In 1937 Los Angeles, private investigator Jake 'J.J.' Gittes specializes in cheating-spouse cases. His current target is Hollis Mulwray, high-profile chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, whose wife suspects him of infidelity. In following Mulwray, Gittes witnesses some usual business dealings, such as a public meeting for construction of a new dam to create additional water supply for Los Angeles, as fresh water is vital to the growing community d... (Full plot summary below)
FREE with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UK only | 1 Month Free Trial | 07 Jun 2026 | 5316 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 66% |  Report: Broken Link |   |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 25 Sep 2020 | 3693 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 98% | Report: Broken Link | |
| IRELAND only | 1 Month Free Trial | 03 May 2015 | 833 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 65% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 15 May 2014 | 679 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 93% | Report: Broken Link | |
![Its HD [Chinatown]](/images/logos/icons/itshd.png){kind=icon} | WORLDWIDE | ? | 19 Oct 2016 | 3150 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 85% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 12 Jan 2023 | 694 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 44% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | Free Credit | 03 Feb 2023 | 162 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 47% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 25 Dec 2015 | 176 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 13% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 28 Mar 2026 | 16 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 21% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 18 Jun 2023 | 279 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 32% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 04 Aug 2013 | 28 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 11% | Report: Broken Link | |
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 07 Jul 2013 | 472 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 70% |  Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | N/A | 07 Jul 2013 | 84 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 38% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 07 Jul 2013 | 141 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 15% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 07 Jul 2013 | 21406 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 98% | Report: Broken Link | |
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 05 May 2026 | 191 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 78% | Report: Broken Link | |
| UK only | N/A | 05 May 2026 | 35 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 18% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 07 Jul 2013 | 211 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 8% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 05 May 2026 | 8813 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 87% | Report: Broken Link | |
In 1937 Los Angeles, private investigator Jake 'J.J.' Gittes specializes in cheating-spouse cases. His current target is Hollis Mulwray, high-profile chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, whose wife suspects him of infidelity. In following Mulwray, Gittes witnesses some usual business dealings, such as a public meeting for construction of a new dam to create additional water supply for Los Angeles, as fresh water is vital to the growing community during the chronic drought; Mulwray opposes the dam. Eventually Gittes sees Mulwray meeting with an unknown young woman who isn't his wife. Once news of the supposed tryst between Mulwray and this woman hits the media, additional information comes to light that makes Gittes believe that Mulwray is being framed for something and that he himself is being set up. In his investigation of the issue behind Mulwray's framing and his own setup, Gittes is assisted by Mulwray's wife Evelyn, but he thinks she isn't being forthright with him. The further he gets into the investigation, the more secrets he uncovers about the Mulwrays' professional and personal dealings, including Mulwray's former business-partnership with Evelyn's father, Noah Cross. The identity of the unknown woman may be the key to uncovering the whole story.
Leave your thoughts about Chinatown.
| IGNScott LoweChinatown's deep focus cinematography, dialogue direction and long takes are identifiably Polanski. |
| Q Network Film DeskJames Kendrickone of the great masterworks of '70s American cinema and an apex of the decade's obsession with genre revisionism |
| Common Sense MediaKelly KesslerGreat hardboiled detective film. Not for kids. |
| Entertainment WeeklyTy BurrBut it's Polanski who pries the genre open until it goes metaphysical. |
| Salon.comAndrew O'HehirBut the greatness of Chinatown, unappreciated by my adolescent self, lies not in its cynical view of the California dream (that's too easy) but in its fatalistic, even tragic conception of America and indeed of human nature. |
| Clothes on FilmChris LavertyA landmark blend of acting, directing, structure and design. Chinatown is the greatest detective movie ever made. |
| Empire MagazineRob FraserBoasting some of the greats of Hollywood's '70s golden age on top form, this is a never-bettered noir masterpiece. |
| CinemaBlend.comBrian HolcombBeyond all the "masterpiece" rhetoric, this is actually a great movie. |
| Shadows on the WallRich ClineArguably Hollywood's finest noir thriller. |
| Capital Times (Madison, WI)Rob ThomasA modern classic that stays true to private eye-movie conventions while digging way, way, deep underneath them. |
