Mystery Train
In Memphis, Tennessee, over the course of a single night, the Arcade Hotel, run by an eccentric night clerk and a clueless bellboy, is visited by a young Japanese couple traveling in search of the roots of rock; an Italian woman in mourning who stumbles upon a fleeing charlatan girl; and a comical trio of accidental thieves looking for a place to hide.
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Cast
34 people
Youki Kudoh
Mitsuko
Known for
Blood: The Last Vampire
Memoirs of a Geisha
Masatoshi Nagase
Jun
Known for
Suicide Club
Sweet Bean
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Night Clerk
Known for
Dance with the Devil
Peut-être
Cinqué Lee
Bellboy
Known for
Coffee and Cigarettes
Oldboy
Nicoletta Braschi
Luisa
Known for
Life Is Beautiful
Johnny Stecchino
Elizabeth Bracco
Dee Dee
Known for
The Sopranos
The Color of Money
Joe Strummer
Johnny
Known for
I Hired a Contract Killer
Rick Aviles
Will Robinson
Known for
The Stand
Ghost
Steve Buscemi
Charlie
Known for
Wednesday
Monsters, Inc.
Tom Noonan
Man in Diner
Known for
12 Monkeys
Manhunter
Rufus Thomas
Man in Station
Known for
Cookie's Fortune
Tom Waits
Radio DJ (voice)
Known for
Down by Law
The Book of Eli
Jim Jarmusch Director · John Lurie Composer Robby Müller Cinematographer
Worldwide gross $1.5M · Budget $2.8M · United States release November 17, 1989
Box office
Budget
$2,800,000
Worldwide gross
$1,544,973
Gross vs. budget
0.6×
Production
Mystery Train
Production
JVC
Production
JVC Entertainment Networks
Production
Japan · United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Italian · Japanese
Release dates
France · May 14, 1989
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
United States · November 17, 1989
Theatrical · New York City, New York
United States
September 29, 1989 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
December 20, 1989 · Theatrical · Los Angeles, California
July 18, 2012 · Premiere · Maine International Film Festival
Argentina
November 12, 1998 · Premiere · Mar del Plata Film Festival
Australia
December 14, 1989 · Theatrical
Belgium
December 14, 1989 · Theatrical · Gent
Brazil
July 9, 1990 · Theatrical
Canada
September 14, 1989 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
Czechia
April 1, 1996 · Limited theatrical · Projekt 100
Denmark
December 26, 1989 · Theatrical
France
September 6, 1989 · Theatrical
July 3, 2019 · Theatrical · Re-release (Restored Version)
Germany
November 30, 1989 · Theatrical · West Germany
Greece
October 11, 2005 · Physical · DVD
Hong Kong SAR China
June 21, 2026 · Limited theatrical · Dead Time: Early Jarmusch
India
May 19, 2023 · Digital · MUBI
Italy
October 30, 1989 · Theatrical
September 18, 2010 · Premiere · Milano Film Festival
Japan
December 23, 1989 · Theatrical
Netherlands
November 24, 1989 · Theatrical
August 21, 2003 · Physical
August 12, 2012 · TV · Nederland 2
February 9, 2017 · Theatrical · Re-release
Portugal
November 22, 1990 · Theatrical
Russia
June 1, 2023 · Theatrical
South Korea
February 23, 2017 · Digital
Spain
October 13, 1989 · Theatrical
Sweden
December 25, 1989 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
December 8, 1989 · Theatrical
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