Blood Simple is a contemporary noir thriller in which a woman commits adultery and her estranged husband hires a killer to exact revenge. Blackmail, violence and mistaken assumptions lead to an unexpected climax. Raising Arizona concerns a veteran criminal who marries a prison guard. Because the couple can't conceive, they kidnap one of the 'Arizona Quintuplets'. A bounty-hunter biker and his two pals who have just escaped from prison raise the stakes to a particularly violent level. These early films herald the promise that was brought to fruition in Barton Fink and Fargo . The work of Joel and Ethan Coen has a unique wit and verbal dexterity that makes these screenplays a joy to read.