Basquiat
1996 · Movie · R · 107 min · ★ 6.6 · 66% critics
Basquiat tells the story of the brief life of a world-renowned New York street artist, as his rising fame collides with addiction and a constant search for who he is. The film explores the pressures of becoming known, while also showing the creative drive that keeps pulling him back.
Where to watch
Watch free on Shout! Factory TV, Tubi and Plex — also streaming on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1996
- Release date
- 1996-08-09
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 66/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.6/10 (315 votes)
- Box office
- $3,011,195
- Budget
- $3,300,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy Basquiat if you like character-driven artist biographies and the 1980s New York art scene; Not for you if you want a straightforward, detailed account of the work or a more fully resolved biopic.
Pros: vivid NYC art world; memorable performances; strong atmosphere | Cons: uneven story pacing; drugs dominate tone; some portrayals questioned
Themes
- new york city
- friendship
- new love
- homeless person
- drug abuse
- vernissage
- drug addiction
- overdose
- artist
- graffiti
- street art
- exhibit
- +8 more
Cast & crew
Jeffrey Wright
as Jean Michel Basquiat
Michael Wincott
as Rene Ricard
Benicio del Toro
as Benny Dalmau
Claire Forlani
as Gina Cardinale
David Bowie
as Andy Warhol
Dennis Hopper
as Bruno Bischofberger
Gary Oldman
as Albert Milo
Christopher Walken
as The Interviewer
Willem Dafoe
as The Electrician
Jean-Claude La Marre
as Shenge
Directed by Julian Schnabel