Fargo
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · Crime · Drama · Thriller · 98 min · 1996
Trailer
Director
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Writer
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Studio
Working Title Films
Release
05 Apr 1996
Runtime
98 min
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Full Plot
Jerry works in his father-in-law's car dealership and has gotten himself in financial problems. He tries various schemes to come up with money needed for a reason that is never really explained. It has to be assumed that his huge embezzlement of money from the dealership is about to be discovered by father-in-law. When all else falls through, plans he set in motion earlier for two men to kidnap his wife for ransom to be paid by her wealthy father (who doesn't seem to have the time of day for son-in-law). From the moment of the kidnapping, things go wrong and what was supposed to be a non-violent affair turns bloody with more blood added by the minute. Jerry is upset at the bloodshed, which turns loose a pregnant sheriff from Brainerd, MN who is tenacious in attempting to solve the three murders in her jurisdiction.
Cast & Characters
Jerry Lundegaard
William H. Macy
Marge Gunderson
Frances McDormand
Carl Showalter
Steve Buscemi
Wade Gustafson
Harve Presnell
Gaear Grimsrud
Peter Stormare
Jean Lundegaard
Kristin Rudrüd
Scotty Lundegaard
Tony Denman
Shep Proudfoot
Steve Reevis
Stan Grossman
Larry Brandenburg
Norm Gunderson
John Carroll Lynch
Mike Yanagita
Steve Park
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $7.0M, Fargo has grossed $60.6M worldwide — about 8.7x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Fargo holds an approval rating of 95% based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 8.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Fargo was filmed during the winter of 1995, mainly in the Minneapolis-St.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Fargo holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (780,547 votes), 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 88/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 2, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (780,547 votes), 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 88/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fargo's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Fargo holds a 95% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Fargo's IMDb rating?+
Fargo has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 780,547 votes.
What is Fargo's Metacritic score?+
Fargo has a Metascore of 88/100 on Metacritic.
Is Fargo good? What are critics saying?+
Fargo holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (780,547 votes), 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 88/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Fargo?+
Fargo has a runtime of 98 min.
Who directed Fargo?+
Fargo was directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen.
Where can I watch Fargo?+
Fargo is available to stream, rent, or buy on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "Fargo" has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging storyline and strong performances, while others found it to be overly simplistic or lacking in humor. The film's dated tone and lack of subtlety have led to criticisms that it fails to deliver a nuanced portrayal of the characters.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Great watch, could watch again, and can recommend. It is very sad that this happened to people, but the way the story is told is so good that I felt like that sadness melted away fairly quickly. This movie holds up after 25 years, and it is dated, but with cellphones the story wo…
I didn't enjoy is as much as I thought I would, but <em>'Fargo'</em> is still very good and something I'd obviously recommend. I like the cast here, even if it is a bit of a Frances McDormand carryjob to be honest - she is terrific all the way through, absolutely nailing the role…
r96sk · 8/10**An excellent film, although the comedy is so watered down and so sarcastic that it's not funny to most people.** When I saw this movie for the first time, a few years ago, I didn't understand it, and it annoyed me a lot. However, I've always heard good things about it, and afte…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 8/10Saw this again recently for it's anniversary, or 4k conversion, - who cares what the reason was, it was just great to see it up on the bg screen again. In my view, it's easily the best of efforts from both the Coen brothers and from the formidable Frances McDormand. Here, she is…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
This trailer did a heck-o-va job depicting this movie. Light hearted dummies and comedy and maybe a little bit of seriousness. Oh geez!
@Camaro69z · 284 likesBasically, it's about a guy who thinks he can get away with the perfect crime. Y'know, squeeze the law a little and nothing happens. But he somehow forgets the *other* law. The law that says "What can go wrong will go wrong".
@williamcrowe2576 · 1115 likes"Circumstances have changed, Jerry. bLoOd hAs ShEd JeRrY" always gets me
@firiel2366 · 284 likesWilliam H Macy should have won a Oscar for this... he's absolutely belting... a squirming little tucker... he plays it brilliantly
@johnhunt5181 · 20 likesThis is what we can call a perfect art direction.
@Rubrasileiro · 142 likesThis film is hilarious and yet I find myself tearing up a little bit when we get to the part of Marge's monologue at the end. I just start thinking about Scotty and how his life is destroyed and I think about the power of love and how Marge and Norm are content with their love, e…
@SomethingSomethingg · 39 likesFrances McDormand was amazing in this. She says so much with her eyes, like when she’s questioning Jerry in his office and he’s sweating, you can see it she’s thinking “okay now, somethin just isn’t right with you sir.” A perfect example of how you don’t have to be just physicall…
@bluestrife28 · 134 likesBasically it’s to see how “Far” things will “Go”
@xrsixstgaming2944 · 256 likes
