Fargo (Joel Coen, 1995)

One of the best thrillers of the 90s, in which the Coen's explore the events of a botched kidnapping, instigated by a marginal car salesman William H. Macy who is heavily in debt and hopes that a nice slice of life insurance money will bail him out. The humour here, in contrast to No Country for Old Men, allows one a chance to breath easily-though the callous nature of the violence will still be felt by the audience. Frances McDormand's best actress Oscar was achieved through a measured and brilliant performance as the heavily-accented pregnant policewoman on the case. This is an excellent film noir, set against a snow-filled backdrop similar to 'Blood Simple (1984), in which the siblings again depict the differences between people who travel in order to kill for money and the townspeople who are stunned by the actions of the devils who have descended upon their once peaceful neighbourhood.