A Simple Plan (1998)

A haunting journey into the darkness of men's souls, and women's. The film carries us to the brink of evil and plunges over the edge as we guiltily standby.

Wonderfully contrasting ignorant and educated, the winter landscape and the cozy home, the rule of law and personal moral choices - A Simple Plan is a study in assumptions and human behaviour.

All of the acting in the film is tremendous and we can tell that people fought tooth and nail to be a part of this project. Billy Bob Thornton is especially sympathetic as the village idiot and Bridget Fonda chills us with her cool, objective rationalizing. We are Bill Paxton, forced to choose between conscience, law, wife, and brother.

I didn't enjoy this film when I saw it 7 years ago and I don't think I really enjoyed it this time, but I was spellbound. It gripped me and interrogated me and bluntly asked me what I would do in Bill Paxton's shoes. My answer - I would probably have nightmares.

IMDB