Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
This week, Ethan Coen’s new dark comedy, Honey Don’t!, hits theaters. Margaret Qualley stars as a private investigator looking into a string of bizarre deaths tied to a mysterious church and its charismatic leader (Chris Evans). Aubrey Plaza and Charlie Day also star. It’s Ethan’s second solo feature after Drive-Away Dolls, without his longtime collaborator and brother, Joel Coen, at his side.
The Coens haven’t directed together since The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), a six-part anthology of violence and crime in the Old West. Their last traditional narrative feature was Hail, Caesar! (2016). Since then, they’ve pursued solo projects but haven’t ruled out teaming up again. Let’s hope they do – few filmmakers have delivered more memorable work over the past 40 years than when the Coens are cooking together.
To mark the release of Honey Don’t!, I’m ranking the Coens’ ten best films. From Blood Simple to Buster Scruggs, the list abides, friendo.
10. Blood Simple (1984)
9. Barton Fink (1991)
8. A Serious Man (2009)
7. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
6. Burn After Reading (2008)
5. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
4. Miller’s Crossing (1990)
3. Fargo (1996)
2. The Big Lebowski (1998)
1. No Country For Old Men (2007)
1. Barton Fink
2. A Serious Man
3. No Country for Old Men
4. Inside Llewyn Davis
5. Fargo
6. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
7. True Grit
8. The Hudsucker Proxy
9. Raising Arizona
10. Hail, Caesar!
I'll narrow my list down to a top 7, as I haven't seen some of the Coen films in a long time (all of those listed are great or at least very good):
1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. Inside Llewyn Davies
4. Barton Fink
5. Raising Arizona
6. The Man Who Wasn't There
7. The Big Lebowski
Top-5:
1) No Country for Old Men
2) The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
3) Fargo
4) Blood Simple
5) The Man Who Wasn^t There
What a great topic. I love their movies. Here are my favorites, in order.
1. Fargo
2. Miller’s Crossing
3. No Country…
4. Raising Arizona
5. Blood Simple
6. Burn after reading
After that the order of preference gets a bit muddled. It just depends on my mood.
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is an underrated film, and it's top-5 Coen in my book.
I still need to see it… but thanks for the recommendation!
Marvellous filmmaking.