Movies like Down by Law
If you like "Down by Law" you are looking for independent film, road movie and black and white movies about / with prison, prison escape, swamp, escape, pimp, prison life and on the road themes of Comedy, Crime and Drama genre shot in USA or West Germany.
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1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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Down by Law (1986)
58K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA, West Germany
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
Style:
independent film, road movie, black and white, atmospheric, humorous, art house, meditative, harsh, sincere, cult classic ...
Plot:
prison, prison escape, swamp, escape, pimp, prison life, on the road, serendipity, prostitute, fight, misfit, partner, friendship, jail, police, rabbit, language barrier, boredom, character study, gangster, crime gone awry, unlikely criminals, down on your luck, dishonesty, female nudity ...
Time:
20th century, year 1986, 80s
Place:
louisiana, new orleans, southern usa, usa
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Most similar movies to Down by Law
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, humorous, talky and witty films with plots about dialogue, friendship, runaway, redemption, storytelling, suprisingly clever and mentor mostly in Comedy, Drama and Crime genres. Some movies like Down by Law: Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Mystery Train (1989), Dead Man (1995), Life (1999), Night on Earth (1991). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, West Germany
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
Rootless Hungarian émigré Willie, his pal Eddie, and visiting sixteen-year-old cousin Eva always manage to make the least of any situation, whether aimlessly traversing the drab interiors and environs of New York City, Cleveland, or an anonymous ...
Style:
independent film, road movie, black and white, art house, contemplative ...
Plot:
minimalism, immigrant, road trip, on the road, hipster, immigration, slacker, dialogue, existentialism, coming of age, melancholy, culture clash ...
Time:
year 1984, 80s, 20th century
Place:
florida, new york, ohio, manhattan new york city, cleveland ohio ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.
Style:
anthology, independent film, humorous, realistic, atmospheric ...
Plot:
hotel, train, tourist, ghost, hotel room, rock and roll, drinking, recording studio, drunkenness, robbery, cafe, italian woman ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1989
Place:
memphis, tennessee, usa, rome italy, tokyo ...
Similarity:
100%
108K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: Germany, Japan, USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange North American man named Nobody who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.
Style:
atmospheric, bleak, gloomy, tense, offbeat ...
Plot:
journey, gunfight, transformation, wilderness, indians, cowboy, murder, on the road, accountant, modern west, culture clash, existentialism ...
Time:
19th century, year 1995, 1870s, 90s, victorian era
Place:
usa, cleveland ohio, pacific ocean, england
Similarity:
100%
61K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit.
Style:
funny, humorous, surprise ending, entertaining, semi serious ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
twists and turns, prison, life sentence, murder, friendship between men, african american, prison escape, prison life, racist, baseball, racism, escape attempt ...
Time:
1930s, 90s, year 1932, year 1944, year 1972 ...
Place:
mississippi, new york, usa, southern usa, harlem ...
Similarity:
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, France, Germany, Japan, USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
An anthology of 5 different cab drivers in 5 American and European cities and their remarkable fares on the same eventful night.
Style:
anthology, independent film, intellectual, dark comedy, surreal ...
Plot:
taxi, culture clash, night, taxi driver, immigration, multiple storylines, storytelling, nightlife, blindness, conversation, blind character, friendship ...
Time:
90s, year 1991, 20th century
Place:
paris france, rome italy, helsinki finland, new york, los angeles ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
An ordinary word processor has the worst night of his life after he agrees to visit a girl in Soho whom he met that evening at a coffee shop.
Style:
surreal, black comedy, funny, dark comedy, atmospheric ...
Plot:
dark humor, twists and turns, subway, city life, nothing goes right, suicide, mistaken identity, artist, coincidence, female nudity, diner, nightclub ...
Time:
20th century, year 1985, 80s
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city, usa
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min.
Story:
In downtown Manhattan, a twenty-something boy whose Father is not around and whose Mother is institutionalized, is a big Charlie Parker fan. He almost subconsciously searches for more meaning in his life and meets a few characters along the way.
Style:
independent film, art house, artsy, contemplative, surreal ...
Plot:
drifter, slacker, dialogue, solitude, jazz, coming of age, hipster, alienation, saxophonist, psychiatric hospital, urban setting, psychiatric patient ...
Time:
20th century, 80s
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city, usa, new jersey
Similarity:
32%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a hair-brained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that ...
Style:
road movie, black comedy, witty, humorous, talky ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
robbery, on the run, love, friendship between men, motel, psychiatric hospital, road trip, prison, gangster, heist, loser, sibling relationship ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1996
Place:
texas, austin texas, usa
Similarity:
31%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
New Yorkers, Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe, have no jobs and no prospects. They decide to flee the city and find work elsewhere, and land jobs as woodpeckers to promote the opening of a bank. When their feathery costumes are stolen and used in a ...
Style:
funny, witty, feel good, humorous, laugh out loud ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
prison, wrongful conviction, injustice, convict, cell mate, lawyer, marijuana, profanity, on the road, prison escape, partner, comedy of errors ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, 80s
Place:
new york, north america, arizona
Similarity:
31%
10K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Finland
Duration: 72 min.
