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Life

Life

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1999108 minRMidcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Director
Ted Demme
Starring
Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Obba Babatundé, Nick Cassavetes

Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Life?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Life streaming on ALLBLK via Prime Video, STARZ via Apple TV and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Life?

Life earns 8 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Life worth watching?

Life's Midcredits score is the 75th percentile of all films, from 116K ratings across 6 sources. 65% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

75th percentile

Better received than 75% of films

83rd percentile among Comedy77th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)76th
Approval (how many liked it)72nd

69 /100

76th percentile of all films

84th percentile among Comedy80th percentile among 1990s

Critics 63 · Audience 69

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

65% liked it

72nd percentile of all films

79th percentile among Comedy74th percentile among 1990s
65% rated it 7–1035% rated it 1–6

Critics 53% · Audience 77%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 6 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Makeup

95th percentile

115K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Comedy93rd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$80M
Opening weekend$20M
Domestic gross$64M
Worldwide gross$73M

Returned 0.9× its budget — 93rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Two innocent men spend decades in prison for a crime they didn't commit, and the film mixes laughs with serious themes about racial injustice and enduring friendship.

Fans praised

  • Murphy & Lawrence's surprising chemistry and comedic timing
  • Bitter-sweet blend of comedy and genuine drama about friendship
  • Rick Baker's Oscar-nominated aging makeup effects

Detractors panned

  • Tone confusion between comedy and drama leaves both weak
  • Prison life portrayed as tame and unfunny, not gripping enough
  • Supporting prisoners are clichéd and underdeveloped

What stands out

Effects and spectacle80

Rick Baker's aging makeup praised as remarkable and Oscar-nominated

ActingDivisive70

Murphy and Lawrence's chemistry praised; some critics find Lawrence weaker in dramatic moments

DialogueDivisive65

Witty, fast-paced banter between leads; some find it overdone

Emotional impactDivisive60

Bittersweet tale of wrongful imprisonment and friendship; some find it manipulative

Plot and storyDivisive55

Unfocused, tone shifts between comedy and drama; fans see heartfelt friendship story

CharactersDivisive50

Memorable duo and colorful supporting inmates, but detractors call side characters clichéd and flat

PacingDivisive40

First half slow; montage of decades feels rushed

OriginalityDivisive35

Heavily derivative of Cool Hand Luke and The Shawshank Redemption

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 11 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Life like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Funny and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to laugh and feel something too.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Funny and bittersweet.

Moods
BittersweetMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its characters' suffering with sincere warmth, balancing harsh prison realities with the comedy of their bickering and the heart of their friendship.
The rideThe film shifts between comedic banter and the harsh reality of prison life, with the emotional weight growing as the decades pass and the men age, culminating in a poignant final act.
StructureThe story begins in the 1990s with an older inmate recounting the past, then flashes back to 1932 to follow the protagonists' lives in nonlinear fashion as they age over decades.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a bittersweet sense of lives lost to injustice, but also a warm feeling about the enduring friendship that survived it.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% (this title) · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Institutional injustice: A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeTwo men are falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to life in a brutal Mississippi prison farm, where they endure decades of hardship and systemic racism while trying to survive and escape.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film is centered on the lifelong friendship between Ray and Claude, forged and tested through shared adversity, and also explores systemic injustice and the sustaining power of hope.
StanceThe film does not preach about injustice; it simply presents the friendship and the suffering without editorializing, letting the audience draw their own conclusions.

The world

Mid 20th centuryInstitutionalRuralRealistic
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score · Wyclef Jean
SettingMississippi's Parchman Farm prison, spanning decades from the 1930s to the 1990s
MusicThe score blends contemporary hip-hop and soul with classic blues, reflecting the film's blend of humor and pathos.

Content guide

Is Life okay for kids?

R

Life is rated R: “Rated R for strong language and a shooting” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (60/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at severe (82/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at mild (35/100). Overall it is heavier than 34% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 7 other countries
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • South Korea15
  • Greece13
  • Hungary16
  • Netherlands12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 59% of all filmsHeavier than 34% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 35%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 77%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 45%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 18%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Life have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Life?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Eddie Murphy
as Rayford Gibson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Martin Lawrence
as Claude Banks
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Obba Babatundé
as Willie Long
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Nick Cassavetes
as Sgt. Dillard
Anthony Anderson
as Cookie
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Barry Shabaka Henley
as Pokerface
Brent Jennings
as Hoppin' Bob
Bernie Mac
as Jangle Leg
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
as Biscuit
Michael Taliferro
as Goldmouth
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Life?

Movies like Life include The Defiant Ones (1958), Soul Men (2008) and Thieves Like Us (1974). Of the 9 closest matches, several are odd-couple stories, and several are films set in the 1930s.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Life?

682 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prison drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.