To Live and Die in L.A.

Audience Reviews

View More (716)

Audience Member Look at all the really positive reviews. Is it a forgotten masterpiece? No, not really. William Defoe is good, a cool threatening menace throughout and completely believable. John Pankow also does well but William Petersen... was perhaps badly directed. The script is full of cliches. The editing, apparently by a dozen people who never met, jumps about and struggles to provide a narrative. The story contains characters who just don't need to be there. The soundtrack has a number of good 80s tunes, but doesn't add much to the movie itself. Honestly, this would make a good two part episode of Miami Vice, but not a great one. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/10/25 Full Review William L Amazing!!! A movie that lives up to its title. To Live & Die in L.A isn’t another 80s cheesy action film. Shows amazing visuals, amazing action scenes, one of the greatest car chase sequences, with a terrific soundtrack composed by artist Wang Chung that gives you the feeling of 80s nostalgia. A true blessing from director William Friedkin, with an all star cast. Don’t wanna miss out on this classic!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/25/25 Full Review Claudio C To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) Excellent Non-Stop Action And Politically Incorrect Police Story (11,840 – 04 Jun 2005 / 18 Jul 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) In Los Angeles, the secret agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) loses his partner and friend Jim Hart (Michael Greene) in an investigation of counterfeit, two days before the retirement of Jim. The agent John Vukovich (John Pankow) is assigned to work with Chance, who is obsessed to capture Eric “Rick”' Masters (Willem Dafoe), the criminal responsible for the death of Jim. Chance risks his partner and his own career, trying to arrest Rick. "To Live and Die in L.A" is an excellent non-stop action movie, having an excellent pacing and being a politically incorrect police story. All the characters are amoral, dirty and sordid, and it is impossible to feel sympathy for any of them. There are excellent scenes, such as the car chase in the streets of Los Angeles, or the surprising lethal shooting in the end of the story. The DVD shows a commercial alternative ending of the story, fortunately not accepted by the director William Friedkin. The unpredictable and credible ending makes the great difference of this outstanding movie. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Viver e Morrer em Los Angeles" ("To Live and Die in Los Angeles") My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/19/25 Full Review Kevin D Friedkin was a master craftsman. The lead cop is non emotive, the action sequences are set up just to be set up. The music is high 80s atrocious. Stick with any other friedkin. If he did sorcerer... that's a great movie. This? No. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/16/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 56 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $16,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review Sam N To Live and Die in L.A. is a sharp, cynical thriller where style trumps sentiment. Friedkin pairs bold visuals with a pulsing Tangerine Dream score, driving a fast, morally murky plot. Corruption spreads, rules bend, and no one stays clean. The car chase is a highlight—second only to The French Connection. Boldly killing off the lead mid-film, it bridges classic noir and modern thrillers. In this world, survival means faking it better than the rest. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/23/25 Full Review Read all reviews

To Live and Die in L.A.

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now