Overview
A high-stakes game of cat and mouse unfolds in the streets of Los Angeles, where the thrill of the chase is as intoxicating as the counterfeit money at stake.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- propulsive
- cynical
- neon-lit
- late night thriller viewing
- 1980s movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a stylish, kinetic, morally cynical crime thriller elevated by its Los Angeles atmosphere, electronic score, and exceptional car chase, though some find it overheated and excessively violent.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Richard Chance escalates from reckless enforcement to sextortion and illegal tactics while pursuing Ric Masters.
Friedkin and cinematographer Robby Müller emphasize dazzling Los Angeles locations, stylized imagery, and kinetic set pieces.
Secret Service agents, parole authorities, lawyers, and counterfeiters all bend rules for leverage or survival.
John Vukovich’s law-enforcement family background contrasts with Chance’s increasingly unethical methods.
Films like To Live and Die in L.A., and why
The French Connection
shared morally compromised law enforcement, urban crime, stylized violence, and a landmark high-speed car chase
Heat
shared neo-noir atmosphere, criminal underworld intrigue, police corruption, and kinetic action set pieces
Manhunter
shared 1980s crime-thriller intensity, charismatic criminals, cynical morality, and heightened visual style
The Seven-Ups
shared reckless protagonists, criminal investigation, abrasive masculinity, and propulsive Los Angeles action
Movie Details
- Director
- William Friedkin
- Release Date
- 1985-11-01
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (845)
Cast
- William L. Petersen
- Willem Dafoe
- John Pankow
- Debra Feuer
- John Turturro
- Dean Stockwell
- Darlanne Fluegel
- Michael Greene
- Steve James
- Robert Downey Sr.
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- 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 To Live and Die in L.A. about?
- A reckless Secret Service agent’s obsessive hunt for a master counterfeiter drives him into the same lawless danger he claims to police.
- What is To Live and Die in L.A. like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of To Live and Die in L.A. as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is To Live and Die in L.A. violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in To Live and Die in L.A. as graphic.
- What did critics think of To Live and Die in L.A.?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a stylish, kinetic, morally cynical crime thriller elevated by its Los Angeles atmosphere, electronic score, and exceptional car chase, though some find it overheated and excessively violent.
- Which films are like To Live and Die in L.A.?
- Films with a similar feel include The French Connection, Heat, Manhunter, and The Seven-Ups.
- How long is To Live and Die in L.A.?
- To Live and Die in L.A. runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch To Live and Die in L.A.?
- In United States, To Live and Die in L.A. streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
