Down by Law

Name: Down by Law
Genre: Crime, Drama, Comedy
Released: 1986-09-20
Duration: 1 h 46 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Ellen Barkin

1986·Movie·R·106 min·★ 7.3(849)

Crime Drama Comedy More English titles

“It's not where you start - It's where you start again.”

A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch Down by Law in United States

Stream

HBO Max Amazon Channel

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open Down by Law there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is Down by Law streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, HBO Max	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store
Canada	Criterion Channel, Crave, Tubi TV, CTV	Apple TV Store
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Fetch TV
Germany	Amazon Arthaus Channel, Arthaus+ Apple TV channel, Arthaus+	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Sooner, Molotov TV	LaCinetek
Japan	Netflix, U-NEXT, Netflix Standard with Ads	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
South Korea	—	wavve, Google Play Movies

About Down by Law

Down by Law is a 1986 English-language crime, drama and comedy film directed by Jim Jarmusch. The cast is led by Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni. It has a runtime of 1h 46m. Viewers rate it 7.3/10 across 800 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel.

Down by Law was produced by Island Pictures, Black Snake, and Grokenberger Film Produktion and made in United States of America and Germany. It was released on September 20, 1986, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $1 million, it went on to gross $2 million worldwide.

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Writers: Jim Jarmusch
Release date: September 20, 1986
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United States of America, Germany
Budget: $1 million
Box office: $2 million
Production: Island Pictures, Black Snake, Grokenberger Film Produktion

#prison#prostitute#escape#fight#pimp#new orleans, louisiana#louisiana#prison escape#bayou#black and white#convict#dj#cell mate

Down by Law cast & crew

Down by Law was directed by Jim Jarmusch and written by Jim Jarmusch.

The cast features Tom Waits as Zack, John Lurie as Jack, Roberto Benigni as Roberto, Nicoletta Braschi as Nicoletta, Ellen Barkin as Laurette, and Billie Neal as Bobbie.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by John Lurie, cinematography is by Robby Müller, and it was produced by Alan Kleinberg and Otto Grokenberger.

Is Down by Law worth watching?

Down by Law holds an audience score of 7.3/10 from 849 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed crime films.

At 1h 46m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy crime, drama, and comedy, Down by Law is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Down by Law

In United States, you can stream Down by Law on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, and Plex, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. 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.