pure black comedy

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2016)

It is the winter of 1987, and Jerry Lundegaard (Macy), the sales manager at a Minneapolis Oldsmobile dealership, is desperate for money. He floated a $320,000 GMAC loan to cover up his embezzlements from dealership bank accounts, collateralizing it with nonexistent dealership vehicles, and GMAC is asking questions. Dealership mechanic and paroled ex-convict Shep Proudfoot (Steve Reevis) refers him to an old partner in crime, Gaear Grimsrud (Stormare). Jerry travels to Fargo, North Dakota, towing a new car from his dealership's lot, and hires Gaear and Carl Showalter (Buscemi) to kidnap his wife, Jean (Kristin RudrÃ¼d), and extort a ransom from his wealthy father-in-law and boss, Wade Gustafson (Presnell), in return for the dealership car and half of the $80,000 ransom.
Back in Minneapolis, Jerry pitches Gustafson a lucrative real estate deal. Gustafson checks with his accountant, Stan Grossman (Larry Brandenburg), and agrees to front $750,000. Jerry considers calling off the kidnapping, but it is already in motion. Then, he learns that Gustafson and Grossman plan to make the deal themselves, leaving Jerry a paltry finder's fee. At Jerry's home, Carl and Gaear carry out an inept and violent kidnapping. As they transport Jean to their remote cabin hideout on Moose Lake, a state trooper pulls them over outside Brainerd for driving without the required temporary tags over the dealership plates. When the trooper notices a whimpering, blanket-covered body in the back seat, Gaear kills him. Two passing motorists spot Carl disposing of the body; Gaear chases them down and shoots them as well.