Straight to Hell

Right now you can watch Straight to Hell in the US on Criterion Channel — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 48 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Dick Rude leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Criterion Channel and see for yourself.

There is a reason Straight to Hell keeps coming up in conversation. Straight to Hell gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. A gang of bank robbers with a suitcase full of money go to the desert to hide out. After burying the loot, they find their way to a surreal town full of cowboys who drink an awful lot of coffee. Dick Rude and Sy Richardson lead a cast that never overplays a joke. Straight to Hell came out in 1987. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Straight to Hell holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Straight to Hell is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Dick Rude sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.

Straight to Hell was released in 1987, directed by Alex Cox. The full 86-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.