Rotten
It's a painful prospect, to be sure, and Sheriff, in particular, insists he's no hero, but the next hour or so of handwringing conjures little suspense.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Return to Paradise
Give up three years of their lives or give up the life of their friend. They have eight days to decide.
1998 · 1h 49m · R
Drama, Romance, Thriller
Directed by
Joseph Ruben
Free account saves your watchlist and ratings.
Return to Paradise
Overview
Lewis, Sheriff and Tony are three friends vacationing in Malaysia. Sheriff and Tony eventually leave to pursue careers in New York, but Lewis stays behind to work with orangutans. Two years later, Sheriff and Tony learn that, because of their past actions, Lewis has been arrested for drug possession. With Lewis facing a death sentence, the friends are left with a difficult decision: return to Malaysia and split Lewis' sentence, or let him die.
Director and cast
- Joseph Ruben Director
- Vince Vaughn as John 'Sheriff' Volgecherev
- Anne Heche as Beth Eastern
- Joaquin Phoenix as Lewis McBride
- David Conrad as Tony Croft
- Jada Pinkett Smith as M.J. Major
- Vera Farmiga as Kerrie
- Nick Sandow as Ravitch
- Elizabeth Rodriguez as Gaby
- Joel de la Fuente as Mr. Doramin
- Richard Chang Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
71%
Tomatometer
Rotten
What if director Joseph Ruben didn't resort to B-movie suspense tricks? What if the fine cast wasn't saddled with a shamelessly contrived script by Wesley Strick and Bruce Robinson?
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Rotten
If it's to be experienced at all, Return to Paradise is best seen as a lively piece of pulp, not a profound exploration of the vagaries of the human soul.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Fresh
Though the clock ticks relentlessly enough to sustain the story's tension, the film finally seems to be a character study in search of a gripping plot.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Fresh
The real discovery ... is Vince Vaughn, who didn't make as much of a splash in Jurassic Park: The Lost World as he was expected to. Now he does.
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle
More films
The Parts You Lose (2019)
Crime · Drama · Thriller · N/A
An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.
- Runtime
- 1h 34m
- Cast
- Aaron Paul, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scoot McNairy
IMDb
5.8
Rotten Tomatoes
65%
Metacritic
47
Angel Eyes (2001)
Drama · Romance · Thriller · R
A story about a seemingly unlikely couple who cross paths under life-threatening circumstances as though they are destined not only to meet but to save each other's lives. Not once, but twice.
- Runtime
- 1h 42m
- Director
- Luis Mandoki
- Cast
- Jennifer Lopez, Jim Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto
IMDb
5.7
Metacritic
39
The Caveman's Valentine (2001)
Drama · Mystery · Thriller · R
Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove h...
- Runtime
- 1h 45m
- Director
- Kasi Lemmons
- Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson, Colm Feore, Ann Magnuson
IMDb
5.8
Rotten Tomatoes
45%
Metacritic
44
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Drama · Mystery · Romance · PG-13
Abandoned by her family, Kya raises herself all alone in the marshes outside of her small town. When her former boyfriend is found dead, Kya is instantly branded by the local townspeople and law enforcement as the prime suspect for his murder.
- Runtime
- 2h 6m
- Director
- Olivia Newman
- Cast
- Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson
IMDb
7.2
Rotten Tomatoes
34%
Metacritic
43
The House on Carroll Street (1988)
Drama · Thriller · PG
A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house, being conducted largely in German and involving her HUAC prosecutor. She begins to investigate, enlisting the help of ...
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Director
- Peter Yates
- Cast
- Kelly McGillis, Jeff Daniels, Mandy Patinkin
IMDb
6.1
Rotten Tomatoes
75%
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Comedy · Drama · Romance · R
Sutter, a popular party animal, unexpectedly meets the introverted Aimee after waking up on a stranger's lawn. As Sutter deals with the problems in his life and Aimee plans for her future beyond school, an unexpected romance blossoms between them.
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Director
- James Ponsoldt
- Cast
- Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Masam Holden
IMDb
7.0
Rotten Tomatoes
92%
Metacritic
82
The Circle (2017)
Drama · Science Fiction · Thriller · PG-13
A young tech worker takes a job at a powerful Internet corporation, quickly rises up the company's ranks, and soon finds herself in a perilous situation concerning privacy, surveillance and freedom. She comes to learn that her decisions and actions will determine the future of humanity.
- Runtime
- 1h 50m
- Director
- James Ponsoldt
- Cast
- Emma Watson, Alicia Vikander, Tom Hanks
IMDb
5.4
Rotten Tomatoes
16%
Metacritic
43
Smashed (2012)
Comedy · Drama · Romance · R
Kate and Charlie like to have a good time. Their marriage thrives on a shared fondness for music, laughter… and getting smashed. When Kate’s partying spirals into hard-core asocial behavior, compromising her job as an elementary schoolteacher, something’s got to give. But change isn’t exactly a cakewalk. Sobriety means she will have to...
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Director
- James Ponsoldt
- Cast
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer
IMDb
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes
83%
Metacritic
71
Off the Black (2006)
Drama · R
An aging, disillusioned alcoholic gets a younger friend and wants him to pose as his son at a school reunion.
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Director
- James Ponsoldt
- Cast
- Nick Nolte, Trevor Morgan, Rosemarie DeWitt
IMDb
6.5
Rotten Tomatoes
65%
Metacritic
62
Comments
Talk about the film with other members