Stranger Than Paradise (1984) ****

Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Than Paradise (1984) was a huge step up from his debut, Permanent Vacation (1980), with more realized yet naturalistic performances and a stronger aesthetic. Jarmusch's trademarks are present—hip offbeat characters and simple minimalist shots, but Paradise has a much richer quality and more assured direction than Vacation. It plays as a sort of American version of the French New Wave. There's also a playful nature that would figure heavily in his subsequent work—his brand of dry comedy starts to peak its head out. Tom DiCillo's black & white cinematography perfectly complements the dynamic of the three characters at the film's core and John Lurie's (who also stars) sparse string quartet score adds a feeling of melancholy to the proceedings.

You can find my Jim Jarmusch Feature Films Ranked list here.