Story:
Taisto Kasurinen is a Finnish coal miner whose father has just committed suicide and who is framed for a crime he did not commit. In jail, he starts to dream about leaving the country and starting a new life. He escapes from prison but things ...
Style:
art house, dark comedy, road movie, black comedy, stylized ...
Plot:
fall in love, on the road, minimal dialogue, social commentary, unemployment, suicide, loneliness, marriage, nordic, chaos, revolution, loser ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, future, year 1988
Place:
finland, europe, helsinki finland, eastern europe
Similarity:
29%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
After a friend overdoses, Spoon and Stretch decide to kick their drug habits and attempt to enroll in a government detox program. Their efforts are hampered by seemingly endless red tape, as they are shuffled from one office to another while being ...
Style:
dark comedy, black comedy, hood, harsh, stylized ...
Plot:
addiction, hip hop, drug addiction, drug, brutality, urban, drug abuse, satire, gangster, murder, heroin, profanity ...
Time:
20th century, year 1997, 90s
Place:
usa, detroit, new york
Similarity:
29%
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Germany, USA, Japan
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Style:
cult classic, art house, philosophical, stylized, atmospheric ...
Plot:
loneliness, loner, african american, mafia, hitman, samurai, hip hop, honor, friendship, martial arts, assassin, professional killer ...
Time:
90s, year 1999, future, 20th century
Place:
new york, usa, new jersey, brooklyn new york city, japan ...
Similarity:
29%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
At long last, Madea returns to the big screen in TYLER PERRY'S MADEA GOES TO JAIL. This time America's favorite irreverent, pistol-packin' grandmomma is raising hell behind bars and lobbying for her freedom...Hallelujer!
Style:
semi serious, humorous, realistic, witty, black comedy ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
prison, madea, prison life, farce, criminal, elderly, nothing goes right, goofy hero, disorder, fish out of water, friendship, medea ...
Time:
year 2009, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
usa, georgia
Similarity:
29%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
During the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the two forge an unlikely partnership.
Style:
road movie, sentimental, black and white, humorous, touching ...
Audience:
family outing, teens
Plot:
father daughter relationship, friendship, great depression, mischievous children, girl, tomboy, road trip, funeral, little girl, childhood trauma, bible, carnival ...
Time:
1930s, 20th century, year 1973, 70s
Place:
missouri, kansas, usa
Similarity:
29%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Brazil, Italy
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
In a dog-eat-dog world, Raimundo Nonato has found an alternative way to move ahead: he cooks. No matter what social strata this deceptively innocent young man inhabits, he hones his skills and sharpens his knives—and then he falls in love. ...
Style:
sincere, semi serious, humorous, captivating, dark comedy ...
Plot:
food, prostitute, prison, fall in love, chef, lifestyle, society, survival, love and romance, misfit, criminal heroes, jail ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
brazil, latin america
Similarity:
29%
13K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
After being thrown away from home, pregnant high school dropout Maria meets Matthew, a highly educated and extremely moody electronics repairman. The two begin an unusual romance built on their sense of mutual admiration and trust.
Style:
independent film, dark comedy, cult classic, surreal, talky ...
Plot:
love and romance, age difference, dysfunctional family, dark humor, coming of age, bittersweet, unwanted pregnancy, existentialism, redemption, factory, heart attack, age-gap relationship ...
Time:
90s, year 1990, 80s, 20th century
Place:
long island, usa, new york
Similarity:
28%
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Two escaped cons only prayer to escape is to pass themselves off as priests and pass by the police blockade at the border into the safety of Canada.
Style:
sexy, humorous, feel good, clever, captivating ...
Plot:
prison, mistaken identity, escape, religion, small town, monk, clergy, priest, monastery, on the run, fish out of water, buddies ...
Time:
20th century, year 1989, 80s, year 1935, 1930s
Similarity:
28%
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organise a daring new heist.
Style:
road movie, humorous, action thriller, captivating, light ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
friendship, heist, chase, on the road, treasure hunt, buddies, car chase, friendship between men, robbery, bank robbery, preacher, hidden money ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, year 1974, year 1972
Place:
montana, usa
Similarity:
28%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
A hippie radical, Huey Walker has been a fugitive for decades, accused of a crime that he may not have committed. Finally apprehended, Walker is escorted to trial by uptight 20-something FBI agent John Buckner. While the two seem to be polar ...
Style:
entertaining, light, emotional, humorous, witty ...
Audience:
kids
Plot:
lsd, friendship, chase, on the road, fbi, train, hippie, unlikely friendships, prison, criminal heroes, partner, mistaken identity ...
Time:
20th century, 60s, 90s, 80s
Place:
oregon, usa, san francisco
Similarity:
28%
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
In this rough-and-tumble yarn, actually filmed on-location at the Georgia State Prision, the cons are the heroes and the guards are the heavies. Eddie Albert is the sadistic warden who'll gladly make any sacrifice to push his guards' ...
