Considered a landmark of the American indie film movement, the Coen Brothers' debut feature BLOOD SIMPLE ('84) mixes classic elements of noir with pulp fiction and horror. See it tonight as we continue our Friday Night Neo-Noir series at 8pm ET. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

Blood Simple landed in 1984, the Coen brothers’ first feature and a lean Texas noir set around a bar near Austin. The plot’s simple on the surface: a jealous husband, a crooked private eye, and a couple trying to slip free. One bad move turns into a chain of double-crosses, paranoia, and late-night violence. Frances McDormand makes her screen debut, and M. Emmet Walsh brings that sweaty, unhinged edge as the PI. Shot on a small budget with big style, it’s all shadows, neon, and slow-burn tension