Film

Inside Llewyn Davis

Name: Inside Llewyn Davis
Genre: Drama, Music
Released: 2013
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Ethan Phillips, Robin Bartlett

A week in the life of a talented, exhausting folk singer trudging through freezing 1961 Greenwich Village, sofa to sofa, gig to gig, going nowhere fast. The Coens strip their usual cosmic jokes down to something colder and sadder: a portrait of near-genius that never quite breaks through, scored by gorgeous, mournful music. For anyone who's ever wondered what happens to the almost-good.

TMDb rating

7.2

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Barton Fink1991

The Coens' earlier study of a stubborn artist trapped in a hostile world, all clammy hotel rooms and surreal dread. Same directors, same interest in talent that curdles into misery.

But It's stranger and more nightmarish than Llewyn Davis — less melancholy, more full-blown Kafka fever dream.

The Wrestler2008

Mickey Rourke as a washed-up performer circling the same disappointments, unable to leave the only life he knows. A brutal, tender companion piece about talent with nowhere left to go.

But Far more physically punishing and emotionally raw — this one hits like a body blow, not a shrug.

A Serious Man2009no page yet

The Coens' other portrait of a decent man getting quietly demolished by the universe. Same dry, cosmic cruelty, same refusal to hand out easy redemption.

But More overtly comic and Jewish-theological in its concerns — a different flavour of despair, if you're after more Llewyn specifically.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Searching for Sugar Man2012

Llewyn Davis is fiction's version of the artist history almost erased; this is the true story of one it eventually, miraculously, didn't.

A real-life detective story about a musician who vanished into obscurity after one great, unnoticed record — until decades later, someone finally goes looking for him.

But It's a documentary, so the tone and rhythms are completely different — investigative and joyous rather than moody and observational.

Frances Ha2013

Another broke, talented drifter bouncing around a city's couches and coincidences, shot in gorgeous black and white. Lighter on its feet than Llewyn, but circling the same question about art and adulthood.

But Warmer and more forgiving of its heroine — if you want Llewyn's specific bleakness, this will feel almost cheerful by comparison.

Almost Famous2000

A sweeter, sunnier look at the music industry just a decade on from Llewyn's Village, full of the romance he never gets to feel. Great for the soundtrack-lover in you.

But Nostalgic and affectionate where Llewyn is clear-eyed and cold — this one loves the scene it's depicting.

Crazy Heart2009

Jeff Bridges as a fading country musician scraping by on charm and bad decisions. A more conventional, redemptive cousin to Llewyn's stalled career.

But Ends up somewhere gentler and more hopeful — the Coens would never let Llewyn off this easy.

I'm Not There2007

A kaleidoscopic, six-actor Dylan biopic that captures the same Village folk scene from a stranger angle, treating myth-making itself as the subject.

But Deliberately fragmented and abstract — if you want a clean narrative, this will frustrate you.

A Mighty Wind2003

Christopher Guest's gentle mockumentary send-up of the folk revival, for when you need to laugh at the scarves and earnestness Llewyn takes so seriously.

But Broad, silly, and affectionate — a palate cleanser rather than a companion piece, tonally miles from the original.

Paterson2016

A quiet, plotless week with a bus-driving poet who makes no money and seeks no fame, content to just keep writing. A gentler answer to Llewyn's restlessness.

But Almost aggressively peaceful — if you found Llewyn's misery gripping, this film's contentment might feel like nothing happens at all.

Cléo from 5 to 71962

Same year, same idea — a singer's identity crisis played out through aimless walking through a city that doesn't much care.

A French pop singer wanders Paris in real time, killing hours while waiting on news that might end her life — a day-in-the-life about art, fear, and the city, shot the same year Llewyn's story is set.

But Subtitled French New Wave with almost no plot in the traditional sense — it asks for patience, not payoff.

Groundhog Day1993

Llewyn's film literally loops back to where it started; Groundhog Day just makes that circular structure the entire joke, and the way out explicit.

A comedy about a man trapped repeating the same day until he changes something fundamental about himself — funnier, warmer, but wrestling with the exact same trap.

But It's broad studio comedy with a tidy happy ending — about as far from the Coens' bleak humor as you can get.