The 30+ Best Tom Waits Movies
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1Tom Waits, Ellen Barkin, Roberto BenigniDown by Law is a 1986 black-and-white independent film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni. The film centers on the arrest, incarceration, and escape from jail of three men. It discards jailbreak film conventions by focusing on the interaction between the convicts rather than on the mechanics of the escape. A key element in the film is Robby Müller's slow-moving camerawork, which captures the architecture of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou to which the cellmates escape.
2Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Amanda PlummerIn the compelling film The Fisher King, Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), a former radio shock-jock, is entangled in a journey of redemption and self-discovery after an on-air misstep leads to tragedy. He finds an unlikely companion in Parry (Robin Williams), a homeless man who believes himself to be on a quest for the Holy Grail. As their lives intertwine, they navigate the complexities of guilt, love, sanity, and survival in this drama-comedy hybrid. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Mercedes Ruehl) and was nominated for four other categories including Best Actor (Robin Williams).More The Fisher King
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3Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Julianne MooreMany loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin) accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather (Jack Lemmon) tells his son, Howard (Bruce Davison), about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker (Lyle Lovett) starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.More Short Cuts- #345 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
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4Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright, Joie LeeThis 11-vignette film focuses on the human interactions that happen while partaking in the everyday indulgence of coffee and cigarettes. Featuring well-known actors and other artists as themselves or some version thereof, the film highlights the nuances and subtle hostilities that can be a part of seemingly normal conversations. Bill Murray waits on the Wu-Tang Clan, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits get on each others' nerves and Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes discuss Nikola Tesla.
5Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony HopkinsBram Stoker's Dracula is a chilling journey into the heart of darkness, masterfully directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The tale unfolds with Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), an ageless vampire haunted by a tragic love story. He leaves his castle in Transylvania and ventures to Victorian England, lured by a photograph of Mina Murray (Winona Ryder), who bears an uncanny resemblance to his long-lost beloved. In this grim world, Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins) emerges as a beacon of light. A scholar with profound knowledge about vampires, he becomes the chief adversary to the Count's unholy plans. The movie cascades through a series of hauntingly beautiful scenes that paint a vivid picture of love, loss, and horror. Winner of three Academy Awards, this Gothic horror film reinterprets Bram Stoker's classic novel, offering viewers an intricate tapestry of passion and terror. It stands as a testament to Coppola's cinematic genius and the enduring allure of the Dracula legend.- Dig Deeper...16 Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’
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- #349 of 769 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
6Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane LaneDisaffected and restless, Rusty James (Matt Dillon) is spoiling for a fight. Abandoned by his mother and living with his alcoholic father (Dennis Hopper), he hangs out with his girlfriend, Patty (Diane Lane), and his similarly aimless friends Midget (Larry Fishburne), Smokey (Nicolas Cage) and B.J. Jackson (Christopher Penn). When his brother, the Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), returns to town, Rusty hopes to gain guidance and wisdom from someone most people think is crazy.More Rumble Fish- #45 of 72 onThe 70+ Best Movies From 1983, Ranked
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7Masatoshi Nagase, Nicoletta Braschi, Joe StrummerA seedy hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, provides the backdrop for three separate tales, featuring everything from a kitsch-obsessed Japanese couple (Masatoshi Nagase, Yuki Kudo) to a trio of amateur robbers (Joe Strummer, Rick Aviles, Steve Buscemi) who discover the true nature of their relationship during a botched heist. Linking the stories together is the hotel's eccentric and creepy night clerk (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) as well as the spirit of Elvis Presley.
8Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne TroyerDr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), the leader of a traveling show, has a dark secret. Thousands of years ago he traded the soul of his daughter, Valentina, to the devil. Now the devil has come to collect his prize. To save her, Parnassus must make a final wager: Whoever collects five souls first will win Valentina. Tony (Heath Ledger), a man saved from hanging by Parnassus' troupe, agrees to help collect them, with his eye on marrying Valentina.- #469 of 769 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
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9Coffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California
Iggy Pop, Tom WaitsCoffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California is a 1993 black-and-white short film directed by writer/director Jim Jarmusch shot in Northern California. The film consists primarily of a conversation between musicians Tom Waits and Iggy Pop in a coffee shop. The film would later be included in the feature-length Coffee and Cigarettes released in 2003. The film won the Golden Palm at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival as best "Short Film".
10Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam RockwellBoozy writer Marty (Colin Farrell) is a man in search of a screenplay. He has a catchy title but no story to go along with it. Marty has a couple of oddball buddies, Hans (Christopher Walken) and Billy (Sam Rockwell), who make a living by kidnapping rich people's dogs, then returning them and collecting the reward. However this time, the fur flies when Hans and Billy kidnap the beloved pooch of a gangster (Woody Harrelson), and Marty uses the ensuing events as fodder for his screenplay.
11Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph MacchioIn the heartland of 1960s Oklahoma, The Outsiders tells the story of a group of underprivileged teenagers known as the Greasers. Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell), an introspective youth, and his friends Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) and Dallas Winston (Matt Dillon) navigate their way through social inequalities and personal struggles. This coming-of-age drama, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is built on themes of friendship, societal pressure, and the harsh realities of socio-economic divisions. The film has been recognized for its authentic portrayal of teen angst amidst class conflicts.More The Outsiders- #50 of 399 onThe Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
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12Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Tom WaitsIn Depression-era Albany, N.Y., erstwhile baseball star Francis Phelan (Jack Nicholson) has become an alcoholic vagabond after guilt over accidentally killing his infant son led him to desert his family. Over the course of several days, he ambles from gritty job to dirty bar to makeshift sleeping quarters. By chance, he encounters fellow itinerant drinker and his sometime lover, Helen Archer (Meryl Streep). Together, they wax nostalgic about their haunted pasts.
13Wristcutters: A Love Story
Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon, Shea WhighamDespondent after breaking up with his girlfriend, Zia (Patrick Fugit) kills himself and wakes up in a bland purgatory populated by other suicides. He takes a job at Kamikaze Pizza and befriends a Russian rocker named Eugene (Shea Whigham) while trying to make the best of a very dull afterlife. Learning that his ex-girlfriend has also killed herself, Zia embarks on a road trip with Eugene to find her, picking up a feisty hitchhiker (Shannyn Sossamon) along the way.
14Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, Diane LaneThe lives of various characters intersect at Harlem's renowned Cotton Club. Handsome horn player Dix Dwyer (Richard Gere) falls for Vera Cicero (Diane Lane), the stunning girlfriend of famous gangster Dutch Schultz (James Remar). Meanwhile Dix's brother, Vincent (Nicolas Cage), falls in with Schultz's crew, while Owney Madden (Bob Hoskins), the jazz venue's proprietor, has his own mob ties. Although Dix goes on to become a Hollywood actor, his life doesn't get any less complicated or dangerous.More The Cotton Club- #54 of 94 onThe 90+ Best Mafia Movies Of All Time
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- This documentary chronicles the writer Charles Bukowski, who is as well known for his drinking binges as for his poetry and prose. Using interviews with Bukowski and other footage, filmmaker John Dullaghan tells the story of a man who struggles to make a living while he writes from the heart. Then, after editor John Martin of Black Sparrow Press discovers Bukowski, his work becomes much more widely read. The film also includes comments from famous fans Bono, Sean Penn and Harry Dean Stanton.
16Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, William H. MacyIn the offbeat superhero film Mystery Men, seven underdogs (William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Ben Stiller and more) with unusual abilities band together to save their city. They, however, lack the conventional powers of typical comic book heroes. Instead, they boast peculiar skills like silverware hurling and flatulence control. When Champion City's real protector, Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear), is kidnapped by villain Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), these misfit vigilantes must step in to fill his shoes. This quirky comedy combines both action and humor to create an entertaining parody of superhero tropes.More Mystery Men- #99 of 186 onThe Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time
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17Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila KunisIn the post-apocalyptic thriller The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a solitary wanderer in a desolate, scorched landscape. His life revolves around a mysterious book he carries - the last of its kind. Gary Oldman plays Carnegie, an obsessive despot who covets Eli's book for his own nefarious purposes. The film is an intriguing blend of action and drama, punctuated by clashes between Eli's faith-driven mission and Carnegie's ruthless ambition. A unique exploration of morality amid chaos, The Book of Eli offers an engrossing narrative set against the stark backdrop of humanity's aftermath. It's survivalism meets spirituality, underpinned by standout performances from Washington and Oldman.More The Book of Eli- #70 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night is a 1988 TV film directed by Tony Mitchell.
