Down By Law

Jim Jarmusch followed up his breakout film Stranger Than Paradise with this equally beloved portrait of loners and misfits in the American landscape. When fate brings together three hapless men—an unemployed disc jockey (Tom Waits), a small-time pimp (John Lurie), and an Italian tourist (Roberto Benigni)—in a Louisiana prison, a singular adventure ensues. Described by Jarmusch as a “neo-Beat noir comedy,” it’s part-nightmare/part-fairytale, with sterling performances, and sharp black-and-white cinematography by Robby Müller.