History YMMV / ASeriousMan

* SpiritualSuccessor: to ''Film/BartonFink'', another Creator/CoenBrothers movie about an [[TheEveryman ordinary]] [[ThisLoserIsYou shmoe]] who [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin suffers a parade of]] [[ButtMonkey events ranging from unfortunate to terrifying]] [[TheChewToy for no discernible reason]].

* MST3KMantra: The film! Sometimes you won't be able to find an answer, don't make yourself miserable trying to figure out everything.

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: The film has led to countless discussions and essays attempting to interpret its moral philosophy, religious significant and ultimate deeper meaning.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The film opens up with the story of a Jewish couple and a rabbi who may or may not be a dybbuk (a reanimated spirit in Judaism). This is not mentioned again afterwards; it's supposed to give a demonstration of the film's conflicts (faith vs. reason, etc.).
** You could count most of the film as one of these: it's a kaleidoscope of angst-ridden Jewish whimsy. It's the accumulative effect of the recurring verbal symbolism (including the first scene) that gives the film depth. At a shallow glance it just seems like one utterly random scene after another, doubly so for the dream sequences.

** [[spoiler: A common interpretation of this movie is that it is, at least in part, a modern retelling of the Book of Job from the Old Testament. How does Job end? God appears to him in the form of a whirlwind.]] Doubles as ViewersAreGeniuses.

* HilariousInHindsight: Michael Stuhlbarg listening to the story about the goy's teeth. Four years later he appeared in ''Film/BlueJasmine'', where he plays a creepy dentist [[SmallNameBigEgo who claims to be able to understand people by their teeth]].
** Speaking of Michael Stuhlbarg, this wouldn't be the last Creator/CoenBrothers production he'd be in [[Series/FargoSeasonThree as an overwhelmed Jewish man]].

** To a lesser extent, the prologue. Though nothing openly frightening happens, it's left a lot of viewers very uneasy.

* TheWoobie: ''Larry''
** To a certain degree, Arthur

** Speaking of Michael Stuhlbarg, this wouldn't be the last Creator/CoenBrothers production he'd be in [[FargoSeasonThree as an overwhelmed Jewish man]].

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The film opens up with the story of a Jewish couple and a rabbi who may or may not be a dybbuk (a reanimated spirit in Judaism). This is not mentioned again afterwards; it's supposed to give a demonstration of the film's conflicts (faith vs. reason, etc.).\\
\\
You could count most of the film as one of these: it's a kaleidoscope of angst-ridden Jewish whimsy. It's the accumulative effect of the recurring verbal symbolism (including the first scene) that gives the film depth. At a shallow glance it just seems like one utterly random scene after another, doubly so for the dream sequences.

** Despite the absence of random acts of AxCrazy violence, this is still arguably one of the scariest of the Coens' films due to its thematic implications: bad things happening to good people for no reason, and the suggestion of a God who is either both merciless and utterly incomprehensible or doesn't exist at all.

** Despite the absence of random acts of AxCrazy violence, this is still arguably one of the scariest of the Coens' films due to its thematic implications: bad things happening to good people for no reason, and the suggestion of a God who is both merciless and utterly incomprehensible.

* RoleAssociation:
** One of the rabbis Larry consults is [[Series/TheBigBangTheory Wolowitz]] / [[WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog Moist]].
** Larry's brother is [[{{Series/Scrubs}} Mr. Korman the hypochondriac]]. He's also Paul Lassiter in ''Series/SpinCity''!
** Another one of the rabbis is [[Film/{{Spaceballs}} Colonel Sandurz]]!
** Reb Groshkover from the opening is [[PicketFences Douglas Wambaugh]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Michael Stuhlbarg listening to the story about the goy's teeth. Four years later he appeared in ''Film/BlueJasmine'', where he plays a dentist [[SmallNameBigEgo who claims to be able to understand people by their teeth]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Michael Stuhlbarg listening to the story about the goy's teeth. Four years later he appeared in ''Film/BlueJasmine'', where he played a dentist [[SmallNameBigEgo who claims to be able to understand people by their teeth]].

** Another one of the rabbis is [[Film/{{Spaceballs}} Colonel Sanders]]!

** Despite the absence of random acts of violence or AxCrazy {{Complete Monster}}s, this is still arguably one of the scariest of the Coens' films due to its thematic implications: bad things happening to good people for no reason, and the suggestion of a God who is both merciless and utterly incomprehensible.

** One of the rabbis Larry consults is [[TheBigBangTheory Wolowitz]] / [[WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog Moist]].
** Larry's brother is [[{{Scrubs}} Mr. Korman the hypochondriac]]. He's also Paul Lassiter in ''SpinCity''!

** One of the rabbis Larry consults is [[TheBigBangTheory Wolowitz]] / [[DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog Moist]].

** To a certain degree, Frank

** To a lesser extent, the prologue. Though nothing openly frightening happens, it's left a lot of viewers (including this troper) very uneasy.

** Another one of the rabbis is [[SpaceBalls Colonel Sanders]]!

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Despite the absence of random acts of violence or AxCrazy {{Complete Monster}}s, this is still arguably one of the scariest of the Coens' films due to its thematic implications: bad things happening to good people for no reason, and the suggestion of a God who is both merciless and utterly incomprehensible.

* FridgeBrilliance: [[spoiler: A common interpretation of this movie is that it is, at least in part, a modern retelling of the Book of Job from the Old Testament. How does Job end? God appears to him in the form of a whirlwind.]] Doubles as ViewersAreGeniuses.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Despite the absence of random acts of violence or AxCrazy {{Complete Monster}}s, this is still arguably one of the scariest of the Coens' films due to its thematic implications: bad things happening to good people for no reason, and the suggestion of a God who is both merciless and utterly incomprehensible..