Overview
Two brothers on a mission to save their childhood home through the power of music and mayhem.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- exuberant
- party viewing
- road movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's charm, energetic musical numbers, technical craft, and spectacular car chases while finding its excess occasionally overwhelming.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Concert sequences by James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and the reunited Blues Brothers drive the story's momentum.
The brothers' mission to raise the orphanage tax produces progressively larger police pursuits, crashes, and confrontations.
Chicago streets, clubs, diners, churches, and musical institutions form the brothers' physical and cultural route.
Jake and Elwood frame their effort to save the orphanage as a mission from God despite their criminal reputation and reckless methods.
Films like The Blues Brothers, and why
The Commitments
A high-energy musical comedy built around a determined performer and an escalating series of comic obstacles.
A Mighty Wind
Combines live music, eccentric characters, broad comedy, and a chaotic journey toward a performance.
Animal House
A cult American comedy with a distinctive soundtrack, deadpan protagonists, and destructive physical set pieces.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Pairs musical performance with an unruly road adventure and a strong regional cultural identity.
Movie Details
- Director
- John Landis
- Release Date
- 1980-06-16
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (4692)
Cast
- John Belushi
- Dan Aykroyd
- James Brown
- Cab Calloway
- Ray Charles
- Aretha Franklin
- Steve Cropper
- Donald 'Duck' Dunn
- Murphy Dunne
- Willie Hall
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads
- 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 The Blues Brothers about?
- Two ex-con brothers reunite their blues band for a frantic Chicago mission to save the orphanage that raised them.
- What is The Blues Brothers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Blues Brothers as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Blues Brothers violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Blues Brothers as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Blues Brothers?
- Critics broadly praise the film's charm, energetic musical numbers, technical craft, and spectacular car chases while finding its excess occasionally overwhelming.
- Which films are like The Blues Brothers?
- Films with a similar feel include The Commitments, A Mighty Wind, Animal House, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
- How long is The Blues Brothers?
- The Blues Brothers runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Blues Brothers?
- In United States, The Blues Brothers streams on Netflix, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads.
