Fargo is a 1996 American crime thriller written and directed by the Coen brothers. The film stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi. For the people wondering is Fargo based on a true story, here’s everything you need to know

Is Fargo based on a true story?

The answer is No. Fargo may have been inspired by real incidents but those incidents weren’t a part of one story. The storyline of Fargo is made by connecting two cases that aren’t related to each other. Unlike in the movie, these real-life cases weren’t connected in the slightest. The first was a man who defrauded the General Motors Finance Corporation. The second was a murder in Connecticut where a man killed his wife and disposed of her body in a wood chipper.

Image Credits: Still from the trailer

In the movie, Jerry's troubles start when he tries to cover his track with the General Motors Acceptance Corporation. It’s implied that Jerry sold some cars but didn’t pay back the GMAC, and it’s that financial problem that leads to Jerry coming up with a scheme to kidnap his own wife for ransom. Like in the murder case, the drama of the film revolves around a man’s relationship with his wife. Also, just like in real life, someone does end up in a wood chipper. But that’s all the similarities between the movie and the real-life incidents. In real life, there was no abduction, no murders, and no pregnant cop to investigate the mission. So while Fargo was technically inspired by real events, it’s not actually based on any true story.

Fargo movie plot

The film revolves around an incident that happened in 1987 when sales manager Jerry Lundegaard of an automobile showroom in Minneapolis is desperate for money so he kidnaps his own wife to extort money from his father-in-law Wade Gustafson. However, things go wrong when a pregnant cop suspects something fishy and tries to link events that may not look related to each other but actually they were. The film ends on a very twisted note and has been regarded as one of the best crime thrillers of all time by IMDB.

Fargo cast and crew

The film is written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. The film stars actors like William H.Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, and Harve Presnell. Roger Deakins did the cinematography of the movie whereas Carter Burwell composed the music score of the movie.

Promo Image Source:  Still from the trailer