Overview
A week in the life of a bus driver reveals the beauty in routine and the power of poetry.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- contemplative
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Jim Jarmusch’s unvarnished, gently comic portrait of routine, along with Adam Driver’s performance and the film’s poetic clarity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film tracks one week of Paterson’s repeated bus route, meals, mailbox adjustment, bar visit, and poetry writing.
Paterson writes poems in a secret notebook while working as a bus driver and rarely considers publishing them.
Bus passengers, household objects, conversations, and neighborhood routines become material for Paterson’s poems and perception.
Laura’s expressive designs and desire to share Paterson’s poetry contrast with his reserved, inward artistic life.
Films like Paterson, and why
Stranger Than Paradise
shared slice-of-life drama, deadpan humor, understated romance, and attentive observation of ordinary routines
Broken Flowers
shared minimalist storytelling, wry comedy, contemplative pacing, and emotionally restrained character study
Old Joy
shared poetic attention to everyday life, intimate relationships, gentle humor, and quietly reflective tone
Only Lovers Left Alive
shared meditative urban observation, artistic solitude, and understated independent filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Jim Jarmusch
- Release Date
- 2016-11-17
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2128)
Cast
- Adam Driver
- Golshifteh Farahani
- Rizwan Manji
- Barry Shabaka Henley
- William Jackson Harper
- Chasten Harmon
- Method Man
- Dominic Liriano
- Jaden Michael
- Trevor Parham
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Paterson about?
- A quietly comic week in the life of a New Jersey bus driver whose private poems transform repetitive routines into a source of wonder.
- What is Paterson like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Paterson as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Paterson violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Paterson.
- What did critics think of Paterson?
- Critics broadly praised Jim Jarmusch’s unvarnished, gently comic portrait of routine, along with Adam Driver’s performance and the film’s poetic clarity.
- Which films are like Paterson?
- Films with a similar feel include Stranger Than Paradise, Broken Flowers, Old Joy, and Only Lovers Left Alive.
- How long is Paterson?
- Paterson runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Paterson?
- In United States, Paterson streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
