The movie gods are certainly smiling down upon fans of the Coen Brothers this year. This winter, the duo delivered their zany take on classic Hollywood with “Hail, Caesar!” and starting this weekend, cinephiles can go back to the film that started it all, “Blood Simple,” which returns to theaters with a fresh 4K restoration before it hits The Criterion Collection this fall. But you don’t want to miss the opportunity to watch the thriller as it was intended, on the big screen.
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While the cast — John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, and M. Emmet Walsh — might not be high-profile, the tools in the arsenal of the Coens are very much in place in this dark thriller about a man who investigates his suspicions that his wife is having an affair, only have the tables turned against him. Here’s the official synopsis:
This razor-sharp modern film noir, the first film by Joel and Ethan Coen, introduced the brothers’ inimitable black humor and eccentric sense of character, a sensibility that has helped shape the course of contemporary American cinema. Deep in the heart of Texas, a sleazy bar owner suspects his wife of having an affair and hires a private detective to confirm his suspicions—only to have the crosshairs turned back on himself. Playfully shot by Barry Sonnenfeld and featuring a haunting score by Carter Burwell and a cunning performance by Frances McDormand, Blood Simple was a career-launching film for this ensemble and the first articulation of the precision of style that has defined the Coens’ work ever since.
“Blood Simple” starts rolling out in limited release on July 1st. Check out the new re-release trailer.