Fargo (1996) is directed by the Coen brothers and stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Kristin Rudrud, Harve Presnell, Tony Denman, John Carroll Lynch, Steve Park, Bruce Bohne, Gary Houston, Steve Reevis, Warren Keith, Larry Brandenburg, Larissa Kokernot, and Melissa Peterman. When Central Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundgaard (Macy) finds himself in a financial crisis after a series of shady deals, he hatches a plot that involves hiring two men (Buscemi & Stormare) to kidnap his wife (Rudrud) so he can acquire the ransom from his wealthy father-in-law (Presnell). When his plan inevitably goes sideways, it catches the attention of pregnant Brainerd sheriff, Marge Gunderson (McDormand). Convinced that Jerry is involved despite his unassuming demeanor, Marge uses her trademark Minnesotan charm to crack the case before things spiral further out of control. 

Frances McDormand and William H. Macy are perfect as stereotypical Minnesotans. They lean into the state’s silly accents in a way that approaches parody but never goes so far that it breaks the film’s feeling of authenticity. Although they’re both some of the most extreme examples of the “Minnesota nice” trope, it’s relieving to see that directors Joel & Ethan Coen understand that this niceness is simply a way of speaking – it often has little to do with how nice a person actually is. This duality between how Minnesotans speak and what they do fits perfectly within the context of a dark comedy such as this. It allows these characters to say hilarious things that would feel completely out of place in any other setting. It’s hard to believe, but as a Minnesotan, I can wholeheartedly attest that this is a mostly accurate portrayal of what it’s like to live in the land of 10,000 lakes. For example, although the constant “oh yaaaahhh?”s are spot on, I was particularly impressed by the film’s recognition of the state’s love for ice fishing and hearty (yet somewhat questionable) fast food such as Arby’s. 

Although this pinpoint accurate portrayal of Minnesotans is hilarious on its own terms, it’s taken a step further by including Carl and Gaer, the two out-of-state kidnappers played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare respectively. The two are both initially portrayed as professionals (as professional as for-hire kidnappers can be, that is), but throughout the film become increasingly frustrated with the passive-aggressive and indecisive nature of the local population – specifically Jerry. This all leads to tragedy and violence that somehow works because it never feels like an unnatural escalation of events no matter how absurd. The movie is often dark on the surface, but when the viewer takes a step back and looks at what the directors are trying to say thematically, it’s often a hilarious poke at Minnesota’s naively positive culture. However, this is balanced by the fact that the script also praises this attitude. While Macy, Buscemi, and Stormare’s characters show how this unrealistically positive world-view can drive a person crazy, McDormand’s character – the story’s clear hero – displays how this attitude can be necessary to find happiness/meaning in such an unforgiving world.

The film is uncommonly well-paced and features one of the best scripts I’ve ever encountered. Not a single scene feels wasted and the plot leaves the viewer with almost zero questions. Although the ending may feel abrupt/anti-climactic for some viewers, it works perfectly to hammer home the themes both serious and comedic. If more drawn out, it would feel more traditionally exciting, but instead, the abrupt violence achieves something much more shocking and therefore infinitely more memorable. 

Overall, I find this to be one of the Coen brothers’ best films, and because I consider them my favorite directors of all time, it by default puts this in my top 50 films of all time. It helps that I’m a Minnesotan, but I think the film will work just as well for people who aren’t from the state, but in a different way. Locals will love the shockingly observant in-jokes, but everyone else is sure to fall in love with its ability to transport them into what is one of the most unique subsets of American culture. What is most impressive, however, is that the Coens recognized that the inherent culture of their home state is perfectly suited for a dark comedy specifically. Even some of the best dark comedies regularly require the viewer to suspend their disbelief, but Fargo’s setting all but eliminates this which in itself makes it one of the most, if not THE most, effective examples of the subgenre. It hasn’t aged as well as some other films, but that’s only because I’ve had to live through the countless films that have used this as their template. You’ve seen it before, but this is the first, and in my opinion, still the best. I struggled between whether to give this an A- or A, but since it’s an experience that gets better with each rewatch, I have to give it an A.