Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- paranoid
- gritty
- late night noir viewing
- 1980s crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a disappointing, stylistically derivative neo-noir that squandered its cast and poorly integrated its recovery storyline.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Scudder attends Alcoholics Anonymous and must resist renewed access to alcohol while investigating murder and vice.
Scudder enters Los Angeles prostitution and drug circles while pursuing answers about a murder.
The film uses Los Angeles crime settings, 1980s stylistic influence, and a synthesized score within a noir framework.
Scudder loses his sheriff's job and marriage after a fatal narcotics raid, then returns to investigative work as a private detective.
Films like 8 Million Ways to Die, and why
To Live and Die in L.A.
shared neo-noir crime investigation, morally compromised protagonist, and Los Angeles drug-world atmosphere
Scarface
shared 1980s crime melodrama, drug-trafficking milieu, violent escalation, and stylized urban action
The Long Goodbye
shared private-investigator mystery, Los Angeles noir setting, and entanglement with prostitution and criminal power
The Big Easy
shared alcoholic protagonist, hardboiled investigation, and bleak crime-noir tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Ashby
- Release Date
- 1986-04-25
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (151)
Cast
- Jeff Bridges
- Rosanna Arquette
- Randy Brooks
- Alexandra Paul
- Andy Garcia
- Tommy Lister Jr.
- Vyto Ruginis
- Gene Ross
- Lisa Sloan
- Christa Denton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is 8 Million Ways to Die about?
- A disgraced, recovering alcoholic detective is pulled into a seductive Los Angeles murder case where vice, drugs, and violence threaten his fragile sobriety.
- What is 8 Million Ways to Die like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 8 Million Ways to Die as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is 8 Million Ways to Die violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in 8 Million Ways to Die as graphic.
- What did critics think of 8 Million Ways to Die?
- Critics broadly found the film a disappointing, stylistically derivative neo-noir that squandered its cast and poorly integrated its recovery storyline.
- Which films are like 8 Million Ways to Die?
- Films with a similar feel include To Live and Die in L.A., Scarface, The Long Goodbye, and The Big Easy.
- How long is 8 Million Ways to Die?
- 8 Million Ways to Die runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch 8 Million Ways to Die?
- In United States, 8 Million Ways to Die streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
