Night on Earth

Five cities. Five taxicabs. A multitude of strangers in the night. Jim Jarmusch assembled an extraordinary international cast of actors for this amusing quintet of tales of urban displacement and existential angst, spanning time zones, continents, and languages. In Los Angeles, casting agent Gena Rowlands goes for a ride with Winona Ryder’s chainsmoking cabbie and decides she ought to be in pictures. In New York, Yoyo (Giancarlo Esposito) makes fun of his German driver’s name, Helmut (Armin Mueller-Stahl). And so on. Jarmusch’s lovingly askew view of humanity from the passenger seat makes for one of his most charming and beloved films. Tom Waits composed and performs the score.

At the end, we have learned no great lessons and arrived at no thrilling conclusions, but we have shared the community of the night, when people are unbuttoned and vulnerable – more ready to speak about what’s really on their minds.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

By the time Tom Waits growls his lovely closing waltz over the credits, Jarmusch has shown us moments most filmmakers don’t even notice.

Geoff Andrew, Time Out