re: Favorite Coen brothers movie?

Every Coen brothers movie is good. They are far and away my favorite directors. I avoided Burn after Reading because the trailer was bad. It’s actually a really good movie.

To answer the question of which one you should watch next, it’s Raising Arizona. And it’s not even close. It’s basically a “What if the Coen brothers made a movie version of My Name is Earl starring Nicolas Cage set in the 1980s.” Except it came first of course. Everything about it is great. Cast. Soundtrack. Dialogue. Story. Humor.

As much a classic as The Big Lebowski.

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And im ashamed to say ive never seen A serious man, Barton Fink, Burn after reading, Raising Arizona.

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I don't know how would we even have a Coen discussion without Raising Arizona and Barton Fink. Really, Burn After Reading (which on a good day might be my favorite), too, but I get that is kind of a break point for "old school" Coen versus the newer stuff.

No Country is almost certainly their objectively "best" film and I would probably concede that is my favorite. Big Lebowski is probably the most rewatchable (although most are and both Raising Arizona and O Brother are arguably equally rewatchable). Barton Fink is likely their most successful "ambitious" film and Hail Caesar! is the one the missed the mark the most (IMHO, and I enjoyed it).

As far as my favorite, that's like picking one of my children. I love Blood Simple, for example, because it is so stripped down and straightforward - an unpretentious neo noir. Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink have incredible acting showcased. O Brother is great fun (very watchable as well, but like I said, I think most of their movies fit this label).

I don't think that Hudsucker Proxy and Intolerable Cruelty have aged particularly well and they feel "off" compared to most other Coen "comedies" (along with Inside Llewyn Davis which, while not feeling dated, is in that "off" category). But, I could sit and watch them right now and enjoy them.

Likewise, for their "non-comedic" films, I'm not particularly enamored of The Man Who Wasn't There, although I enjoyed.

The Ladykillers and True Grit are remakes and, IMHO, an entirely different category as is the anthology Buster Scruggs.

Going through the chronology - I've all all the films from Blood Simple through O Brother several times (of course they're all 20 to 30 years old). Of the remainder, I've only seen No Country and Burn After Reading more than once.

No way I can do an exact order, and obviously have not seen them all, so this ranking is rough:
Tier one
Raising Arizona
No Country
O'Brother
Fargo

Tier two
True Grit
Miller's
A Serious man

Tier 3
Blood Simple(Loved it the first view, but didn't think as much of it upon later viewings-still a must see)

Tier 4
The Big Lebowski - possibly the most overrated movie in entertainment history.

I love most of their films

Millers Crossing is my personal favorite

One half of the team, Ethan Coen, wrote a movie with his wife, with Ethan directing, that is currently in theaters, called Drive-Away Dolls. It has the quirkiness but not the cleverness of a Coen Brothers movie. Not sure I would recommend it, unless you like watching a lot of lesbian action.

And I have just learned that Ethan and his wife have a very weird relationship.

them.us/story/ethan-coen-tricia-cooke-drive-away-dolls-queer-non-traditional-marriage

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Cooke has long collaborated with Ethan Coen on the films he made with his older brother and former directing partner Joel

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so are "the coen brothers" a done deal?

1. Miller's Crossing
2. Big Lebowski
3. Raising Arizona
4. Barton Fink
5. Hudsucker Proxy

This is a tough one… Fargo is a favorite of mine but No Country is just that damn good.

As far as their works, I’ve seen most of them at least through True Grit.

My lack of watching them after that isn’t due to quality as much as a lack of time / opportunity since most of these aren’t exactly kid oriented.