The Coen Brothers' first foray into feature film is a darker, more brooding affair than usual. 'Blood Simple. (1984)' features less fanciful dialogue and more slow-burning tension and when it works, it really works. Its blistering, nail-biting finale is a real highlight of the piece, as well as the eclectic directors' career. Often there are long stretches where I was honestly starting to get a little bored, though. This is down to is mostly down to a lax pacing that give the flick a laid-back and loose feel but contributes to a lull in excitement on more than one occasion. Still, the moments that stand out are really good. 6/10