Blood Simple

Friday, July 3 - Wednesday, July 8, 2026

SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and first IFP West Spirit Award for directing, this witty neo-noir launched the Coen brothers into the indie cinema canon. The film’s iconic status is anchored by Frances McDormand’s remarkable screen debut, a famously eerie performance by M. Emmet Walsh, Carter Burwell’s score, and Barry Sonnenfeld’s stylish cinematography. The Blood Simple title, taken from Dashiell Hammett’s 1929 novel, Red Harvest, nods to the movie’s noir cred. Time Out described it as “Hugely enjoyable…a maelstrom of misunderstanding that spreads guilt and fear like a plague through the characters.”

Screening as part of our series Declaration of Independents!

See more and save! Get an Independents Pack ($30 for IFC Center members and $45 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any three screenings in the series.

Previously screened as part of our midnight series Late Night Favorites: Winter 2024-2025

  • Country USA
  • Year 1984
  • Running Time 99 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor Janus
  • Director Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
  • Cast John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.