Life
1999 · Movie · R · 108 min · ★ 6.7 · 58% critics
Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit. Bound by survival and stubborn hope, they spend years locked away while trying to make sense of their situation.
Also known as Condenados a escaparse · Life Eddie Murphy
Where to watch
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and ALLBLK.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1999
- Release date
- 1999-04-16
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Critic score
- 58/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (869 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy Life (1999) if you want a comedy-drama about friendship under injustice and a long, emotional stretch of prison life; Not for you if you dislike serious themes in comedies or want nonstop laughs like Stir Crazy or The Ref.
Pros: sharp buddy chemistry; funny-but-sad tone; inspiring friendship | Cons: meandering pacing; hard to relate; swings in tone
Themes
- mississippi river
- racist
- bootlegging
- criminal
- biting
- life imprisonment
- hopeless
- 1930s
- anxious
- callous
- frightened
- harsh
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Makeup and Hairstyling · 2000 · nominated
Cast & crew
Eddie Murphy
as Rayford Gibson
Martin Lawrence
as Claude Banks
Obba Babatundé
as Willie Long
Nick Cassavetes
as Sergeant Dillard
Anthony Anderson
as Cookie
Barry Shabaka Henley
as Pokerface
Brent Jennings
as Hoppin' Bob
Bernie Mac
as Jangle Leg
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
as Biscuit
- MT
Michael Taliferro
as Goldmouth
Directed by Ted Demme