8 Essential Coen Brothers Films You Must Watch

8. The Big Lebowski

Coming off the heels of the brothers' previous work, Fargo - which was both a critical and commercial hit - The Big Lebowski had a lot to live up to. But folks who were expecting another thriller laden with subtle small-town humor were disappointed when The Big Lebowski finally hit theaters.

With a script that was more tongue-in-cheek than any of their previous efforts at that point, the Coens delivered a riotous crime-comedy whose humor was at times pitch-black, but always funny, alongside a story that was engrossing and twisted enough to boot. John Goodman steals the show in a role that he was born to play - but let's not spoil any more than that.

Still, this was no Fargo, and was probably more than audiences at the time could handle, leading to The Big Lebowski being labelled a box office failure and critical disappointment.

Ever since its initial release however, the film has gained a cult following, and has been reevaluated numerous times over as one of the brothers' best films.