If I told you this was a crime thriller from the ‘80s, you’d probably conjure cheesy music, title cards, big hair, unearned machismo, and a Miami Vice-esque vibe. You wouldn’t be completely far off. To Live and Die in LA, directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist) has some of those, but they don’t define the movie. Starring some familiar faces (including Willem Dafoe and John Turturo), the LA-set thriller is lean and fast-paced. While some films of the era might be padded with fillers to evoke machismo and cool, this one is primarily interested in the hunt and its complicated characters. It’s probably why it’s one of the few that have stood the test of time.
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Actor: Anne Betancourt, Bobby Bass, Brian Bradley, Christopher Allport, Dar Robinson, Darlanne Fluegel, Dean Stockwell, Debra Feuer, Dwier Brown, Gary Cole, Jacqueline Giroux, Jane Leeves, John Pankow, John Turturro, Michael Chong, Michael Greene, Michael Zand, Robert Downey Sr., Steve James, Thomas F. Duffy, Valentin de Vargas, Willem Dafoe, William Petersen
Director: William Friedkin
Rating: R
