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Night on Earth
1991 129 min United States of America, Japan, France, Germany, United Kingdom R 16+
★7.6
Comedy, Drama
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Trailers
Description
A quintet of cabbies in five cities and their remarkable fares on the same eventful night.
Budget:
$3.5M
US Gross:
$2.02M
Worldwide:
$2.02M
Starring
Winona Ryder
Actor
Gena Rowlands
Actor
Lisanne Falk
Actor
Awards
1 win & 1 nomination total
Key opinion
Night on Earth is a thoughtful anthology film that uses the confined space of taxi cabs to explore diverse human connections across five global cities. While opinions on the specific tone and quality of individual vignettes vary, the film is widely praised for its observational realism and the distinct, idiosyncratic performances of its ensemble cast.
| Theme | The film succeeds as a series of intimate character studies that capture authentic regional moods and universal human experiences. | |
| Score | Tom Waits’s mystic and atmospheric score effectively anchors the film’s nocturnal, wandering spirit. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay utilizes sharp, observational dialogue to elevate mundane taxi interactions into memorable explorations of personality. | |
| Acting | The ensemble cast, particularly Armin Müller-Stahl and Roberto Benigni, brings distinct energy and temperament to their respective city vignettes. | |
| Originality | The anthology structure draws mixed reactions; while some appreciate the variety and progressive emotional weight, others find specific city segments like Los Angeles or Rome to be weak, irritating, or humorless. |