Stranger than Paradise

The film that launched Jarmusch's career, Stranger Than Paradise follows the adventures of Willie (John Lurie) and his best friend Eddie (Richard Edson)—a couple of small time gamblers disenchanted with their lives. After a visit from his pretty Hungarian cousin, Eva (Eszter Balint), Willie at first rejects this unwanted intrusion into his life.... More »

The film that launched Jarmusch's career, Stranger Than Paradise follows the adventures of Willie (John Lurie) and his best friend Eddie (Richard Edson)—a couple of small time gamblers disenchanted with their lives. After a visit from his pretty Hungarian cousin, Eva (Eszter Balint), Willie at first rejects this unwanted intrusion into his life. However, after an unexpectedly large poker win, the trio sets off on an unforgettable road trip through the wastelands of Cleveland to the sunshine and blue skies of Florida and from misfortune, to fortune and back.

Winner of the Camera d'Or for Best First Feature at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, Stranger Than Paradise is one of the most inventive and entertaining films from the U.S. independent scene. Less «