Julian Marty (Blood Simple) runs a local bar in a Texas town. Throughout the film he is referred to as Marty, not his first name Julian. Marty suspects that his wife, Abby, is having an affair with one of his employees, bar manager Ray.

In an attempt to uncover the truth, Marty hires private detective Loren Visser to follow Abby around. Visser takes photos of the pair in a seedy motel. Marty makes a disturbing phone call to the room they are staying in, letting the adulterous twosome know that he's aware of the affair.

The next day Ray confronts Marty at the bar, resulting in an altercation so Ray quits. Marty threatens Ray's life. Marty then reconvenes with Visser and tells him he wants the two killed, and he wants Visser to do it. They plan to have it done while Marty is on a fishing trip in order to leave Marty with an alibi.

When Visser and Marty meet up again, Visser shows him pictures of the couples dead bodies. However, the pictures are doctored. Visser didn't really kill the two as planned. Visser shoots Marty with Abby's gun, to make it appear that Abby killed Marty, but later leaves the gun behind. Before he is killed, Marty hides one of the pictures in his safe.

Though Marty is dead at this point, his role in the movie is not over. Through lack of communication, Abby still believes that Marty is trying to kill her and Ray, and continues conversation with him until the last moments of the film, when she discovers Visser is the one that was shooting at her and Ray.

Julian Marty is portrayed by Dan Hedeya.