Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- surreal
- kinetic
- irreverent
- late night movie watching
- cult film night
What critics said
Critics broadly admire the film's energetic visual style, musical and roller-skate sequences, and sheer entertainment value, while finding its characters and situations thin and its plotting slight.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Paris Metro becomes a surreal, energetic underworld populated by eccentric criminals, musicians, and skaters.
Fred and his companions inhabit the Metro as a refuge from the rules and responsibilities of surface society.
Fred's attempts to assemble a band from Metro buskers run alongside the blackmail plot and chase sequences.
Fred's relationship with socialite Helena develops through the stolen safe, blackmail, and the pressure of her heavies.
Films like Subway, and why
After Hours
surreal urban crime, heightened visual style, and eccentric outsider characters
The City of Lost Children
stylized metropolitan criminality, playful absurdism, and kinetic genre filmmaking
Diva
romantic tension, comic crime plotting, and energetic visual experimentation
The Big Lebowski
offbeat criminals, pop music, and irreverent romantic comedy thriller energy
Movie Details
- Director
- Luc Besson
- Release Date
- 1985-04-10
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (534)
Cast
- Isabelle Adjani
- Christopher Lambert
- Richard Bohringer
- Michel Galabru
- Jean-Hugues Anglade
- Jean-Pierre Bacri
- Jean Bouise
- Jean Reno
- Jean-Claude Lecas
- Pierre-Ange Le Pogam
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Best of British Tv Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Subway about?
- A charismatic thief turns the Paris Metro into a surreal refuge while blackmail, romance, and a budding punk band collide beneath the city.
- What is Subway like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Subway as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Subway violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Subway as mild.
- What did critics think of Subway?
- Critics broadly admire the film's energetic visual style, musical and roller-skate sequences, and sheer entertainment value, while finding its characters and situations thin and its plotting slight.
- Which films are like Subway?
- Films with a similar feel include After Hours, The City of Lost Children, Diva, and The Big Lebowski.
- How long is Subway?
- Subway runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Subway?
- In United States, Subway streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Best of British Tv Amazon Channel.
