Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
New York layabout Willie forms an unexpected bond with his young Hungarian cousin Eva when she pays him a surprise visit. Later, Eva moves in with their aunt in Cleveland, and Willie takes his best friend Eddie to see her—a visit that culminates in a strange, eventful trip to Florida.
Jim Jarmusch's debut feature is one of the most distinctive American independent films ever made — its deadpan minimalism, long static takes with blackout cuts, and deliberately uneventful narrative feel utterly singular. The cinematography (Robby Müller shooting in stark black-and-white) is genuinely exceptional, and the film's flat, laconic tone is unlike almost anything else. Plot is deliberately thin and episodic, which is the point but still limits its score. Acting is naturalistic and perfectly calibrated to the style. The ending is bleakly funny and thematically resonant but not revelatory.