Stranger Than Paradise

96%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

88%

Audience Score

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.

Read Less

Now in Theaters

Now Playing

Buy Tickets

Where to Watch

In Theaters

Prime Video

Max

Apple TV

Watch Stranger Than Paradise with a subscription on Max, rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV.

Stranger Than Paradise

What to Know

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (28) Critics Reviews

Stranger Than Paradise | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

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

Dec 7, 2022

Full Review

Stranger Than Paradise | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

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

Stranger Than Paradise | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Richard Brody

New Yorker

A unified vision of populist American aesthetics.

Feb 3, 2020

Full Review

Stranger Than Paradise | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

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

Stranger Than Paradise | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

One of the most important indie achievements of '84.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 24, 2019

Full Review

Stranger Than Paradise | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

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

View All (766) audience reviews

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 2/5 Stars • 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 0.5/5 Stars • 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 3.5/5 Stars • 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 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/23/24 Full Review Joe T Shot in black and white, a very well made movie Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/23/23 Full Review Logan M One of my favorite movies and a hilarious but subtle comedy that makes everyday activities and possibly boring moments strangely entertaining. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Stranger Than Paradise

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Jim Jarmusch Director John Lurie Willie Eszter Balint Eva Richard Edson Eddie Cecillia Stark Aunt Lotte Danny Rosen Billy

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Movies in Theaters

14% 49% The Prince of Pennsylvania 76% 91% Night on Earth 29% 49% Class 63% 60% About Last Night ... 89% 87% Mystery Train Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Photos

View All Stranger Than Paradise photos

Stranger Than Paradise

Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

View more photos

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)