Miller’s Crossing, one of the greatest gangster movies ever made, is an extremely underrated movie created by The Coen Brothers. As one of the best directing duos of all time, The Coen Brothers have directed classic films such as The Big Lebowski, Inside Llewyn Davis, Fargo, and No Country for Old Men. Joel and Ethan Coen have directed a total of 20 films together beginning with the 1984 neo-noir crime film Blood Simple.
Following their feature film debut, the Coen Brothers’ sophomore effort was the 1987 crime comedy Raising Arizona, which remains one of Nicolas Cage’s most iconic roles. They then went on to direct the showbiz comedy Barton Fink, the satirical comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the black comedy Burn After Reading, and the instant classic Western True Grit. The Coen Brothers’ last joint effort was 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
The Coen Brothers’ Miller’s Crossing Is One Of The Best Gangster Movies Ever Made
It won nearly universal praise from critics
While the Coen Brothers are mostly recognized for their Oscar-winning films such as No Country for Old Men and Fargo, their underrated film Miller’s Crossing is quietly one of the best gangster movies ever made. With a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s one of the most critically acclaimed movies in the Coen Brothers’ filmography. Peter Traves of Rolling Stone said of Miller’s Crossing, “The Coens’ take on Depression-era gangster flicks, looks gorgeous and showcases John Turturro’s best acting ever.”
Related 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Miller’s Crossing Miller’s Crossing, the Coen brothers’ third feature, is wildly different than others in their filmography. We share off-camera fun facts.
Most critics agree that Miller’s Crossing is one of the greatest gangster films ever made. Variety wrote in their review, “Substance is here in spades, along with the twisted, brilliantly controlled style on which filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen made a name.” Renowned film critic Robert Ebert wrote in his review, “Miller’s Crossing is not quite as successful as it should be” acknowledging it as a fiercely underrated movie despite its exceptional quality.
Why Isn’t Miller’s Crossing Discussed On The Same Level As Other Beloved Gangster Movies
The Coen Brothers were still years away from their best-known works
Miller’s Crossing has an outstanding ensemble cast led by frequent collaborators John Turturro, Gabriel Byrne, and Steve Buscemi. Even though Miller’s Crossing received high critical acclaim upon its release, the movie was a box office failure, earning just under $5 million against an estimated production budget of $10-14 million.
These key factors likely played a major role in keeping Miller’s Crossing out of the pool of definitive gangster classics like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Scarface. Since the Coen Brothers didn’t have a big box office hit until the release of Fargo, it makes sense that Miller’s Crossing wasn’t an immediate success despite its high praise.