Ever since making his film debut in 1980 with the release of Permanent Vacation, Jim Jarmusch has continued to be one of the most critically-lauded independent film auteurs of his generation. In addition to writing and directing 14 feature films to date, Jarmusch has made several music videos and a handful of documentaries over his eclectic 40-year-career. He's also acted, produced, edited, composed music, and worked as a cinematographer on his own projects and those of others.
Jarmusch most recently made The Dead Don't Die, a quirky comedic zombie film meditation starring many of his recurring actors, including Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Steve Buscemi, and more.
Night On Earth (1992) 75%
Jarmusch's Night on Earth follows five taxi drivers over the course of one fateful night in various parts of the world. The cinematic anthology features a colorful cast of characters in New York, Los Angeles, Rome, Paris, and Helsinki.
In each cab, the driver makes a memorable bond with their clients as they discuss life, love, death, blindness, illness, alienation, and other weighty universal themes that the human race faces on a daily basis.
Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999) 83%
Ghost Dog stars Forest Whitaker as a modern-day assassin who lives by the honorary way of ancient Japanese samurai. Although his professional business imperils his personal life, Ghost Dog is willing to die for the path he's chosen.
Ghost Dog is forever in debt to a mafioso named Louie (John Tormey), a gangster who saved his life years prior. Loyal to a fault, the hitman gets in over his head when taking a new assignment to assassinate a rival gangster. The film has drawn comparisons to Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samurai.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) 85%
Only Lovers Left Alive is one of the most unique tales of vampiric romance ever conceived. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play Adam and Eve, ancient wedded vampires who reunite when Adam falls into a suicidal depression over the direction society is heading in.
Under the guise of a famous musician, Adam finds newfound verve when Eve's younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska) and her friend Ian (Anton Yelchin) arrive and stir up the stale living dynamic. The film was named the fourth-best movie of the 2010s by The Hollywood Reporter.
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002) 86%
Although Jarmusch only directed a single segment of the experimental anthology film Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet, it still ranks among the 10 best films he's made, per Rotten Tomatoes.
Jarmusch s Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Spike Lee, Aki Kaurismaki, Victor Erice, and Chen Kaige, all of whom direct 10-minute segments that explore the theme of time. The film is paired with Ten Minute Older: The Cello, a companion anthology directed by an additional eight international filmmakers.
Down By Law (986) 87%
Jarmusch's third feature film Down By Law stars musicians Tom Waits and John Lurie as Zack and Jack, two men who are framed for crimes they did not commit. When sent to prison, they meet a killer named Roberto (Roberto Begnini), who helps them mount a daring escape attempt.
Despite his murderous rap-sheet, Roberto has a bubbly enthusiasm that begins to rub off on the two jailbirds.
Broken Flowers (2005) 87%
Broken Flowers stars Bill Murray as Don Johnston, an aging single lothario who receives a pink letter on his doorstep informing him that he has become a first-time father.
Along with the help of his neighbor Winston (Jeffrey Wright), Don goes on a road trip to visit all of his old girlfriends and discover who sent him the letter. On his journey, Don begins a process of maturation and self-discovery as he realizes that being a father wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
Mystery Train (1989) 89%
Mystery Train is comprised of a triumvirate of tales that take place on the same night in Memphis, Tennessee. The first story concerns a young Japanese couple traveling to the United States to visit Elvis Presley's old haunts, including Sun Records.
The second tale follows a widow who runs into trouble trying to transport her recently deceased husband's casket back to Italy. The third entry entails a troublesome quartet who commits a crime and hides out in a hotel while getting drunk before fleeing the police.
Gimme Danger (2016) 95%
In this lone documentary, Gimme Danger chronicles Iggy Pop and his iconic punk band The Stooges. Jarmusch writes, directs, and narrates the film.
Using archival footage spliced with contemporary interviews, the film paints a sprawling mural of the band's rise to fame and eventual downfall, breakup, and ultimate reunion. For his work, Jarmusch was nominated for a Golden Eye Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Stranger Than Paradise (1984) 96%
Jarmusch's second feature film also ranks as his second-best, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Stranger than Paradise revolves around Willie (John Lurie), a wayward New Yorker whose life is upended when his Hungarian cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) pays him an unexpected visit.
Annoyed by her arrival at first, Willie begins to enjoy Eva's presence as they begin to share stories, watch football and old movies, and spend much time together in his apartment. Over time, Willie becomes infatuated with Eva and vows to visit her in Cleveland after she leaves New York.
Paterson (2016) 96%
In Jarmusch's second-most recent narrative feature, Adam Driver plays the protagonist Paterson, a bus driver and modern-day poet who lives in Paterson, New Jersey. During one week of his life, Peterson's dull daily routine provides fodder for his poetic ruminations.
When Paterson loses all that is sacred to his creative spirit, his dejection leads to a random encounter with a Japanese man who gives him the gift of a lifetime. In addition to the critical plaudits, the film won the Palm Dog Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