19Big Time
Big Time is a 1988 documentary music film written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan and directed by Chris Blum.
20Tom Berenger, Aidan Quinn, Kathy BatesIn the early 1960s, missionary Martin Quarrier (Aidan Quinn) arrives in Brazil with his wife, Hazel (Kathy Bates), and their son, Billy (Niilo Kivirinta), to convert the Niaruna people. Martin's efforts to help the natives go against the advice of Rev. Leslie Huben (John Lithgow) and upset Hazel, who fears the tribe. Meanwhile, white-educated Native American Lewis Moon (Tom Berenger), sent to convince the Niaruna to move away to make room for gold mining, is adopted by the tribe as a god.
21Tom Waits, William Hurt, Sam NeillUntil the End of the World is a 1991 drama science fiction film by the German film director Wim Wenders; the screenplay was written by Wenders and Peter Carey, from a story by Wenders and Solveig Dommartin. An initial draft of the screenplay was written by American filmmaker Michael Almereyda. Wenders, whose career had been distinguished by his mastery of the road movie, had intended this as the Ultimate Road Movie.
22Paradise Alley
Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Lee CanalitoThe Carboni brothers -- con man Cosmo (Sylvester Stallone), disabled war veteran Lenny (Armand Assante) and dim-witted Victor (Lee Canalito) -- are determined to leave the slums of New York City. Their best escape route is the muscle-bound Victor, whom a manipulative Cosmo convinces to become a professional wrestler. The wins and prize money pile up, until neighborhood gangster Stitch wants in on the action, scheduling Victor to fight the dangerous Frankie the Thumper in a marathon match.More Paradise Alley- #12 of 15 on15 Actor Passion Projects That No One Wanted To See
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23Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Meg TillyPrivate investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by real estate developer Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman shoots his wife's lover, who happens to be his own business partner, Gittes is drawn into a web of conspiracy and deceit involving the oil reserves beneath Los Angeles. While investigating, Gittes hears a voice from his past that causes him to revisit a traumatic case in Chinatown.
24Tom Waits, Terry Gilliam, Olivia MerilahtiThe Monster of Nix is a 2011 animated short film written and directed by Rosto.
25Tom Waits, Jim Jarmusch, Kevin J. O'ConnorTreasure hunter Martin Bayerle searches the wreck of the RMS Republic, rumored to carry a fortune.- Idiots and Angels is a 2008 animated film directed by Bill Plympton.
27Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Bacon, John MalkovichQueens Logic is a 1991 comedy from Seven Arts Pictures starring Kevin Bacon, Linda Fiorentino, Joe Mantegna, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Malkovich, Ken Olin, Chloe Webb and Tom Waits. It was directed by Steve Rash.
28Tom Waits: One Star Shining
29Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004
Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004 is a music documentary film directed by Hamish Hamilton.
30Tom Waits, Donna Marie GordonTom Waits for No One is a rotoscoped short film starring Tom Waits, singing "The One That Got Away" to an apparition. Directed in 1979 by John Lamb of Lyon Lamb, it was amongst the first music videos of its kind, and nearly two years before the advent of MTV. The film, inspired by a performance of Waits at the Roxy in May 1977, captured a first place award at the first Hollywood Erotic Film and Video Festival in 1980. The film never saw commercial release and sat in obscurity for 30 years, when it went quietly viral on YouTube. Filmed live at the La Brea Stage in Hollywood in 6 takes and edited down to five and a half minutes, the live frames were then traced using a "video rotoscope" and then converted by hand into animation. This particular combination of rotoscoping and pencil test, originally developed for Ralph Bakshi's American Pop, was considered innovative at the time, and assisted in winning Lyon Lamb a 1980 Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement.
