Movie · 1999 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 48m · R · English
Curator score: 4.3/10 (105.8K ratings)
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Overview
Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.3/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.46/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
Metacritic: 63
TMDB: 6.7/10
Director
Ted Demme
Production
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Eddie Murphy Productions, Brian Grazer Productions
Cast
Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Obba Babatundé, Nick Cassavetes, Anthony Anderson, Barry Shabaka Henley, Brent Jennings, Bernie Mac, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Michael Taliferro, Guy Torry, Bokeem Woodbine, Ned Beatty, Lisa Nicole Carson, O'Neal Compton, Noah Emmerich, Rick James, Clarence Williams III, Heavy D, Bonz Malone
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A bittersweet prison comedy-drama with real emotional weight, strong chemistry, and a surprisingly serious look at wrongful conviction and Black life in America. It works best when you let it be both funny and devastating.
Best for
fans of buddy comedies with dramatic depth
viewers interested in prison stories and social injustice
people who like 90s studio films that balance laughs and pathos
fans of Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence in more grounded roles
Skip if
you want a pure comedy with nonstop jokes
you’re sensitive to prison-set stories or wrongful-imprisonment themes
you prefer lean, plot-driven crime films without sentiment
you dislike tonal blends that move between broad humor and tragedy
Overview
Life is one of those late-90s studio movies that got mislabeled by its stars and its marketing. It has plenty of big laughs, but the real power comes from the friendship at its center and the way the film turns a jailhouse setup into a long, mournful look at wasted years, racism, and survival.
Worth noting
Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence are the reason it works. Their timing is sharp, but what lingers is how fully they sell the passage of time and the emotional cost of being trapped by a broken system. The makeup effects help, but the performances do the heavy lifting.
Bottom line
Ted Demme keeps the movie moving between comedy, melancholy, and outrage without losing the human scale. If you come in expecting a straight-up farce, you may be thrown; if you want a crowd-pleasing drama that still lands jokes, this is exactly the kind of under-seen crowd favorite worth revisiting.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Silent J (4★) · 680 likes
A lot of people put this film down because they see Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and automatically assume it's a comedy. It's not a comedy. It has a lot of funny moments, but it's really a depressing, heartfelt, and bittersweet drama that boasts surprisingly fantastic performances from it's leads. Eddie Murphy has'nt been this great since 48 Hrs and is even better. Martin Lawrence has'nt been this great since, well, ever but manages to be amazing. The make up… more A lot of people put this film down because they see Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and automatically assume it's a comedy. It's not a comedy. It has a lot of funny moments, but it's really a depressing, heartfelt, and bittersweet drama that boasts surprisingly fantastic performances from it's leads. Eddie Murphy has'nt been this great since 48 Hrs and is even better. Martin Lawrence has'nt been this great since, well, ever but manages to be amazing. The make up… more
John Schork (4★) · 451 likes
The main negative criticism I’ve seen leveled at this movie is that it’s either too sad to be a comedy or too funny to be a drama, as if the movie isn’t literally called LIFE.
Christian Di Leo (4★) · 186 likes
Haven't seen this banger since back when it was in constant rotation on TBS in the mid 2000s. During the channel's commercial breaks, the advertisement for when it was going to be playing on TBS always contained the cornbread scene when Eddie and Martin first arrive in jail. That scene has been burned into my brain ever since I could remember. Life is a great comedy. It's got an absolutely fire cast, it's goddamn hysterical and it's surprisingly emotional as… more Haven't seen this banger since back when it was in constant rotation on TBS in the mid 2000s. During the channel's commercial breaks, the advertisement for when it was going to be playing on TBS always contained the cornbread scene when Eddie and Martin first arrive in jail. That scene has been burned into my brain ever since I could remember. Life is a great comedy. It's got an absolutely fire cast, it's goddamn hysterical and it's surprisingly emotional as… more
Lebowskidoo 🇨🇦 🎬 🍿🦞 (5★) · 167 likes
"I da pappy!" 😆
I had to rewatch Life with someone to prove to them that it was actually a great movie, and not just some silly comedy. And I did prove them wrong! Eddie and Martin are great together as frenemies sentenced to life on a chain gang. Yes, there are huge laughs to be found, but also an unexpected poignancy and depth. This movie will have your emotions going in all directions.
Murphy and Lawrence play their characters… more
Jack (3★) · 146 likes
went in expecting a full blown comedy and left in tears. cheers, ted demme.