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Mystery Train

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Videos & Photos

  • Criterion Collection release trailer
  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Producer:

Jim Stark

Release Date:

Nov 17, 1989

Runtime:

1hr 50m

Synopsis

Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.

Cast

  • Masatoshi Nagase
  • Yûki Kudô
  • Screamin' Jay Hawkins
  • Cinqué Lee
  • Rufus Thomas
  • Jodie Markell
  • William Hoch
  • Pat Hoch
  • Joshua Elvis Hoch
  • Reginald Freeman

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.0
117.3K
39.6K
39.8K
RATINGS 1.1K FANS
4.0
  • Jan 30, 2021

    it’s always great to be able to say “omg steve buscemi” in a movie.

    1.4K Likes
    anna
    anna
    Feb 28, 2021

    One Night in Memphis (i will be real with you, i think jim jarmusch is my favorite director)

    1.4K Likes
    Karsten
    Karsten
    Feb 28, 2021

    The Statue of Liberty. She's Elvis, too.

    1.2K Likes
    Jaxi
    Jaxi
  •
    Sep 21, 2013

    A few notes: - My sequencing game today was TIGHT. Three five-star movies, three movies about one long night in a specific place, three movies with an emphasis on music, and two of them have an all-night radio leitmotif (Wolfman Jack in American Graffiti, and Tom Waits…

    866 Likes
    Joe
    Joe
    Apr 10, 2020

    "nothing is original. steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water,…

    746 Likes
    emma katharine
    emma katharine
    Nov 30, 2017

    "You spend half your life in dreams"

    732 Likes
    Andre de Nervaux
    Andre de Nervaux
  •
    Dec 12, 2017

    i feel like i could just like watch this at any time and just vibe out. it’s just so soothing, yanno?

    662 Likes
    tru
    tru
    Mar 14, 2021

    Films like this one make me feel complete, films where nothing happens, and you just get to see a certain amount of time of someone’s life and that’s it, I think this is my favorite genre

    615 Likes
    eduardo
    eduardo
    Jan 15, 2018

    Added to: Jim Jarmusch Ranked & Leo's Top 200+ favorites I absolutely adore how Jarmusch turns around the idea of Checkov's gun cinematically by letting it go off in the first and second act before finally showing it in the third but simultaneously following the exact…

    598 Likes
    𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕞 𝕧𝕒𝕟 𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕟
    𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕞 𝕧𝕒𝕟 𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕟
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

82%
Community 462
❤️ LOVE
33%
👍 LIKE
49%
😐 MEH
16%
👎 DISLIKE
2%
Top Reviews
  • Ahoo
    Ahoo liked
    Mystery Train

    Different people and different life stories.

    🤔 1 11M
    CvptvinHowdy
    CvptvinHowdy liked
    Mystery Train

    I knew this reminded me of Night on Earth it's by the same director. I enjoy character-driven films that are actually well written even if there isn't really a plot. It's always cool to see Steve Buscemi in random movies lol.

    5M
    Murph
    Murph is "meh" on
    Mystery Train

    Rating: 5.5/10 Cool unified anthology but overall pretty boring. Some parts were better than others and I would have given it a like if there was an actual ending.

    1Y
  • Orlando Ramone
    Orlando Ramone liked
    Mystery Train

    An amazing, underrated love letter to Memphis and Elvis!

    3Y
    Hank Leet
    Hank Leet loved
    Mystery Train

    The spirit of Memphis lives in all of us.

    1Y
    11811
    11811 liked
    Mystery Train

    For whomever loves an anthology…enjoy

    3Y
  • Luca Tosti
    Luca Tosti liked
    Mystery Train

    8/10

    2Y
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Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

80
metacritic
Based on 16 Critics
8.2

USER SCORE (5)

Universal acclaim based on 5 Reviews
100

There is a deep embedding of comedy, nostalgia, shabby sadness and visual beauty.

View full review
Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
90

The dialogue sounds as if it had been gathered by means of microphones hidden in diners, buses, waiting rooms, restrooms, motels and park benches. Sometimes it is hilariously banal, with never a word wasted.

View full review
Metacritic review by Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
The New York Times
88

This bracing, original comedy may be mostly smoke and air, but it's not insubstantial. Mystery Train insinuates itself into the memory and lingers on.

View full review
Metacritic review by Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mystery Train (1989) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Mystery Train (1989)?
The movie is 1hr 50min long.
What's Mystery Train (1989) about?
Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.
Who's the cast of Mystery Train (1989)?
  • Masatoshi Nagase as Jun (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Yûki Kudô as Mitzuko (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Screamin' Jay Hawkins as Night Clerk (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Cinqué Lee as Bellboy (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Rufus Thomas as Man in Station (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Jodie Markell as Sun Studio Guide (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • William Hoch as Tourist Family (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Pat Hoch as Tourist Family (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Joshua Elvis Hoch as Tourist Family (segment "Far from Yokohama")
  • Reginald Freeman as Conductor (segment "Far from Yokohama")
Who's the director behind Mystery Train (1989)?
Jim Jarmusch directed Mystery Train (1989).
Who produced Mystery Train (1989)?
Jim Stark produced Mystery Train (1989).