire:
Joel and Ethan Coen have not made a movie together since 2018’s “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” and the longtime collaborators seem to be taking their film careers in increasingly different directions.
Joel flew solo behind the camera for last year’s acclaimed Shakespeare drama “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” while Ethan Coen directed the new documentary “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind” and is gearing up to shoot a currently untitled lesbian road trip comedy that he wrote with his wife Tricia Cooke.
The two brothers have not announced any future projects, leading many to speculate about the details of their separation. But speaking to the Associated Press at the Cannes Film Festival, Ethan said the split was fueled by boredom and exhaustion more than animosity.
“Nothing happened, certainly nothing dramatic,” Coen said. “You start out when you’re a kid and you want to make a movie. Everything’s enthusiasm and gung-ho, let’s go make a movie. And the first movie is just loads of fun. And then the second movie is loads of fun, almost as much fun as the first. And after 30 years, not that it’s no fun, but it’s more of a job than it had been.”
–Christian Zilko
Whether they continue making films on their own or come back together for another movie soon, I can guarantee that fans will be ready.
