This is a well done film, and I watched the whole length (often not the case), but it has issues.

First, you have to be patient, because: 1) it moves very slow, and 2) there's a lot of filler.

Second, you have to suspend your idea of film genre's being too rigid, e.g. Is this a murder mystery, cops n' robbers, comedy, or a buffet of all three? It's a buffet.

Many reviewers think very highly of the Coen brothers work, not me so much. Talented no doubt, but their work reminds me of Tim Burton and Q. Tarantino - full of themselves.

Nonetheless, this film is well-directed.

STORY: Based on real events, it's plausible and bizarre at the same time. That's hard for me to bear as I watched ... are people really that stupid, desperate, and living in little worlds cut off from ... But, people do these things, and not just in the isolated mid-west. Kudos for whoever chased down the details on this story because there's a lot to piece together.

One of my issues is the pseudo-comedy of presenting these mid-westerners as "walkie-talkies," especially the brutally air-headed way they speak. My impression is there's an undercurrent of derision for accents, phrases, and their way of life. These mannerisms may be true, but it's unfair to convey them as being unintelligent or unsophisticated. That was my impression.

ACTING: The cast did an excellent job of getting into and staying in character. No one stands out, and each was believable and genuine. Again, the raw stupidity was a bit hard to take seriously.

TEMPO: Excellent tempo IF you don't mind being patient, end-to-end. Sometimes it feels like it's going to speed up, and it does a bit, but returns to its base - slow paced. Again, this pace dovetails with the whole "living in an isolated world" tenor of the film.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Excellent scenery, sound, and realism. I must give an A+ for the camera work.

DIRECTING: As a whole, these guys do very good work - technically. I can't find a lot of error as to mechanics, but I don't care for the undertones of superiority (as I perceive them to be). There are very good directors that are are also humble, but I don't sense that with these guys. Maybe I'm wrong, and other reviewers probably don't care. I do care, and don't think I'm wrong.

Overall a good film. Rating here is 7.5.

Depending on your taste, a much better film in a similar setting is "Wind River" with Jeremy Renner.

Enjoy.