"The American Dream... in a duffle bag."
I'm always amazed by how far a character can be pushed, how violent their actions become, how crazy their choices seem to be, and yet we still root for them. Perhaps movies like A Simple Plan explore our deep, dark secret desires. They bring to light some pretty sinister personalities lurking beneath the surface. Director Sam Raimi wisely uses a similar aesthetic that the Coen Bros utilized in Fargo to create an atmospheric thriller. It feels like this could all be happening in your backyard, and that's one of the big advantages of the film. The characters aren't cartoonish villains or formulaic bad guys. They're "ordinary people" doing horrible things. That's what makes A Simple Plan compelling.
"Nobody'd ever believe that you'd be capable of doing what you've done."
Here, it's as if the characters have set in motion some force that's beyond control (a theme present in other of the director's films). And they think they have total control over it. The film is about how complex a seemingly flawless plan can turn out to be. Nothing is simple. Everything has a story behind it. It's captivating, but challenging. We witness the lengths to which the characters will go to cover their bloody footprints in the snow.
4.5 out of 5
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