Car Wash

Car Wash (1976) is a cult American comedy directed by Michael Schultz — watch it online on iFILM. One ordinary shift at Sully's car wash in the Los Angeles ghetto, and in under two hours the whole city rolls through the lot.

The crew is a full spectrum: the motor-mouthed T.C., the brooding Lonnie, the flashy Lindy who moonlights as a performer. The customers match them in strangeness — a flamboyant preacher cruising in a gold Rolls-Royce, a fresh-out-of-prison man trying to stay straight, a cabbie spoiling for any argument he can find. The film barely pauses between them.

Shot entirely on location without a single studio set, the picture gathered one of the most energetic ensembles of the decade. The Rose Royce funk and disco soundtrack became a chart hit in its own right, separate from the film's theatrical run. It's a comedy that prods at race and class without turning into a lecture — it just puts people on screen and trusts the audience. Stream Car Wash (1976) online on iFILM.