Inside Llewyn Davis

To me, Inside Llewyn Davis felt like the anti-musician biopic. With films like Bohemian Rhapsody and A Complete Unknown glorifying the lives of well-known artists, it's easy to overlook the millions with similar dreams who never achieve the same level of notoriety. Inside Llewyn Davis is a (fictional) musician biopic that trades the familiarity of big names and greatest hits for a candid look at how the entertainment industry treats those who aren't lucky enough to make it big.

Without a doubt, it is a sad film. With only a few comedic moments, most scenes range from frustrating at best to tragic at worst. The film achieves this by subverting the audience's preexisting assumptions about the narrative arc of a typical artist's journey. We expect that after meeting and becoming endeared to our protagonist, his early struggles will give way to meteoric success once the world recognizes the talent buried beneath the surface. But we, like Llewyn, must come to terms with the reality that his talent may only be mediocre—and that stardom isn't just a product of desire or perseverance. It's a powerful message, made even more resonant when placed against the backdrop of films like Elvis and Rocketman, which celebrate the ascent of household names.

This film felt like the most mature entry in the Coen brothers' filmography. Sure, their signature quirks remain—offbeat side characters with unexplained backstories who, while not strictly necessary, still manage to spice up the narrative (a true Coen staple, especially with John Goodman). But even these characters carry their own quiet tragedies. I admire the audacity and honesty on display here, expressed in a more grounded and emotionally raw way than many of their earlier works. Inside Llewyn Davis is wrenching, thought-provoking, and, in many ways, deeply depressing—a bold yet successful departure from the typical Coen brothers style I've come to know and love.