Joel and Ethan Coen, a.k.a. The Coen Brothers, have made some of the best films in this history of the medium - but their filmography isn't perfect.

The Coen brothers have built up a huge fanbase over the years for such classic films as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men and Raising Arizona. In an industry where actors are infinitely more well known than directors, the Coens are among a small group of directors whose work is generally well known and well regarded.

It's hard to say that the Coens have made a bad movie in their careers, but not all of them are as outstanding as others. So in honor of their latest film, Hail, Caesar!, coming out on Friday, let's take a look at some of Coens' worst films - or, rather, least essential filmgoing experiences.

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
 

Intolerable Cruelty features the Coen brothers' trademark snappy dialogue, but it is lightweight and inconsequential compared to their other films. George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones go toe to toe in a battle of money, divorce and deception and while critics liked the film overall, it's not one of their best.

The Ladykillers (2004)
 

Tom Hanks plays the leader of an incompetent group of criminals hoping to rob a casino in The Ladykillers. But the criminals want to tunnel into the casino - and the only way they can do this is by killing the old woman who lives in a nearby house and burrowing through her basement. The film received very mixed reviews and is often referred to as cartoonish.

O Brother Where Art Thou? (2001)
 

Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson star as escaped convicts in the 1930s who set out to find buried treasure. While the soundtrack was very well regarded and even won the Grammy for Album of the Year, the film is arguably all over the place to varying degrees of success. While it is a classic to some Coen lovers, it's less essential to many others.

Burn After Reading (2008)
 

Burn After Reading centers on two fitness instructors (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) who find what appears to be a top secret document and try to sell it - and subsequently getting embroiled in a plot well over their heads. While some of the performances are charming, particularly McDormand's, there is very little to grab from Burn After Reading once it's over.

True Grit (2010)
 

The Coen brothers mostly departed from their usual entertaining romps for this Western remake of a John Wayne classic. The film was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars but it arguably doesn't hold up as a particularly strong film for the genre, nor does it have much Coen flair overall. Again, many remember the film fondly, but it is not essential viewing.

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