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The 1985 crime thrillerTo Live and Die in L.A. may have only earned $17 million at the worldwide box office, but well-known film critic, the late Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the movie, directed by William Friedkin, four out of four stars. The movie will stream for free on Tubi starting on April 1.

Although its box office take may seem low, To Live and Die in L.A. did turn a profit as its budget was just $6 million. The movie follows the story of two Secret Service agents who are given the task of arresting a counterfeiter. Currently, the film has an 88% critic score and a 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

A CSI Veteran Stars in the Film

William Petersen, best known for his starring role as Dr. Gil Grissom, in the CSI franchise, plays Secret Service agent Richard Chance. Willem Dafoe portrays the criminal Eric “Rick” Masters, who kills...

William Friedkin was an inherently well-informed filmmaker. He started out in television at age 18, directing live news reports and documentaries for WGN-tv in Chicago. He knew how to get to the bottom of any story, best frame the narrative to capture attention, and inform the viewer.

He brought that sense of assured knowledge to movies. There is never any doubt about the veracity of The French Connection (1971). The Exorcist (1973), meanwhile, invites the audience to medical diagnoses and a realistic portrayal of demonic possession. It is the emphasis on the medical that makes the demonic seem plausible. Similarly, To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) is an authentic movie about counterfeiting, and one which deserves to be as celebrated as his early ‘70s masterpieces.

A Step by Step Guide to Counterfeiting

The printing of bogus bills may not seem like an exciting basis for a crime thriller, but Friedkin progressively raises the...

William Petersen was a theater actor from Chicago when William Friedkin changed the course of his life. In 1984, the Oscar-winning director tapped the then-unknown performer to play Richard Chance, a Secret Service agent willing to bend rules and break laws in order to capture a shadowy counterfeiter (Willem Dafoe) in “To Live and Die in L.A.” The crime thriller was a return to form for Friedkin, who had summited the heights of the movie business with “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” only to suffer a string of disappointments. Petersen and Friedkin would later collaborate on a Showtime remake of “12 Angry Men” and two episodes of “CSI.” Friedkin died on Aug. 7 at the age of 87, and Petersen shared his reflections on his “greatest mentor and most brilliant friend.”

I was doing “Streetcar Named Desire” at the Stratford Festival outside of Toronto, and Billy sent his casting director to watch me.