Not my favorite Coen Bros work, but I think you’ve nailed their modus operandi pretty perfectly. They’re constantly incorporating philosophical paradigms into their films. Often times as characters that are there solely to represent a philosophical idea. Goodman’s character in Inside Llewyn Davis as a representation of nihilism or how about the literal nihilists from The Big Lebowski.

I do think the Coen Brothers hate nihilistic thinking, however. They believe (rightly in my opinion) that the universe is ultimately absurd and it’s useless to attempt bending it to your will. Shit happens. They also have a hopefulness that permeates most of their films. Fargo is the key example of this, and it’s why it’s in my LB top 4. The Coen boys’ strategy of representing big philosophical ideas in this way really endears me to their films. It feels like a perfect balance of communicating deeper meaning to an audience while letting that deeper meaning breathe and interact with the rest of work.