The Coen brothers' films stand alone, so watch them in release order, from Blood Simple (1984) through Fargo, The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018). Since then they have worked apart: Joel made The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) and Ethan made Drive-Away Dolls (2024) and Honey Don't! (2025).
- Titles
- 21
- Films
- 21
- Watch time
- 37 hours
- Box office
- $1.17 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.2
Coen Brothers movies in release order
Here is every Coen Brothers title in the order it came out, 1984 to 2025: 21 films. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood Simple | 1984 | Film | 1h 37m | 7.5 |
| 2 | Raising Arizona | 1987 | Film | 1h 34m | 7.3 |
| 3 | Miller's Crossing | 1990 | Film | 1h 55m | 7.7 |
| 4 | Barton Fink | 1991 | Film | 1h 57m | 7.6 |
| 5 | The Hudsucker Proxy | 1994 | Film | 1h 51m | 7.2 |
| 6 | Fargo | 1996 | Film | 1h 38m | 8.1 |
| 7 | The Big Lebowski | 1998 | Film | 1h 57m | 8.1 |
| 8 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | 2000 | Film | 1h 47m | 7.7 |
| 9 | The Man Who Wasn't There | 2001 | Film | 1h 56m | 7.5 |
| 10 | Intolerable Cruelty | 2003 | Film | 1h 40m | 6.3 |
| 11 | The Ladykillers | 2004 | Film | 1h 44m | 6.2 |
| 12 | No Country for Old Men | 2007 | Film | 2h 2m | 8.2 |
| 13 | Burn After Reading | 2008 | Film | 1h 36m | 7 |
| 14 | A Serious Man | 2009 | Film | 1h 46m | 7 |
| 15 | True Grit | 2010 | Film | 1h 50m | 7.6 |
| 16 | Inside Llewyn Davis | 2013 | Film | 1h 45m | 8.1 |
| 17 | Hail, Caesar! | 2016 | Film | 1h 46m | 6.3 |
| 18 | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs | 2018 | Film | 2h 12m | 7.2 |
| 19 | The Tragedy of Macbeth optional | 2021 | Film | 1h 45m | 7.1 |
| 20 | Drive-Away Dolls optional | 2024 | Film | 1h 24m | 5.4 |
| 21 | Honey Don't! optional | 2025 | Film | 1h 29m | 5.3 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For The Coen Brothers, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Blood Simple and go in release order, skipping the 3 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 18 titles and about 33 hours, 12% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: No Country for Old Men (8.2), Fargo (8.1), and The Big Lebowski (8.1).
Every Coen Brothers movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1984 · Film · 1h 37m
Blood Simple
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
Why it matters: The Coens' debut and Frances McDormand's first film, a Texas noir of double-crosses.
- Starring
- John Getz, Frances McDormand, and Dan Hedaya
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $4 million on a $2 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%
No. 02 · 1987 · Film · 1h 34m
Raising Arizona
When a childless couple—an ex-con and an ex-cop—take one of a wealthy family’s quintuplets to raise as their own, their lives grow more complicated than anticipated.
Why it matters: Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter steal a baby in the brothers' broadest comedy.
- Starring
- Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, and Trey Wilson
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $29 million on a $6 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%
No. 03 · 1990 · Film · 1h 55m
Miller's Crossing
Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman.
Why it matters: A Prohibition gang war seen through Gabriel Byrne's cool right-hand man.
- Starring
- Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, and John Turturro
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $5 million on a $14 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 04 · 1991 · Film · 1h 57m
Barton Fink
A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
Why it matters: John Turturro as a blocked playwright in 1941 Hollywood; it won the Palme d'Or.
- Starring
- John Turturro, John Goodman, and Judy Davis
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $6 million on a $9 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 90%
No. 05 · 1994 · Film · 1h 51m
The Hudsucker Proxy
A naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.
Why it matters: A 1950s screwball fable co-written with Sam Raimi, in which a mailroom clerk invents the hula hoop.
- Starring
- Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Newman
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $3 million on a $25 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 61%
No. 06 · 1996 · Film · 1h 38m
Fargo
Jerry Lundegaard is a small-town Minnesota car salesman deeply in debt and willing to do almost anything to get out. Police chief Marge Gunderson discovers a string of violent crimes as Jerry's schemes spiral out of control.
Why it matters: Frances McDormand won an Oscar as the pregnant police chief chasing a botched Minnesota kidnapping.
- Starring
- Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $61 million on a $7 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%
No. 07 · 1998 · Film · 1h 57m
The Big Lebowski
Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski, a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.
Why it matters: Jeff Bridges as the Dude, a bowling slacker caught in a ransom plot meant for another Lebowski.
- Starring
- Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Julianne Moore
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $47 million on a $15 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 79%
No. 08 · 2000 · Film · 1h 47m
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.
Why it matters: Three escaped convicts in 1930s Mississippi, retelling The Odyssey.
- Starring
- George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $72 million on a $26 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 78%
No. 09 · 2001 · Film · 1h 56m
The Man Who Wasn't There
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
Why it matters: A black-and-white noir with Billy Bob Thornton as a silent barber turned blackmailer.
