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Stranger Than Paradise

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Stranger Than Paradise

R

Released Jul 25, 1984

1h 30m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

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26 Reviews

88%

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10,000+ Ratings

New York City layabout Willie (John Lurie) and his dopey sidekick, Eddie (Richard Edson), get by on TV dinners and beer financed by haphazard card-sharking. Willie gets an unwelcome visit from his Hungarian teen cousin, Eva (Eszter Balint), but, just as he warms to her, she ditches him for her aunt in Cleveland. Impulsively, Willie and Eddie take a road trip to pick up Eva, after which they head out to find fortune and paradise in Florida -- or at least alleviation from their constant boredom.

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Critics Consensus

A striking debut for director Jim Jarmusch, Stranger than Paradise is an effortlessly cool exploration of finding meaning in the mundane.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

This is a plaintive, intelligent, laconic New York comedy.

Dec 7, 2022

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack / And you may find yourself in another part of the world / And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile / Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 3, 2020

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

A unified vision of populist American aesthetics.

Feb 3, 2020

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Throughout “Stranger Than Paradise” I couldn’t help but feel a hip French New Wave vibe in the vein of early Godard, Truffaut, and Chabrol.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

One of the most important indie achievements of '84.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 24, 2019

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A.S. Hamrah

n+1

Stranger Than Paradise captures what in retrospect turned out to be a last moment of unbranded American reality.

Nov 29, 2018

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Luca D

Just another beatnik movie we're told is a masterpiece. It's just a very well shot (mostly because it's b&w) sketch of three people wandering around and stumbling over lines.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

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Dušan A

What you expect from Jarmusch - weird dialogues and weird people coming together for a good movie

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

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Rebecca T

I adore this stream-of-conscience film. If you’re ever feeling lost and uncertain about the future, this movie embodies that feeling. It just is, the epitome of no agenda.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/29/24

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Aender S

While I like Jarmusch mostly showing poor neighbourhoods in his films, this one here is rather boring. Not much is happening in it, Jarmusch has definitely shot more interesting films later on.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/01/24

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Talon B

One of the worst films I've ever seen. Nothing happens, the ending doesn't make any sense, the characters are disgusting bozos (except the girl). Just super slow and boring. The only reason I watched it is because I absolutely love the soundtrack and I just assumed the film would be just as good but surprisingly it's not. I would recommend just listening to the soundtrack. I'm not sure how much an incredible score ended up on such a garbage film.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/24

Full Review

sj w

quite a good watch, but the story was a bit boring and mundane - but I guess thats the point! dont understand why he flies back at the end, why would he take the plane if he doesnt see his cousin on it?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

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Jim Jarmusch

Director

John Lurie

Willie

Eszter Balint

Eva

Richard Edson

Eddie

Cecillia Stark

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Synopsis

New York City layabout Willie (John Lurie) and his dopey sidekick, Eddie (Richard Edson), get by on TV dinners and beer financed by haphazard card-sharking. Willie gets an unwelcome visit from his Hungarian teen cousin, Eva (Eszter Balint), but, just as he warms to her, she ditches him for her aunt in Cleveland. Impulsively, Willie and Eddie take a road trip to pick up Eva, after which they head out to find fortune and paradise in Florida -- or at least alleviation from their constant boredom.

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Producer: Sara Driver
Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 25, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 8, 2017
Runtime: 1h 30m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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