“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

Down by Law
Crime · Drama · Comedy · 1986
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
Down by Law
“It's not where you start - It's where you start again.”
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
7.7 / 10
56.3K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
88 %
Tomatometer
Metacritic
75 / 100
Metascore
TMDB
7.3 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Down by Law?
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their caseThe Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Watch in your region.
Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.
Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Jim Jarmusch
Written by
Jim Jarmusch
Put Down by Law on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.