- Starring
- Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, and Michael Badalucco
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $19 million on a $20 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 81%
No. 10 · 2003 · Film · 1h 40m
Intolerable Cruelty
A revenge-seeking gold digger marries a womanizing Beverly Hills lawyer with the intention of making a killing in the divorce.
Why it matters: A divorce lawyer falls for a gold digger.
- Starring
- George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Geoffrey Rush
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $120 million on a $60 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 76%
No. 11 · 2004 · Film · 1h 44m
The Ladykillers
An eccentric, if not charming Southern professor and his crew pose as a band in order to rob a casino, all under the nose of his unsuspecting landlord – a sharp old woman.
Why it matters: Tom Hanks leads a heist crew in a remake of the 1955 Ealing comedy.
- Starring
- Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, and Marlon Wayans
- Director
- Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
- Box office
- $77 million on a $35 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 54%
No. 12 · 2007 · Film · 2h 2m
No Country for Old Men
Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.
Why it matters: A hunter takes drug money and a killer follows him.
- Starring
- Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $172 million on a $25 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 13 · 2008 · Film · 1h 36m
Burn After Reading
When a disc containing memoirs of a former CIA analyst falls into the hands of gym employees, Linda and Chad, they see a chance to make enough money for Linda to have life-changing cosmetic surgery. Predictably, events whirl out of control for the duo, and those in their orbit.
Why it matters: Two gym employees find a CIA analyst's memoir on a disc.
- Starring
- George Clooney, Frances McDormand, and Brad Pitt
- Director
- Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
- Box office
- $164 million on a $37 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 78%
No. 14 · 2009 · Film · 1h 46m
A Serious Man
It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. He scrambles to find a semblance of meaning as he loses control of nearly every aspect of his life.
Why it matters: A Minnesota physics professor in 1967 seeks answers from rabbis as his life collapses.
- Starring
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, and Fred Melamed
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $31 million on a $7 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 89%
No. 15 · 2010 · Film · 1h 50m
True Grit
Following the murder of her father by a hired hand, a 14-year-old farm girl sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. Marshal she can find—a man with 'true grit'—Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn.
Why it matters: Hailee Steinfeld hires Jeff Bridges' marshal in a more faithful take on the Charles Portis novel.
- Starring
- Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matt Damon
- Director
- Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
- Box office
- $252 million on a $38 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%
No. 16 · 2013 · Film · 1h 45m
Inside Llewyn Davis
In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.
Why it matters: Oscar Isaac as a broke folk singer in Greenwich Village, a week before Bob Dylan arrives.
- Starring
- Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $33 million on a $11 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1
No. 17 · 2016 · Film · 1h 46m
Hail, Caesar!
When a Hollywood star mysteriously disappears in the middle of filming, the studio sends their fixer to get him back.
Why it matters: Josh Brolin as a 1950s studio fixer hunting a kidnapped star played by George Clooney.
- Starring
- Josh Brolin, George Clooney, and Alden Ehrenreich
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $64 million on a $22 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%
No. 18 · 2018 · Film · 2h 12m
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharp-shooting songster, a wannabe bank robber, two weary traveling performers, a lone gold prospector, a woman traveling the West to an uncertain future, and a motley crew of strangers undertaking a carriage ride.
Why it matters: Six Western tales for Netflix and the last film the brothers made together.
- Starring
- Tim Blake Nelson, Willie Watson, and Clancy Brown
- Director
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 90%
No. 19 · 2021 · Film · 1h 45m · optional
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
Why it matters: Joel Coen's solo debut: Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in a black-and-white Shakespeare.
- Starring
- Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, and Alex Hassell
- Director
- Joel Coen
- Box office
- $0 million
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 20 · 2024 · Film · 1h 24m · optional
Drive-Away Dolls
Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Why it matters: Ethan Coen's solo debut, a 1999 lesbian road comedy co-written with Tricia Cooke.
- Starring
- Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Beanie Feldstein
- Director
- Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $8 million on a $8 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 63%
No. 21 · 2025 · Film · 1h 29m · optional
Honey Don't!
Honey O'Donahue, a small-town private investigator, delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.
Why it matters: Margaret Qualley as a Bakersfield private eye in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's second B-movie.
- Starring
- Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans
- Director
- Ethan Coen
- Box office
- $7 million on a $20 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.3
Coen Brothers box office and budgets
The 20 Coen Brothers films with reported numbers have grossed $1.17 billion worldwide on about $387 million in combined budgets, roughly 3.0 times what they cost. The biggest is True Grit at $252 million, 21% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by No Country for Old Men ($172 million) and Burn After Reading ($164 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Fargo, which made 8.7 times its $7 million budget. The weakest was The Hudsucker Proxy at 11% of its $25 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Coen Brothers movies
Across 21 rated titles, The Coen Brothers averages 7.2 on IMDb. The top of the list is No Country for Old Men at 8.2, then Fargo (8.1) and The Big Lebowski (8.1). At the bottom: Honey Don't! (5.3) and Drive-Away Dolls (5.4). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, True Grit, is only the 8th best rated.
