By Casey Campbell

If there’s an art to blending together a dark comedy, then the Coen Brothers Fargo is a masterpiece. The crime comedy is sometimes hilarious, other times harrowing, but it never feels jarring. It’s the kind of tone that has been imitated by the likes of Martin McDonagh with last years Three Billboards, but Fargo maintains a consistent and genuine feeling throughout. The 1996 film remains one of the Coen Brothers crowning achievements, for its truly unique take on the crime genre.

Jerry Lundegaard (a sad, yet despicable William H. Macy) is in severe financial trouble, so severe that he hires criminals (talkative and charming Steve Buscemi and silently lethal Peter Stormare) to “kidnap” his wife so that her wealthy father will pay a hefty ransom, which the criminals and Jerry would split. The criminals get into serious trouble, which introduces pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (Academy Award winning Frances McDormand) into the mix.

As much as the characters are so delightfully realized, the films “main” character is its setting. Roger Deakins Academy Award nominated cinematography shines as cold, distant, and clinical, while Minnesotan accents create depth and realism in an otherwise fantastically crazy story. Fargo is a modern classic for good reason.

Buy here: Fargo [Blu-ray] by 20th Century Fox