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      To Live and Die in L.A.

      R Released Nov 1, 1985 1 hr. 56 min. Crime Drama TRAILER for To Live and Die in L.A.: Trailer 1 List
      88% 51 Reviews Tomatometer 79% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe). Along with his new, straitlaced partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), Chance sets up a scheme to entrap Masters, resulting in the accidental death of an undercover officer. As Chance's desire for justice becomes an obsession, Vukovich questions the lawless methods he employs. Read More Read Less
      To Live and Die in L.A.

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      Critics Consensus

      With coke fiends, car chases, and Wang Chung galore, To Live and Die in L.A. is perhaps the ultimate '80s action/thriller.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Wayne K To Live & Die In L.A. is one of the most 80s films I think I've ever seen. It's visuals, it's fashion, its soundtrack and even its title font. It bounces along with restless energy, helped greatly by the music by Wang Chung, which is a constant reminder that, yes indeed, it's an 80s film. The film benefits by having, for the time, no big names, as it helps to buy everyone as their characters, rather than seeing them as actors playing parts. William Petersen really goes all in with the ‘cop who plays by how own rules' routine, and its nice that they've toned down or omitted a lot of the buddy cope cliches that could have dragged the story out longer than necessary. The car chase might pale in comparison to the one Friedkin put together in The French Connection, but it still packs a punch, and the real life stunt work really needs to be commended. It might be frequently upbeat, what with the cheery 80s optimism and mile a minute soundtrack, but the serious moments are given time to land rather than just being glossed over, and some of the deaths are a real shock, especially towards the end. It just goes to show that no matter how hard you try, some just don't make it out in one piece. To Love & Die In LA is so rooted in its decade that some might consider it dated, but the themes that lie at its hearts give it a universality that's made it endure. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review D E ultimate '80s action/thriller? no. painfully slow? yes. looking to view dingy la, this is your movie. dingy bars, cars, trucks, industrial chaos. i bought the dvd as i remembered it better. it is NOT. this is best watch at 1am alone when there is NOTHING else to watch and you cant sleep. then maybe it seems better. but alas, it is not. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/23/23 Full Review James D Great movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/17/23 Full Review Dave S After a string of three great movies in the ‘70s, director William Friedkin hit a bit of a bumpy road for the next decade or so. Along that bumpy road was To Live and Die in L.A., an uneven but entertaining thriller about a cop (William Petersen) seeking revenge against a counterfeiter (Willem Defoe) responsible for the killing of his partner. To its detriment, much of the acting is wooden, the ‘80s soundtrack and score sound dated, the dialogue is clunky at best (‘if you're looking for pigeon, go to the park!!'), and the plot is often ridiculous, including the absurd climax of the infamous car chase scene. On the bright side, Dafoe is excellent throughout, the movie is wonderful to look at (the bright colors look like they're from a Pedro Almodovar film), and, as preposterous as the whole thing is, it's fast-paced and undeniably watchable. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/22/23 Full Review Archie W This is a movie that isn't without flaws, with some confusion throughout the plot, however it is still one of the greatest 80's action movies that contains some of the greatest action scenes in cinema. For example the car chase scene is something that action movies of today could take something from. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/13/23 Full Review S R Thought it might be good, but it was a confusing 80s flick that just was poor overall. It was laughable much of the time. Saw on TCM . Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      To Live and Die in L.A.

      To Live and Die in L.A.: Trailer 1 To Live and Die in L.A.: Trailer 1 2:05 View more videos

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      To Live and Die in L.A.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Joe Clay Times (UK) The high point of the film is a stunning car chase, in which the agents drive against the flow of traffic on a busy six-lane freeway that is only surpassed by the one in Friedkin’s earlier masterpiece, The French Connection. Feb 7, 2023 Full Review Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel If Friedkin occasionally goes overboard, he certainly commands an attention-getting technique and manages to tell a fascinating story. Rated: 4/5 Aug 22, 2021 Full Review Catherine Rambeau Detroit Free Press Comparisons to TV's "Miami Vice" are probably inevitable because of the picture's look and sound track. But "To Live and Die in L.A." is hotter, faster, kinkier, and has better music. Rated: 8/10 Aug 22, 2021 Full Review Chris Ludovici The Spool It was a slam-bang thriller and a moody treatise on how truly lost we were. Sep 25, 2023 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies William Friedkin shows why he was one of the best action filmmakers with cat and mouse thriller To Live and Die in L.A. Rated: 5/5 Sep 15, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy There’s not really much substance here, but the film looks fantastic and showcases a grabber of a car chase. Rated: 3/4 May 31, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe). Along with his new, straitlaced partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), Chance sets up a scheme to entrap Masters, resulting in the accidental death of an undercover officer. As Chance's desire for justice becomes an obsession, Vukovich questions the lawless methods he employs.
      Director
      William Friedkin
      Executive Producer
      Samuel Schulman
      Screenwriter
      William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
      Distributor
      MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Vestron Video
      Production Co
      New Century Productions
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Nov 1, 1985, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 1, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $16.6M
      Sound Mix
      Dolby, Surround
      Aspect Ratio
      Flat (1.85:1)