O Brother, Where Art Thou?

"They have a plan, but not a clue."

2000 1h 47m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

🍅

78%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.7

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 4,779🍅78%Rotten Tomatoes●69Metacritic★7.7IMDB · 349,722

AdventureComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.

“They have a plan, but not a clue.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

George Clooney
Everett
John Turturro
Pete Hogwallop
Tim Blake Nelson
Delmar O'Donnell
John Goodman
Big Dan Teague
Holly Hunter
Penny
Chris Thomas King
Tommy Johnson
Charles Durning
Pappy O'Daniel
Del Pentecost
Junior O'Daniel

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joel Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, J. Todd Anderson
Languages: English
Countries: France, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

272+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joel Coen, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by T Bone Burnett. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ethan Coen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

George Clooney and John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They have a plan, but not a clue.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joel Coen directs. Roger Deakins behind the camera. T Bone Burnett scores. Ethan Coen cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in France, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

126 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 3 countries: France, United Kingdom, United States of America.
3272+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Joel Coen, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by T Bone Burnett. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ethan Coen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7George Clooney and John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "They have a plan, but not a clue.".
9IMDB entry: tt0190590 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "music record", "country music", "based on novel or book", "prophecy".
11Released under 16 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Original score: T Bone Burnett
Editing: Ethan Coen
Production design: Dennis Gassner
Costume design: Mary Zophres
Makeup / hair: Amy Schmiederer
Sound: Skip Lievsay
Stunt coordinator: Jery Hewitt
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $26,000,000
Box office: $71,877,090
Return: 276% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes: 78% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 69/100
IMDB rating: 7.7/10 · 349,722 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 8 wins & 38 nominations total

Also by

Joel Coen

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2021-07-22
★ 6/10
Amusing rural Mississippi odyssey in the 30s During the Depression, three guys escape a chain gang in Mississippi (George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro) to experience many misadventures with a blind prophet, a gifted musician (Chris Thomas King), a radio station, baby-face Nelson (Michael Badalucco), baptism in a river, “sirens,” a one-eyed Bible salesmen (John Goodman), an ex-wife (Holly Hunter), the KKK, corrupt politicians and an area with hidden treasure about to be flooded. A Coen brothers film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) is a farcical odyssey taking place in the Deep South of the 1930s. The cast is entertaining, which also includes the likes of Daniel von Bargen. It’s quirky and amusing augmented by its setting and locations, not to mention one of my wife’s favorite movies (possibly because Clooney was in his prime). In ways, it’s like “Deliverance” (1972) if it were a comedy, just mixed with “Cool Hand Luke” (1967) and a dash of Homer’s Odyssey. I like it, but don’t love it; it’s fun, no doubt, but also kinda forgettable. Yet the song “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” is well done and catchy. The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was shot mostly in Mississippi, plus some stuff done at Universal Studios. GRADE: B-
Andre Gonzales2023-07-21
★ 6/10
Weird convicts that escape. With no money they try to find treasure. Has some weird comedy as well. Good cast though.
CinemaSerf2025-03-19
★ 7/10
Having just escaped from a chain gang, the eloquent “Everett” (George Clooney) and the two men who share his chain - “Pete” (John Turturro) and the not so bright “Delmar” (Tim Blake Nelson) set off on a journey to find his $1.2 millions in treasure buried in the ground in an area designated to be flooded to generate hydro-electric power. First things first, they have to get the chains off and that’s just the start of their escapades as they meet some of the eccentric folks that live in 1930s Mississippi. Along the way they encounter the mad-as-cheese bank robber “Babyface” Nelson (Michael Badalucco), distinctly dodgy bible salesman “Big Dan” (John Goodman); they meet travelling minstrel “Tommy” (Chris Thomas King) and he helps them to make a record for a blind radio host and they even manage to meet with some very tempting ladies doing their laundry on ricks in a stream! The whole thing is very, and I mean very, loosely based on Homer’s post Trojan war “Odyssey” and if you’re familiar with that text, then you can just about see the narrative as the story proceeds and certainly when you look back on it. If you don’t, well it doesn’t matter at all - this is still a comedy-laden and sharply written take on three people motivated by money in the first instance, but who come to realise that there is more to life than a dollar bill. It also transfers the ancient scenario quite entertainingly, politically, too - taking a fun pop at the gubernatorial race between an hopeless but exuberant incumbent flour merchant and the red-robed leader of the local branch of the KKK, and it also presents us with some toe-tappers from three men who work well together on a road-trip with a difference. This is probably my favourite outing for Clooney as he delivers some of his almost Homerian dialogue with charming sarcastic wit and skill. It’s enjoyable, this, and well worth a cinema viewing if you can.