To Live and Die in L.A.

The Stars Are God's Eyes: A Video Essay on To Live and Die in L.A.

2026-04-08

I've enjoyed the films of William Friedkin for over 25 years. I discovered To Live and Die in L.A. around 2000 and watch it often. I've studied the film, visited its landmarks in real life around Los Angeles, I've even discussed it with Friedkin over email before he passed away. It's a film that through repeated viewings over the course of my adult life has changed in meaning.

The film is many things, but at its core it is a raw, nihilistic neo-noir crime film: a counterfeiter who is also an artist, and the Secret Service agents who hunt him. No one is spared, there is no redemption arc, there are no heroes.

Friedkin did not portray LA as a city of glitz and glamour in 1985. He famously features some of the least polished parts of the city; there's a sense of authenticity to the film, a visual style only Friedkin can capture.

There is style, beauty, amazing low-light cinematography and action scenes that no studio would ever allow to take place today with actors around.

Besides the action, drama, sex and violence, it also portrays the struggle, trauma, pain and anxiety of the characters on screen.

I set out to write an essay about how To Live and Die in L.A. is more than just a 1980s action film. While others have extensively written about the film, I found it difficult to put into words, I decided to make a short video essay to express what I think makes the film so good.

The faces, the eyes, the smiles and the horror.