Rediscover Sam Raimi’s Overlooked Oscar-Nominated Drama Now Available for Free Streaming

“A Simple Plan,” adapted from Scott B. Smith’s 1993 novel, unfolds a gripping tale of three men in Minnesota whose lives spiral out of control after discovering a crashed plane hidden beneath the snow. The trio—modest accountant Hank (played by Bill Paxton), his wayward brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe)—stumble upon a dead body and a duffel bag containing over $4 million. Though it may not frequently surface in discussions today, “A Simple Plan” remains a standout in Raimi’s filmography. Its quality was recognized with two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Billy Bob Thornton) and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 71st Academy Awards.

The path to Raimi’s involvement in “A Simple Plan” was winding, with directors like John Boorman, John Dahl, Mike Nichols, and even Ben Stiller initially attached to various drafts of Smith’s screenplay. The film’s narrative of small-town paranoia starkly contrasts with Raimi’s typical stylistic choices, making the final product all the more remarkable. By setting aside his signature dynamic visuals, Raimi delved deeply into the emotional struggles of his characters, cornered by their dire circumstances.

At its heart, “A Simple Plan” is a gripping neo-noir exploration of temptation, loyalty, and the compounding nature of bad decisions. Drawing parallels with the works of John Huston, John Steinbeck, and William Shakespeare, the film also invites comparisons to the Coen brothers’ iconic crime thriller “Fargo,” which is fitting given Raimi’s friendship with the Coen siblings.

Instead of leaning into his wicked sense of humor, Raimi opts to view his deeply flawed characters through an empathetic lens. There’s a constant sense of melancholy that hangs over the frigid winds, crackling trees and uncomfortable silences they’re enveloped by. In fact, cinematographer Alar Kivilo is as much of a contributor to the uneasy mood of “A Simple Plan” as Raimi and Smith are.

At its core, “A Simple Plan” is a fantastically tense neo-noir film about temptation, loyalty, and how covering up one bad decision with another one can only lead to more trouble. It evokes John Huston, John Steinbeck, and William Shakespeare at times. It isn’t surprising that some folks have also made comparison points with Joel and Ethan Coen’s beloved crime thriller movie “Fargo” considering Raimi is good friends with filmmaker siblings.

Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton had already worked together in the 1992 crime thriller “One False Move,” playing two men on opposite sides of the law. “A Simple Plan” pits them against one another as brothers whose motivations for the money lie on different spectrums. Paxton’s Hank has a good job, a home, and a baby on the way with his wife Sarah (Bridget Fonda). She’s a clever player in this game, stoking the flames of temptation in her husband’s ear à la Lady Macbeth every time he hesitates to keep the money. Paxton’s everyman demeanor plays into Hank’s duality. He posits himself as the most rational of the trio, yet consistently contradicts himself.

On the other end is Thornton’s Jacob, who mostly wants to use his share to renovate the abandoned family farm. He doesn’t quite have his life in order and probably suffers the most emotional turmoil as a result of finding the money. For an actor who has played many morally gray and cold-hearted characters with ease, Thornton displays a burrowing vulnerability that really makes him disappear into a role that truly warranted a best supporting actor nomination. It’s no wonder this is regarded as one of Thornton’s best movies of all time.

It’s fascinating seeing Raimi find different ways to get under people’s skin, especially in such a subdued fashion. The “Evil Dead” filmmaker understands that, sometimes, the most prominent terror derives from internal provocation and the things that are left unsaid. If something feels too good to be true, that’s because it is.