Complete credited cast: | |||
John Getz | ... | Ray | |
Frances McDormand | ... | Abby | |
Dan Hedaya | ... | Julian Marty | |
M. Emmet Walsh | ... | Private Detective Loren Visser | |
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Samm-Art Williams | ... | Meurice |
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Deborah Neumann | ... | Debra |
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Raquel Gavia | ... | Landlady |
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Van Brooks | ... | Man from Lubbock |
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Señor Marco | ... | Mr. Garcia |
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William Creamer | ... | Old Cracker |
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Loren Bivens | ... | Strip Bar Exhorter |
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Bob McAdams | ... | Strip Bar Senator |
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Shannon Sedwick | ... | Stripper |
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Nancy Finger | ... | Girl on Overlook |
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William Preston Robertson | ... | Radio Evangelist (voice) (as Rev. William Preston Robertson) |
Texas bar owner Julian Marty, who is generally regarded as not a nice person, hires shady private detective Loren Visser, who is able to obtain what Marty requests evidence - in this instance, photographic - that his wife, Abby, and one of his bartenders, Ray, are having an affair. As Ray and Abby realize that Marty has found out about them, it allows them to plan for their future away from Marty, while be up front with Marty about the situation. Marty, in turn, decides to hire Visser once again, this time to kill Abby and Ray, and dispose of their bodies so that they won't be found. The out in the open affair and the contract hit lead to some actions based on self interest, and a standoff of sorts between the four players, which is compounded in complexity by some wrong assumptions of what has happened, with an innocent bystander, another of the Marty's bartenders, Meurice, potentially and unwittingly adding to the scenario. Written by Huggo
The Coen brothers' debut feature is a sign of what was to come in their careers. Smart uses of tension, outlandish situations, and camerawork are on full display here and set the tone for their unique style. The story is pretty simple, but it's the viewer's perspective of all the misunderstandings between characters that make this film interesting to watch. Great suspense makes Blood Simple a worthy watch and debut for the Coens.