Overview
A gripping tale of friendship and resilience amidst the harsh realities of prison life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- bittersweet
- buddy movie night
- comedy drama night
What critics said
Critics generally found the comic duo entertaining and the film intermittently touching, though its broad humor and formulaic shifts limited its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
An old-timer introduces the story of two lifers before the film moves into their long flashback history.
Ray and Claude continually bicker while their forced partnership gradually becomes the emotional center of the film.
The sheriff frames Ray and Claude for murder, and Parchman Farm subjects them to decades of imprisonment.
The plot traces the men's relationship and attempts to escape across 65 years in prison.
Films like Life, and why
48 Hrs.
shared buddy comedy chemistry, crime premise, and strong comic performances
The Longest Yard
shared prison setting, racial injustice themes, and comic-drama balance
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
shared period crime comedy, ensemble humor, and friendship under institutional pressure
The Shawshank Redemption
shared wrongful imprisonment, enduring friendship, and emotionally affecting prison drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Ted Demme
- Release Date
- 1999-04-16
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (913)
Cast
- Eddie Murphy
- Martin Lawrence
- Obba Babatundé
- Nick Cassavetes
- Anthony Anderson
- Barry Shabaka Henley
- Brent Jennings
- Bernie Mac
- Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
- Michael Taliferro
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, ALLBLK Apple TV channel, Starz Apple TV channel, ALLBLK Amazon channel , Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Life about?
- Two mismatched bootleggers forge an enduring friendship while surviving decades of wrongful imprisonment in Mississippi.
- What is Life like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Life as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Life violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Life as moderate.
- What did critics think of Life?
- Critics generally found the comic duo entertaining and the film intermittently touching, though its broad humor and formulaic shifts limited its impact.
- Which films are like Life?
- Films with a similar feel include 48 Hrs., The Longest Yard, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and The Shawshank Redemption.
- How long is Life?
- Life runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Life?
- In United States, Life streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, ALLBLK Apple TV channel, Starz Apple TV channel, ALLBLK Amazon channel , Starz Roku Premium Channel.
