Chinatown

Name: Chinatown
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Released: 1974-06-20
Duration: 2 h 10 min
Rating: 7.9
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, Burt Young

1974·Movie·R·130 min·★ 7.9(4,454)

Crime Mystery Thriller More English titles

“You get tough. You get tender. You get close to each other. Maybe you even get close to the truth.”

Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch Chinatown in United States

Can I watch Chinatown in United States? Yes — you can stream Chinatown in United States on MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla, or rent and buy it on JustWatch TV and Amazon Video.

Stream

MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open Chinatown there. Availability last verified on October 20, 2026.

Where is Chinatown streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla	JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
India	—	Apple TV Store, YouTube, Amazon Video
United Kingdom	Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads	JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV
Canada	Super Channel Plus, Super Channel Amazon Channel, fuboTV	Apple TV Store, CosmoGo, YouTube
Australia	—	JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Magenta TV+	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, YouTube
France	Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium	Apple TV Store, Orange VOD, YouTube
Spain	Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total , Filmin, SkyShowtime	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Brazil	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Japan	U-NEXT	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, FOD

About Chinatown

Chinatown is a 1974 English-language crime, mystery and thriller film directed by Roman Polanski. The cast is led by Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston. It has a runtime of 2h 10m. Viewers rate it 7.9/10 across 4500 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla.

Chinatown was produced by Paramount Pictures, Long Road Productions, and Robert Evans Productions and made in United States of America. It was released on June 20, 1974, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $6 million, it went on to gross $30 million worldwide.

Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Robert Towne, Roman Polanski
Release date: June 20, 1974
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $6 million
Box office: $30 million
Production: Paramount Pictures, Long Road Productions, Robert Evans Productions

#dying and death#sea#pedophilia#rape#mistake in person#river#chinatown#barrage#femme fatale#conspiracy#whodunit#los angeles, california#private detective#neo-noir

Chinatown cast & crew

Chinatown was directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Towne and Roman Polanski.

The cast features Jack Nicholson as J.J. 'Jake' Gittes, Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross Mulwray, John Huston as Noah Cross, Perry Lopez as Lieutenant Lou Escobar, Burt Young as Curly, and John Hillerman as Russ Yelburton.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, cinematography is by John A. Alonzo, and it was produced by Robert Evans.

Is Chinatown worth watching?

Chinatown holds an audience score of 7.9/10 from 4,454 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed crime films.

At 2h 10m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy crime, mystery, and thriller, Chinatown is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Chinatown

In United States, you can stream Chinatown on MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, Kanopy, and Hoopla, or rent and buy it on JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.