Permanent Vacation

1982

1h 15m

Comedy

Drama

List

Reviews

55%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A drifter (Chris Parker) wanders Manhattan searching for purpose and meaning, seeing his girlfriend (Leila Gastil) and meeting strangers.

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Soham Gadre

The Spool

Looking back, Permanent Vacation reveals itself as a prophetic signpost for Jarmusch's career.

Jan 16, 2020

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Watching this movie is one of the few tunnels back to a time and place where you could think. It's a groovy movie to think along to.

Rated: A-

May 5, 2018

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Anton Bitel

Eye for Film

this student's film is surprisingly adult about its adolescent preoccupations - and well-nigh unmissable for the Jarmusch fan.

May 13, 2008

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

An odyssey of urban despair.

Rated: B-

Apr 22, 2003

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Aender S

Jim Jarmusch's debut. This one's still too experimental and too amateurish, even for Jarmusch's standards. While I understand the concept of a drifter like the protagonist, the film's mostly boring. And then there's the problem of bad quality sound takes, foremost when the protagonist visits his mum and when he steals the car. Finally there's the headache inducing original score too. Luckily the film's short.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/28/24

Full Review

Vito P

A tourist in a destroyed city, in the midst of an internal and omnipresent war, observed by many, in a world that does not adapt to his way of life. A great debut for a superb long journey.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/24

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Logan M

A bizarre but unique film, great for fans of Jim Jarmusch and independent cinema.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/12/23

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william k

An exemplary independent low-budget subculture movie accurately depicting the time and mood of its time in a bleak and dilapidated New York.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

An entertaining movie about everyday life in NYC before gentrification and the contribution of late capitalism destroyed much of the historic character of the city.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

More of an experimental tone poem than a movie. But I enjoyed it. I feel like it succeeded in setting the atmosphere that it was trying to, seems to be a consistent strong suit of a lot of Jarmusch's films.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Jim Jarmusch

Director

Chris Parker

Allie

Leila Gastil

Leila

John Lurie

Sax player

Richard Boes

War vet

Sara Driver

Nurse

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Synopsis

A drifter (Chris Parker) wanders Manhattan searching for purpose and meaning, seeing his girlfriend (Leila Gastil) and meeting strangers.

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
Production Co: Cinesthesia Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 15m

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