Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Mar 12, 2026 3.5/4

In one of his finest films, Jim Jarmusch illustrates how Elvis Presley the myth can eclipse the notion of Elvis Presley the man and even Elvis Presley the rock star.

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Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Nov 3, 2022

The grand pleasure of Mystery Train is seeing how a film with all the possibilities of being boring and soporific has a special dose of adrenaline within every demented sequence. [Full review in Spanish]

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Catherine Saalfield OutWeek May 20, 2020

Jarmusch says, 'Sometimes two people going to have an ice cream cone can be much more dramatic or insightful than two people shooting at each other.' What makes Mystery Train different is that he gives us both.

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Michael Guarnieri The Spool Jan 16, 2020

It's a film about atmosphere and about feeling more than anything else, and in its own fashion succeeds remarkably.

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John Pym Sight & Sound Jan 11, 2020

Mystery Train, evocatively photographed by the clear-eyed outsider Robby Muller, is occasionally touched with comic inspiration.

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Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Jul 3, 2010 89/100

...has the same weird beauty as a Van Morrison vocal, a mannered eccentricity that somehow cracks open and lays bear the stuttering, fervid heart of what could have been banal material.

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Sean Axmaker Seanax.com Jun 27, 2010

... his unhurried rhythms give the deadpan mix of quirky Americana, pop culture, and cinematic poetry a quietly lived-in quality...

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Christopher Long Movie Metropolis Jun 22, 2010 8/10

Jarmuschs films are usually about the gradual accretion of small details than the articulation of a conventional narrative.

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Matthew Sorrento Bright Lights Film Journal Jun 22, 2010 9/10

(O)nce it plants itself within, it remains a vivid cultural memory.

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James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk Jun 21, 2010 3/4

Jarmusch finds visual poetry in the run-down, the ignored, and the decrepit, especially via the use of neon colors cutting into the darkness and the gray

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Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Jun 18, 2010

The humor is here. It's so deadpan that it sneaks up on you.

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Chris Nashawaty Entertainment Weekly Jun 10, 2010 B+

The three-part structure of Mystery Train is still a bit shambling and slight, but there's an undeniable air of deadpan cool that permeates the film and gives it a haunting sense of place.

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Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Oct 21, 2007 3/5

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jan 29, 2007 C+

Jarmusch's mildly entertaining film tells three stories that take place at the same time but are told sequentially (end-to-end) rather than through intercutting, which is Hollywood's prevalent norm.

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Geoff Andrew Time Out Jun 24, 2006

Happily, Jarmusch's formal inventiveness is framed by a rare flair for zany entertainment ...

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Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Feb 25, 2006 A

Brilliantly witty and keenly observant of the social scene.

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Dan Lybarger Nitrate Online Oct 2, 2005 3/5

Intriguing, if hit-or-miss comedy from Jarmusch.

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Thomas Delapa Boulder Weekly Sep 9, 2005 2/5

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Vincent Canby New York Times Aug 30, 2004 4/5

It's the best thing Mr. Jarmusch has done to date.

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Jake Euker F5 (Wichita, KS) Jul 8, 2004 2/5

A beauty on-screen, but lacking a developed theme.

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