Down by Law

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Down by Law

R,

1986,

1h 46m,

Comedy/

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

84%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

A disc jockey (Tom Waits), a pimp (John Lurie) and an Italian tourist (Roberto Benigni) escape from jail in New Orleans.

Critics Consensus

Funny, original, and thoroughly cinematic, Down by Law represents writer-director Jim Jarmusch at his most ingratiating and evocative.

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Philip Kemp

Sight & Sound

Mar 27, 2020

Down by Law seems on occasion to be soliciting our approval.

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Vadim Rizov

Little White Lies

Sep 11, 2014

4/5

Down By Law is oddly heart-warming, magnifying moments of unexpected camaraderie between kindred spirits who don't immediately ID each other as such.

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Martin Chilton

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Sep 9, 2014

5/5

Down by Law is a delight, right down to the unexpected last scene.

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Marc Horton

Edmonton Journal

Aug 10, 2026

2/4

Don't expect laugh after laugh after laugh. But there are some chuckles to be had here.

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Mike Scott

Times-Picayune

Jul 25, 2023

3.5/4

Playing like a noir-informed mashup of “Streetcar” and “The Defiant Ones,” director Jim Jarmusch’s prison-escape dramedy is aided enormously by the brilliant performances of John Lurie, Tom Waits and a scene-stealing Roberto Begnini.

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Tom Howard

NME (New Musical Express)

May 26, 2021

4/5

Fellow musician John Lurie and Italian actor Roberto Benigni play his cellmates Jack and Bob, and the trio do a fine job of playing people who suck up a mutual dislike to join forces and commit an imperfect crime.

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Poe S

Dec 3, 2017

I would believe it if someone told me that this 30-year-old movie came out last year. And Roberto Benigni is the best foreigner character of all times!

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Luke L

Sep 19, 2017

Funny, old-fashioned film. Underrated? Possibly. Must-see? Perhaps.

Albus W

Jun 22, 2017

Great movie. Really funny at times but also very real.

Abraham S

Apr 10, 2017

Swings between an awkward theater piece and surprisingly engaging comedy. Something about the film was hard to engage with, so those really on-point moments were hard to trust. I felt like I'd been on a journey by the end, but I had to fight to stay with it.

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Rey S

Mar 13, 2009

Brille surtout en raison de Roberto Benigni, autrement le film (quoique magnifique avec sa photographie noir et blanc) est un peu trop vedge selon moi... bref, il faut être dans le bon mood

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Finn W

Dec 5, 2007

I was really interested in this film, and loved the beginning - the way it looked, the scenery, and Tom Wait's "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" playing over it all. And then, thud. Nothing. Super slow, super boring. Maybe it's supposed to be some sort of "arty" film? Sheesh. Anyway, after 40 minutes, I just couldn't continue, especially looking down the barrel of 65 + more minutes of it. :-(

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Jim Jarmusch

Director

Tom Waits

Zack

John Lurie

Jack

Roberto Benigni

Roberto

Ellen Barkin

Laurette

Billie Neal

Bobbie

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Synopsis

A disc jockey (Tom Waits), a pimp (John Lurie) and an Italian tourist (Roberto Benigni) escape from jail in New Orleans.

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Producer: Alan Kleinberg
Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
Distributor: Criterion Collection
Production Co: Island Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 7, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $106.5K
Runtime: 1h 46m

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