Movie · 1986 · Crime, Drama, Comedy · 1h 46m · R · English
Curator score: 8.2/10 (137.1K ratings)
It's not where you start - It's where you start again.
Overview
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.2/10
IMDb: 7.6/10
Letterboxd: 4.08/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 75
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Jim Jarmusch
Production
Island Pictures, Black Snake, Grokenberger Film Produktion
Cast
Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Ellen Barkin, Billie Neal, Rockets Redglare, Vernel Bagneris, Timothea, L.C. Drane, Joy N. Houck Jr., Carrie Lindsoe, Ralph Joseph, Richard Boes, Dave Petitjean, Adam Cohen, Alan Kleinberg, Archie Sampier, David Dahlgren, Alex Miller
Where to watch
Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A laid-back, black-and-white jailbreak movie that cares less about plot mechanics than atmosphere, deadpan humor, and the chemistry between three mismatched men. Its slow-burn rhythm and offbeat performances make it a cult favorite for viewers who like character-driven, mood-first cinema.
Best for
fans of deadpan crime comedies
viewers who like minimalist, mood-driven films
people drawn to odd-couple ensemble chemistry
admirers of black-and-white art-house cinema
fans of Jim Jarmusch’s dry, observational style
Skip if
you want a fast-paced prison break thriller
you dislike loose, elliptical storytelling
you need strong narrative payoff or high stakes
you prefer broad comedy over dry absurdism
Overview
Down by Law is one of those films that feels as if it’s drifting rather than driving, and that’s exactly its charm. Jim Jarmusch turns a jailbreak premise into a study of boredom, friendship, and the strange dignity of outsiders, with black-and-white photography that makes New Orleans feel both real and dreamlike.
Worth noting
Tom Waits and John Lurie bring a weathered, world-weary gravity, while Roberto Benigni supplies the film’s wild comic spark. The contrast between them is the engine of the movie: not action, but temperament. Their scenes together are funny, melancholy, and oddly tender.
Bottom line
This is not a film for viewers who need constant momentum. It’s for people who enjoy cinema that lingers in mood, silence, and small gestures, and who don’t mind if the joke is as much about attitude as it is about punchlines. For the right audience, it’s a very easy film to live inside.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Karsten (4.5★) · 1792 likes
ideal male friend group
tru (5★) · 1776 likes
i scream you scream we all scream for ice cream
Grooveman (5★) · 1591 likes
Tom Waits should be in every film.
fran hoepfner (4★) · 786 likes
they should have explored each other's bodies
Darren Carver-Balsiger (4★) · 671 likes
This is exactly the sort of cinema that I find so comforting. It's not really anything, just a mixture of cinematic influences and ideas presented with an emphasis on mood and technique. The cinematography, black and white and slow, is beautiful and elegant. There's parts that didn't work for me, and it seems too meaningless (for both the characters and the audience), but Down by Law is an unresolved, laidback gem. Very easy viewing.