10 Most Essential Coen Brothers Films

Damn right this is an out of left field pick for our number one spot—the Coens have proven impossible to pin down throughout their storied screen careers, and what better way to celebrate the diversity of their filmic CVs than by moving from the brutal and vicious neo noir underworld of Blood Simple to this warm hearted live action cartoon from 1987?

Featuring a typically hilarious turn from Nic Cage as a loveable hick caught up in a kidnapping scheme and attempting to hold onto his (well, sort of his) beloved baby, this zany adventure starts at full tilt and only grows crazier from there, bouncing through some surreal vignettes at a mile a minute with a paper thin plot which essentially acts as an excuse to film some supremely silly, hilariously funny chase scenes and bizarre character sketches.

Despite the non-existent story, there’s an urgent pace and real heart in this fun, funny, and beautifully filmed comedy thriller, and it hits every beat which has come to define the director’s careers from violence as comedy, to heartfelt stories of family crossing over with noir and thriller motifs, to some satirical lambasting of all-American society and culture.