#522: Minnesota Not-So-Nice, Pt. 2 — Normal

Despite the snowy setting, law-enforcement-officer protagonist, and pointed poking at the idea of "Minnesota Nice," Ben Wheatley's new Bob Odenkirk-starring shoot-'em-up Nowhere is in many ways the anti-Fargo. Is it fair to compare this scrappy (some might even say sloppy) genre effort to a film as revered as the Coen brothers' comedic crime classic? Maybe not, but that's what we do here at The Next Picture Show, so after a spirited debate over which parts of Nowhere we found the most enervating, we turn to Connections to consider how the two films' many overlapping elements can play out in such different ways. Then we keep the Fargo talk going in Your Next Picture Show via a general recommendation for its FX television offshoot, and a specific recommendation for which of its five anthology seasons to start with. Please share your thoughts about Fargo, Normal, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Next Pairing: Kyle Balda's The Sheep Detectives and George Miller's Babe: Pig in the City This episode is presented by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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#522: Minnesota Not-So-Nice, Pt. 2 — Normal is an episode from The Next Picture Show by Telegraph Road Productions.

This episode is 73:04 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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