The Coens rarely seem completely serious, but there is such art and erudition to their work (and always the visual presentation) that their movies acquire the weight of substance.
Comment
10/15/09
Rate this Movie 
A Serious Man (2009)
87
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work
Reviews Counted:165
Fresh:144
Rotten:21
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Blending dark humor with profoundly personal themes, the Coen brothers deliver what might be their most mature -- if not their best -- film to date.
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Oct 2, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $8,717,516
Synopsis: Imaginatively exploring questions of faith, familial responsibility, delinquent behavior, dental phenomena, academia, mortality, and Judaism - and intersections thereof - A Serious Man is the new... [More]
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "SAVE" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Reviews for A Serious Man
A classic black comic strangling by the Coens, who leave no domestic discomfort behind. In fact, all this film contains is unease, making it a perfect itchy sweater film for those who enjoy their cinema on the suffocating side.
10/15/09
Is A Serious Man funny? Absolutely — but in much the same way as the old joke about a fellow who loved to hit his own head because it felt so good when he stopped.
10/14/09
Sort of a modern day setting for the Book of Job, although the acting is exceptional this is probably too esoteric to appeal to a wide audience.
10/13/09
A masterpiece; maybe even their best since Fargo. It is certainly the most deeply felt.
10/12/09
It's a movie that rewards repeat viewings: Go in with an open mind the first time and a more focused mind the second and reap the rewards.
10/11/09
A Serious Man isn't the story of Joel and Ethan Coen's lives. But you might not know it. While the brothers continue to turn their films into Hollywood gold, this 1967-set black comedy is among the more personal projects in their repertoire.
10/11/09
In one of the best directed films of 2009, the Coen Brothers use techniques that actually fit the frustrating mood of the film as opposed to using them just for a cool shot.
10/09/09
It's the best film of their careers.
10/09/09
Top CriticHumor and empathy alike have trouble flourishing in the grim narrative soil the Coens provide, in which every cosmic joke is a black one.
10/09/09
Top CriticIt's fair to ask - even beyond the gargoyles and caricatures who pass for Jewish people in the film - what the point of it all was.
10/09/09
The Coen brothers have done it again. They've made one of the best films of their already spectacular careers.
10/09/09
A Serious Man is no more special than a Jennifer Aniston movie.
10/09/09
The brothers Coen deliver a taut, vastly entertaining dissertation on the imbalance of life.
10/09/09
It’s a story that begins in an ancient riddle and ends, perfectly, in the rumble of an oncoming storm.
10/09/09
It's hard to love a movie that makes you feel anxious and miserable, and yet it's impossible not to respect a movie that has that power.
10/09/09
Top CriticIt's all about the uncertainty of life, yet the film itself is very certain, carefully crafted, impeccably written and acted.
10/08/09
Joel and Ethan Coen show how good they are at collecting their esoteric ideas and putting them on display in a meaningful way.
10/08/09
A Serious Man is exquisitely, perhaps even flawlessly, realized. If one were to say that the Coens have stopped evolving as filmmakers, it is only because one cannot improve upon perfection.
10/08/09
A brilliant and bracingly original work that is funny and thought provoking in equal measure
10/08/09
Latest News for A Serious Man
October 19, 2009:
Total Recall: The Best-Reviewed Coen Brothers Films
For more than two decades now, Joel and Ethan Coen have been thrilling critics -- and, here and there, audiences -- with their distinctive blend of dark humor, colorful... More...
October 01, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Zombieland Is Bloody Good
This week at the movies, we've got zombie zaniness (Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg); derby dolls (Whip it, starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page);... More...
September 25, 2009:
Friday Harvest: A Serious Man, Up in the Air, and more!
Happy Friday Harvest, a weekly round-up of the best pictures, posters, and videos that have become available for viewing/download on Rotten Tomatoes. Each section features the... More...
September 09, 2009:
Buzz Builds for Toronto International Film Festival Offerings 
It'll feature more than 250 films from 60 countries, but don't feel overwhelmed -- the Los Angeles Times is here to help you sift through what's on offer at this year's Toronto... More...
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
Best Sci-Fi This Decade
Techland lists the best Sci-Fi films of this decade.
40 Worst Films of the 2000s
Moviefone takes a look back at the biggest stinkers of the past 10 years.
10 Questions For Zac Efron
The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.
Best Decade Ever!
Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill offers his thoughts on what the best decade for film was.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
In the AV Club's "Scenic Routes," Mike D'Angelo reminisces about the Tim Burton film.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
IGN RSS Feeds