Down by Law

Down by Law (1986) is Jim Jarmusch's black-and-white deadpan comedy, ready to watch online on iFILM. One New Orleans jail cell, three men who can barely stand each other.

Down-on-his-luck DJ Zack (Tom Waits) agrees to move a stolen car and lands in prison when a body turns up in the trunk. Pimp Jack (John Lurie) gets framed by a rival and ends up in the same cell. The third bunk goes to Roberto (Roberto Benigni), an Italian who knows only a handful of English phrases, adores American movies, and jots down odd idioms in a little notebook. The three break out and lose themselves in the Louisiana swamps, hungry, exhausted, and forever needling one another.

Jarmusch barely bothers with plot — the whole thing runs on silence, the cadence of the dialogue, and the music of Waits and Lurie. Cinematographer Robby Müller shoots the city and the bayou so beautifully that black-and-white feels richer than color. Benigni steals every scene he's in, and it's his wide-eyed Italian who turns a grim setup into something gentle and funny. This is one for viewers who prize mood and texture over twists. Stream Down by Law (1986) online on iFILM.