The Coen brothers' take on classic noir retrains their droll sensibilities while also being one of the most emotionally nuanced things they've ever done. Sure, there are still touches of their absurdist humor now and again (one pivotal scene feels like it was directed by David Lynch), but otherwise the tragedy of the man who would have been just fine being the barber is wonderfully understated, buoyed by an excellent cast and characteristically brilliant cinematography by Roger Deakins. Every genre trope you could conceive of seems to make an appearance, but filtered through their unique vision it somehow feels a little fresh again.
Perhaps one of the most underrated of the duo's diverse canon.
Perhaps one of the most underrated of the duo's diverse canon.