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Trailer

Down by Law

1986Movie1 h 46 minR

CrimeDrama
79
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.6Letterboxd4.1/5Metacritic757.5Rotten Tomatoes85%93%

A nostalgic, intriguing crime movie about everyday modern life and crime.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for scares.

Movies with

Story

It's not where you start - It's where you start again.

A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.

Feels like

  • Indie Crime Comedy
  • New Orleans
  • Misfit Characters
  • Deadpan Humor
  • Stylish Black and White
  • Existential Themes
  • Prison Escape
  • Offbeat
  • Cult Film

Cast

12 of 12

Crew

Directed by
Jim Jarmusch
Written by
Jim Jarmusch
Produced by
Alan Kleinberg
Music by
John Lurie

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

September 20, 1986 · 1 h 46 min · R

Released
September 20, 1986
Runtime
1 h 46 min
Age rating
R
Content
Strong Language, Violence
Genres
Crime, Drama, Comedy
Original language
English
Also spoken
Italian
Made in
United States, Germany
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$2 million
Available in
25 countries

Tropes

Frame-Up, Punk in the Trunk, Defenestrate and Berate +9

  • Frame-Up
  • Punk in the Trunk
  • Defenestrate and Berate
  • Gratuitous Italian
  • Nice, Mean, and In-Between
  • Mistaken for Pedophile
  • What Are You in For?
  • Deliberately Monochrome
  • At the Crossroads
  • Beware the Nice Ones
  • Karma Houdini
  • Modesty Bedsheet

12 of 23 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream Down by Law?"

Questions about Down by Law

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Down by Law?

HBO MaxYouTube TVFandango at Home FreeCriterionPlexTubi TV

In the United States, Down by Law streams on HBO Max, YouTube TV, and Criterion, and it is free with ads on Fandango at Home Free, Plex, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 14 other countries.

Is Down by Law worth watching?

79
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 79 (IMDb 7.6, Letterboxd 4.1 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 85%, and Metacritic 75).

Will Down by Law make me laugh?

Funny

Yes: the humor is mostly slapstick (7 of 10) and absurd humor (7 of 10).

What tropes does Down by Law use?

Frame-UpPunk in the TrunkDefenestrate and BerateGratuitous ItalianNice, Mean, and In-BetweenMistaken for PedophileWhat Are You in For?Deliberately MonochromeAt the CrossroadsBeware the Nice OnesKarma HoudiniModesty Bedsheetand 11 more

TV Tropes lists 23 tropes for it, including Frame-Up, Punk in the Trunk, and Defenestrate and Berate.