Each episode starts out saying something to the effect of "this is a true story that took place in Minnesota back in 2006". The movie Fargo was released back in 1996, so it's something altogether different.

The similarities lie in the sensibilities of the characters, the deliberate northern accents, and the dry humor. I loved the movie and was hesitant to even tune into a "TV version" of it, but I'm really glad I did. It's really well done and the story line is fantastic.