Style:
inspirational, intense, clever, suspense, talky ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly
Plot:
american football, prison, football, underdog, prison escape, cheerleader, farce, greed, crime gone awry, prison life, contests and competitions, partner ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, 1930s
Place:
florida, usa, america, georgia, new jersey ...
Similarity:
28%
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Music
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them. On their journey they come across many comical characters and incredible situations. Based upon Homer's ...
Style:
road movie, funny, visually stunning, dark comedy, epic ...
Audience:
date night, teens
Plot:
prison escape, great depression, blues, on the run, small town, roman empire, country music, dark humor, music, runaway, satire, treasure hunt ...
Time:
1930s, year 2000, 20th century, y2k, 2000s ...
Place:
mississippi, ancient greece, persia, america, greece ...
Similarity:
27%
167K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot.
Style:
black comedy, funny, dark comedy, sexy, cynical ...
Audience:
girls' night, kids, adult
Plot:
dark humor, christmas, profanity, christmas eve, bully, alcohol abuse, bullying, casual sex, misfit, anti hero, christmas season, cons and scams ...
Time:
year 2003, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
usa, arizona, miami, milwaukee wisconsin, north america ...
Similarity:
27%
43K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get ...
Style:
independent film, harsh, disturbing, talky, dark comedy ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, adult
Plot:
lgbt, friendship, transgender, christmas, lgbtqi, christmas eve, prostitute, infidelity, male nudity, unfaithful boyfriend, pimp, lgbtq ...
Time:
year 2015, 2010s, near future, 70s
Place:
los angeles, california, indiana
Similarity:
27%
Movie in collections
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
After discovering a hole in their crowded cell, nine prisoners escape their confinement to track down the key of the universe, which a fellow prisoner known as the Counterfeit King said he had hidden.
Style:
realistic, serious, surreal, uplifting, crime drama ...
Plot:
prison, on the run, treasure hunt, criminal heroes, social misfits, misfit, society, friendship, chase, escaped prisoner, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, convict ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan, asia
Similarity:
27%
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
The Coen Brothers tell the story of a absurd yet likable family with an unproductive couple as the focal point. The couple has gotten themselves into some trouble while kidnapping a baby and give Hollywood one of the most memorable chase scenes to ...
Style:
witty, humorous, funny, dark comedy, cult classic ...
Audience:
kids, toddlers, family outing
Plot:
kidnapping, satire, robbery, parenthood, screwball, baby, american football, adoption, missing child, policewoman, desert, dark humor ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1987
Place:
arizona, usa, phoenix arizona
Similarity:
27%
500
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
The leader of a group of misfits, his girlfriend and an assassin have devised a bizarre plan to smuggle stolen jewelry over the US/Mexican border. They implant the jewelry in a racing horse.
Style:
independent film, cynical, realistic, semi serious, suspenseful ...
Plot:
rock, disorder, psychopath, hitman, down on your luck, cons and scams, nothing goes right, dishonesty, criminal heroes, on the run, partner, criminal ...
Time:
year 1989, 80s
Place:
latin america, mexico
Similarity:
27%
92K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
Style:
exciting, funny, neo noir, humorous, intense ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, manly, adult
Plot:
buddy cop, prison, tough cop, revenge, reluctant partners, cop, partner, villain, tough guy, police investigation, police officer killed, buddy ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1982
Place:
san francisco, usa, bay area, north america, los angeles
Similarity:
27%
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
After being released on parole, a burglar attempts to go straight, get a regular job, and just go by the rules. He soon finds himself back in jail at the hands of a power-hungry parole officer.
Style:
neo noir, serious, realistic, psychological, thought provoking ...
Plot:
prison, parole officer, robbery, bank robbery, murder, friendship, going straight, dishonesty, life is a bitch, crime gone awry, female nudity, bank ...
Time:
20th century, year 1978, 70s
Place:
los angeles, beverly hills, usa
Similarity:
27%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Nick is the director of a low-budget indie film. He tries to keep everything together as his production is plagued with an insecure actress, a megalomaniac star, a pretentious, beret-wearing director of photography and lousy catering. Divided in ...
Style:
surreal, independent film, humorous, funny, talky ...
Plot:
filmmaking, actor, nothing goes right, filmmaker, satire, character study, artists and showbiz, showbiz, friends, lifestyle, actor's life, boyfriend girlfriend relationship ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
usa, new york
Similarity:
27%
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
When petty criminal Luke Jackson is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play by the rules of either the sadistic warden or the yard's resident heavy, Dragline, who ends up admiring the new guy's unbreakable ...
Style:
atmospheric, serious, rough, depressing, intense ...
Audience:
manly, adult
Plot:
prison, escape, prisoner, prison break, death, prison life, runaway, convict, prison escape, egg, freedom, fugitive ...
Time:
20th century, 1950s, year 1967, 60s, 50s
Place:
florida, southern usa
Similarity:
27%
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