A sleazy Texas bar owner hires a seedy private detective to murder his adulterous wife and her lover, but nothing goes according to plan in this masterfully crafted debut from Joel and Ethan Coen. Blood Simple is a triumph of low-budget filmmaking—a wickedly funny, breathlessly suspenseful neo-noir that announces the Coens' signature blend of dark humor, moral complexity, and cinematic virtuosity in spectacular fashion. Barry Sonnenfeld's cinematography and Carter Burwell's score are among the finest of their respective careers.