--- title: "A Simple Plan: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-simple-plan/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-simple-plan" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Simple Plan (1998): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 15 reviews: 15 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. All fifteen reviews are favourable, and most of them make the same case: that Raimi, known for camera acrobatics, here sets the tricks aside and directs a quiet, cold crime drama about three ordinary men and a fortune found in a crashed plane. Several call it his best or most mature film. The praise settles on the cast above everything. Billy Bob Thornton’s Jacob, the slow, wistful brother, is named in nearly every review, with Bill Paxton’s everyman lead close behind and Bridget Fonda mentioned less often. The spread is narrow, running from solid approval to outright acclaim, with nothing below. Reservations are small. Eye for Film finds the story well written but predictable and misses the macabre streak of Raimi’s horror films. The comparison to Fargo runs through many of the reviews; The Times thinks the film unfairly overshadowed by it, and The AV Club argues it has a warmer heart than the Coens allow themselves. ## RogerEbert.com Rating 4/4. 2 January 2019. The critic calls it Raimi’s best film, a subtle and restrained crime drama that stands out from his usual style. They praise the flawless cast, especially Paxton, Thornton, and Fonda, and Raimi’s effective use of tension and setting without exaggeration. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/a-simple-plan-isnt-your-typical-sam-raimi-movie-and-thats-why-its-his-best) ## Sight and Sound — Philip Kemp Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 1999. The critic calls it Raimi's finest film to date for its emotional power, subtlety and complex characters whose fates matter, in contrast to his earlier work. It singles out the strongly individualised lead performances, especially Bill Paxton's and Billy Bob Thornton's, and the film's stern morality for praise. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/134) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 May 2022. The critic praises the film's uncommon restraint and emotional power as a sad crime thriller about ordinary men undone by greed, calling it possibly Raimi's best and highlighting career-best work from Paxton and Thornton. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2022/05/a-simple-plan-sam-raimi-doctor-strange.html) ## Empire — Andrew Collins Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 1999. The critic praises the film as a chilly, engrossing and human character piece that marks Raimi's maturation as a director. He singles out the strong performances, particularly Billy Bob Thornton's as the dim-witted Jacob. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/simple-plan-2-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Jack Mathews Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 1998. The critic praises the taut adaptation of the novel and Raimi’s restrained direction, which focuses on the characters’ moral deterioration rather than visual excess. Thornton’s performance as the simple-minded brother stands out as particularly compelling. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-11-ca-52762-story.html) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 1999. The review calls it a dark, dense thriller that replaces Raimi's earlier visual pyrotechnics with mature craftsmanship and a cracking story. It singles out the gripping dramatisation of greed's destructive effects and Billy Bob Thornton's standout performance. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-simple-plan-review/) ## The AV Club — Joshua Klein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The critic notes that Raimi's restrained direction allows the strong cast to shine in this bleak thriller about greed unraveling ordinary lives, praising its human heart and complex performances unlike the colder Coen brothers style. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-simple-plan-1798195671) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 11 December 1998. The critic finds the film a quietly devastating thriller about ordinary people whose discovery of a fortune leads to an inescapable moral spiral. Strong performances, especially by Paxton and Thornton, anchor the bleak winter tale. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/11/movies/film-review-a-frozen-setting-frames-a-chilling-tale.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 January 2010. The critic calls it a cleverly convoluted Sam Raimi crime thriller, unfairly overshadowed by Fargo. They single out its focus on the corrosive power of greed and the heartbreaking, inevitable climax between the brothers. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/further-watching-a-simple-plan-s7dt23vzxnq) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic finds that Raimi renders the familiar story of dishonour among thieves fresh through calm, cool assurance and delivers an impressively lean thriller. It singles out the sturdy characterisation and taut plotting for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-simple-plan) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 1998. Festival review. The critic notes the film’s blend of crime drama and Midwestern Gothic elements, comparing it favorably to Fargo while praising Raimi’s shift toward character-driven storytelling. Performances by Paxton and Thornton are highlighted as first-rate. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/a-simple-plan-1200455181/) ## /Film — Joshua Meyer Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2018. The critic calls A Simple Plan perhaps Raimi's most mature and meaningful film, a grounded neo-noir tragedy about ordinary people corrupted by greed that remains tense and mournful two decades later. It singles out the strong performances, especially Bill Paxton's everyman lead and Billy Bob Thornton's Oscar-nominated turn, along with the film's literary weight and focus on human nature over flashy direction. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/562860/a-simple-plan-revisited/) ## Den of Geek Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The piece discusses the film as Raimi's most restrained work, an improvement on the source novel with kinetic elements and a grim exploration of greed, class, and morality in a cold setting influenced by the Coens. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/sam-raimi-a-retrospective/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic finds the film a well-written but predictable tale of ordinary people undone by greed after discovering a fortune in a crashed plane. Raimi directs responsibly with strong performances, especially from Billy Bob Thornton, though it lacks the macabre edge of his horror work. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/a-simple-plan-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## HeyUGuys — Jack Hawkins Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2020. The critic praises Raimi's shift to character-driven drama in this neo-noir thriller about three men who find a fortune and the ensuing moral and personal unraveling. Billy Bob Thornton's nuanced portrayal of the sad, wistful Jacob stands out as particularly compelling. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/a-simple-plan-retrospective/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-simple-plan.md