In the winter of 1987, in the frostbitten landscapes of Minnesota and North Dakota, Jerry Lundegaard, a struggling car dealership executive, hatches a desperate plan. Deep in debt and searching for a way out, Jerry conspires to have his wife, Jean, kidnapped. His scheme: ransom her wealthy father, Wade Gustafson, for $1 million, pocket most of the money, and pay the kidnappers a fraction. Through the recommendation of a parolee mechanic, Shep Proudfoot, Jerry contacts two criminals—Gaear Grimsrud, a cold, unflinching killer, and Carl Showalter, his chatty, jittery accomplice.
Meeting in a dingy Fargo bar, Jerry outlines his plan, offering the duo a new car and $40,000 for their services. But as with all ill-fated schemes, nothing goes as intended. Gaear and Carl abduct Jean from her suburban home in a clumsy ambush, dragging her screaming to a remote cabin by Moose Lake. Meanwhile, Jerry discovers his father-in-law has no intention of giving him control over a lucrative real estate deal. Instead, Wade offers Jerry a finder’s fee—a pittance compared to what Jerry had banked on.
The plot spirals further into chaos when a state trooper pulls over Carl and Gaear during their escape. Carl fumbles through a bribery attempt, but the trooper grows suspicious after hearing Jean’s muffled cries from the backseat. Without hesitation, Gaear pulls his gun and executes the trooper. When two witnesses pass by, the duo ruthlessly eliminates them as well, leaving three bodies on the icy roadside.
Enter Marge Gunderson, the cheerful yet sharp-eyed Brainerd police chief who happens to be seven months pregnant. Marge methodically investigates the crime scene, her keen instincts piecing together the trail of carnage. She determines that the getaway car has dealership plates and begins her inquiries. Her investigation leads her to Jerry’s dealership, where he stammers through her questioning, denying that any cars are missing.
Meanwhile, Carl and Gaear clash over the plan’s unraveling. Carl is frustrated by Gaear’s increasingly violent tendencies and his refusal to see the bigger picture. While Carl demands more money from Jerry, the car salesman’s lies deepen. Jerry tells Wade that the kidnappers are asking for $1 million and insists that Wade cannot negotiate with them directly. Wade, determined to save his daughter, defies Jerry and decides to deliver the ransom himself.
In a tense parking garage, Wade confronts Carl, demanding to see Jean before handing over the money. Impatient and angry, Carl shoots Wade, who manages to fire back and wound Carl. Carl kills a parking attendant before fleeing with the cash-filled briefcase. Discovering that it contains the full $1 million, Carl greedily hides most of the money in the snow along the highway, taking only the agreed $80,000 to split with Gaear.
As the investigation deepens, Marge uncovers more threads. A bartender’s tip leads her closer to the truth, but her personal life offers a surprising twist. During a visit to the Twin Cities, Marge meets an old high school classmate, Mike Yanagita, whose odd behavior and fabricated stories leave her unsettled. Reflecting on these lies strengthens her resolve to follow her instincts.
Back at the cabin, Carl discovers that Gaear has brutally killed Jean, claiming she wouldn’t stop screaming. Their partnership deteriorates into hostility. Carl demands the car they were promised as payment, but Gaear’s simmering rage boils over. Gaear murders Carl with an axe, leaving no loose ends in his twisted mind.
Marge tracks the stolen car to the cabin near Moose Lake. Her investigation leads her to a macabre scene: Gaear methodically feeding Carl’s dismembered body into a woodchipper. Despite his attempt to flee, Marge apprehends Gaear, shooting him in the leg and taking him into custody. Her steady composure amidst such horrors exemplifies her strength and resolve.
Meanwhile, Jerry’s web of lies unravels. Fleeing the dealership under the guise of checking inventory, he holes up in a cheap motel outside Bismarck, North Dakota. But his escape is short-lived—law enforcement catches up with him, dragging him out as he screams in protest.
In the quiet aftermath, Marge returns home to her husband, Norm, who shares good news about his painting of a mallard being selected for a three-cent postage stamp. While Norm laments not winning the more prestigious twenty-nine-cent stamp, Marge reassures him with her characteristic optimism. The two sit together, looking forward to the birth of their child, finding solace in the simple joys of life amid the chaos they’ve witnessed.
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