‎The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) directed by Joel Coen • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

The Hudsucker Proxy

1994 Directed by Joel Coen

They took him for a fall guy... but he threw them for a hoop.

A naive business graduate is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam.

Tim Robbins Jennifer Jason Leigh Paul Newman Charles Durning John Mahoney Jim True-Frost Bill Cobbs Bruce Campbell Harry Bugin Joe Grifasi Steve Buscemi Anna Nicole Smith Joanne Pankow Thom Noble Stan Adams John Seitz Roy Brocksmith I.M. Hobson Jon Polito John Goodman Colin Fickes Todd Alcott Richard Schiff Roderick Peeples

111 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by matt lynch ★★★★½

Time is a flat circle.
Review by Arielrocks5 ★★★★★ 22

"The Hudsucker Proxy" is something I can only describe as.......I, honestly don't know. I'm joking. I've been having the hardest time trying to come up with what to say about this movie.

There's just something about it that keeps me from figuring out the perfect words to properly describe it. It's a dark screwball comedy with plenty of the typical things you'd expect from a Coen brother's production (Along with co writer Sam Raimi) but, I don't know what it was, I just, couldn't get enough of it.

There's this weird charm to it that lasts throughout a the entire run time that I never wanted it to end and even if I knew where most of the story beats…
Review by Steve G ★★★★ 10

Easy As ABC

"I need unguent" - Steve G Does The Coens

I'd like a tickbox when I do Letterboxd reviews marked 'This review isn't really about this film at all and is of no use to you at all if you were looking for an opinion on this film'. I would probably end up ticking that a lot.

I would definitely have been in with a great chance of ticking that box with The Hudsucker Proxy - and I think I would have been considering doing it after just a couple of minutes of Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance. I would like to know at what point she is going to be recognised as the outstanding actor that she is…
Review by Disgustipated ★★★★★

Between this and The Big Short, it inspired this list Ive put together:

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore list
Review by Emily Housel ★★★★

Better than Meet John Doe. The only way to do old hollywood. This was so much fun.
"You know... for kids!"
Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★½

"You know, for kids!"

Misunderstood period comedy from the Coen brothers which was panned on its release. While it's certainly not up to the standard set by the duo's other works, it's also much better than critics would have you believe. Great unity of visual composition (the shots of the Hudsucker board room and the mail room as well as the shot straight down the front of the building are all structurally identical), and Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh are a delight.

Recent reviews

Review by Alan HalloweenFury ★★★★★

The script, performances & direction on display here are up there with the best. Easily one of my favourite Coen Brothers films and that's saying something as I love all of their work. A true classic that gets better with each passing year.
Review by Alexander Halladay ★★★★½

Oh what can be said about you that hasn't been said before, forgotten step-child of the Coen Brothers. Your wit, your Gilliam-esque aesthetic, your beautiful incorporation of the classic Coen themes of simple men with simple ideas standing unknowingly against great cosmic perils. It's a great movie, but not a first choice.

Recommended Format- VOD/Streaming
Recommended Snack- Classic Popcorn
Review by Rinku ★★★½

Anfang und Ende waren fantastisch mit der richtigen Kombination aus Humor und Storytelling. Nur die Mitte flacht ab.
Review by matt lynch ★★★★½

Time is a flat circle.
Review by Nicholas Imperatori ★★★★½

You know...for kids

Criminally underrated, The Hudsucker Proxy is a terrific dark screwball comedy only the Coen brothers and Sam Raimi could create. It has a great script, really good performances (most notably from Tim Robbins and Paul Newman), and a unique visual style. The Hudsucker Proxy may not be the Coen's best film, but it gives those films a run for their money.

Coen brothers: Ranked
Review by Pedro ★★★★

"I wanna know everything about this guy! Has he got a girl? Has he got parents?"
"Everybody has parents."
"HOW MANY???"

the coen brothers at their most absurd and over the top. i mean, this makes Burn After Reading seem grounded and serious. their biggest win here is taking a handful of familiar story beats and archetypes but twisting them with the insanity the brothers are well known for. this, along with joel's great direction, makes for a movie that, while being what most consider one of their "low tier" films, never for a second stops being funny

oh and also, jennifer jason leigh is an absolute goddess
Review by Leo (Willem) van der Zanden ★★★★

Short Review

Added to: Coen Brothers Ranked

"You know... for kids!"

The Coen brothers genius riff on Citizen Kane turned out to be one of their most hilarious, bonkers, and visually stunning films out there. With it's hyper-cinematic first and third act, introducing the character and his wild life-to-be and the eventual downfall from the top he reached, this is almost undeniably a meta-textual play on the themes of the aforementioned classic it so heavily pays tribute to. With its fast-talking caricatures, tight editing and cinematography and beyond stellar production design, the Coens have made a hilarious spoof of 40's Hollywood cinema while simultaneously telling a story that's as touching as one about the lifeline of succes can be. It…
Review by Jeff Knight ★★★★

a fast talking jennifer jason leigh can slap me any day
Review by Simon Lange ★★★½

Ehhh. Hard film to review, that's for sure...

Funny as hell. Real' funny. Real' weird. Weird as hell. Surrealistic as hell. Real' surrealistic. Real' stupid. Stupid as hell.