- No Country for Old Men8.2 · RT 93%
- Fargo8.1 · RT 95%
- The Big Lebowski8.1 · RT 79%
- Inside Llewyn Davis8.1
- Miller's Crossing7.7 · RT 93%
- O Brother, Where Art Thou?7.7 · RT 78%
- Barton Fink7.6 · RT 90%
- True Grit7.6 · RT 95%
- Blood Simple7.5 · RT 94%
- The Man Who Wasn't There7.5 · RT 81%
Who appears in the most Coen Brothers movies
Frances McDormand leads with 7 appearances as Abby and Dot, ahead of John Goodman (5) and Steve Buscemi (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frances McDormand | Abby / Dot | 7 | Blood Simple (1984) to The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) |
| John Goodman | Gale / Charlie Meadows | 5 | Raising Arizona (1987) to Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) |
| Steve Buscemi | Mink / Chet | 4 | Miller's Crossing (1990) to The Big Lebowski (1998) |
| George Clooney | Everett / Miles | 4 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) to Hail, Caesar! (2016) |
| John Turturro | Bernie Bernbaum / Barton Fink | 3 | Miller's Crossing (1990) to O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) |
| Jon Polito | Johnny Caspar / Lou Breeze | 3 | Miller's Crossing (1990) to The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) |
| Richard Jenkins | Walter Abundas / Freddy Bender | 3 | The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) to Burn After Reading (2008) |
| Josh Brolin | Llewelyn Moss / Tom Chaney | 3 | No Country for Old Men (2007) to Hail, Caesar! (2016) |
| Holly Hunter | Ed / Penny | 2 | Raising Arizona (1987) to O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) |
| John Mahoney | W.P. Mayhew / Chief | 2 | Barton Fink (1991) to The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) |
| Tony Shalhoub | Ben Geisler / Freddy Riedenschneider | 2 | Barton Fink (1991) to The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) |
| Charles Durning | Waring Hudsucker / Pappy O'Daniel | 2 | The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) to O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) |
Coen Brothers directors and creators
2 filmmakers have directed or created The Coen Brothers; Joel Coen has the most, with 19.
- Joel CoenBlood Simple (1984), Raising Arizona (1987), Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Fargo (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), The Ladykillers (2004), No Country for Old Men (2007), Burn After Reading (2008), A Serious Man (2009), True Grit (2010), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Hail, Caesar! (2016), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
- Ethan CoenBarton Fink (1991), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), The Ladykillers (2004), No Country for Old Men (2007), Burn After Reading (2008), A Serious Man (2009), True Grit (2010), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Hail, Caesar! (2016), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), Drive-Away Dolls (2024), and Honey Don't! (2025)
How long it takes to watch every Coen Brothers movie
All 21 titles add up to 37 hours. That is about 19 two-hour evenings, or 4 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 33 hours. The longest film is The Ballad of Buster Scruggs at 2h 12m.
The 4 best rated films: No Country for Old Men, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Inside Llewyn Davis.
Everything takes about 6 weeks; the essentials about 5 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Coen Brothers movies can you skip?
3 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 5 hours.
- The Tragedy of Macbeth2021 · Film · 1h 45m · optionalJoel Coen's solo debut: Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand in a black-and-white Shakespeare.
- Drive-Away Dolls2024 · Film · 1h 24m · optionalEthan Coen's solo debut, a 1999 lesbian road comedy co-written with Tricia Cooke.
- Honey Don't!2025 · Film · 1h 29m · optionalMargaret Qualley as a Bakersfield private eye in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's second B-movie.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Coen Brothers movies in?
The Coen brothers' films stand alone, so watch them in release order, from Blood Simple (1984) through Fargo, The Big Lebowski and No Country for Old Men to The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018). Since then they have worked apart: Joel made The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) and Ethan made Drive-Away Dolls (2024) and Honey Don't! (2025).
How many Coen Brothers movies and shows are there?
There are 21 titles in the The Coen Brothers franchise: 21 films and 0 series, released from 1984 to 2025.
How long does it take to watch all the Coen Brothers movies?
About 37 hours for all 21 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (18 titles) take about 33 hours.
What is the first Coen Brothers title in chronological order?
Blood Simple, set in A Texas bar owner. In release order the first is Blood Simple (1984).
Which Coen Brothers titles can I skip?
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Drive-Away Dolls, and Honey Don't!. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Coen Brothers movie?
By IMDb score, No Country for Old Men (2007) at 8.2, followed by Fargo at 8.1.
What is the highest-grossing Coen Brothers movie?
True Grit (2010), with $252 million worldwide. The Coen Brothers films have made $1.17 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Coen Brothers movies?
Frances McDormand, in 7 of them as Abby.
What is the longest Coen Brothers movie?
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, at 2h 12m.
Keep reading
RecapCoen Brothers recap: the story so far21 titles recapped
Skip guideWhat can you skip in Game of Thrones?2 titles you can skip
RecapChainsaw Man recap: the story so far2 titles recapped
Watch order guideHow to watch the One Piece movies in order8 titles · 498 hours
Skip guideWhich Star Wars movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip
Watch order guideHow to watch the Star Trek movies in order26 titles · 735 hours