The Blues Brothers (1980)
They'll never get caught. They're on a mission from God.
Just released from prison, Jake Blues puts his old band back together with his brother Elwood to save the Catholic home where they were raised.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 16 June 1980 |
| Genre | Music, Comedy, Action |
| Director | John Landis |
| Starring | John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and James Brown |
| Runtime | 133 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.6/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 72% · Metacritic 60/100 · TMDB users 7.7/10 |
| Budget | $270,000 |
| Box office | $115 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers is streaming on Netflix ($19.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Netflix is $19.99 at list price.
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy The Blues Brothers on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Blues Brothers in 7 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Binge $19.00 AUD, Foxtel |
| Denmark | Viaplay 159 kr DKK |
| Finland | Viaplay €13.99 |
| Iceland | Viaplay 799 kr ISK |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Norway | Viaplay 169 kr NOK |
| Sweden | Viaplay 169 kr SEK |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
John Landis directed a 133-minute film that blends music, comedy, and action into a single, high-velocity package. The premise is simple: two brothers reunite to save a home, but the execution is anything but. It is a loud, relentless ride where the soundtrack does half the work and the cars do the rest. The tagline claims a divine mandate, which explains the sheer confidence of the chase sequences. It is not subtle. It is not trying to be. It is a sheer force of volume and momentum that treats the plot as a suggestion rather than a constraint.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 72% as of August 2024, while Metacritic lands on a 60. It is a solid, if uneven, reception. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 out of 4, noting the "grace, humor, and whimsy" that survives the mayhem. Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune went further, awarding a rare four stars. He called it a "pure exercise in physical comedy." Not everyone was so generous. Gary Arnold of The Washington Post argued the filming was so stark that comic sensations were virtually obliterated.
How it did with audiences
The budget line reads $0 million, a figure that usually means the studio forgot to write it down. It opened in 594 theaters and took in $57 million domestically, then another $58 million overseas for a $115 million total. John Landis claimed it was the first American film to earn more abroad than at home. On TMDB, users give it a 7.7.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Blues Brothers.
Sources
- The Blues Brothers on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q109767 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Blues Brothers (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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