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Stranger Than Paradise

Play trailer Poster for Stranger Than Paradise R Released Jul 25, 1984 1h 30m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 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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Stranger Than Paradise

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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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Critics Reviews

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Jay Scott Globe and Mail This is a plaintive, intelligent, laconic New York comedy. Dec 7, 2022 Full Review 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 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker A unified vision of populist American aesthetics. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review 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 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy One of the most important indie achievements of '84. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 24, 2019 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Vito P Absorbing, dreamy, stylish, anarchic, how beautiful is this independent cinema. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/23/24 Full Review Joe T Shot in black and white, a very well made movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

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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