Return to Paradise_
"Give up three years of their lives or give up the life of their friend. They have eight days to decide."
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.
Starring
Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Joaquin Phoenix
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Prime Video
13 countries
Apple TV
13 countries
G
Google Play
8 countries
YouTube
5 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
Return to Paradise was released 28 years ago in 1998.
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...
Return to Paradise is a Drama, Thriller, Romance film with a runtime of 1h 49m.
CAST (20)
Vince Vaughn
John 'Sheriff' Volgecherev
Anne Heche
Beth Eastern
Joaquin Phoenix
Lewis McBride
David Conrad
Tony Croft
Jada Pinkett Smith
M.J. Major
Vera Farmiga
Kerrie
Nick Sandow
Ravitch
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Gaby
ML
Ming Lee
Mr. Chandran
Joel de la Fuente
Mr. Doramin
RC
Richard Chang
Prosecutor
James McCauley
Famous Divorce Lawyer
Brette Taylor
Young Woman in Limo
Deanna Yusoff
Woman in Bar
David Zayas
Construction Foreman
II
Is Issariya
Malaysian Woman in Hammock
EH
Ed Hodson
Features Editor
Kevin Scullin
Doorman #1
GP
Glenn Patrick
Doorman #2
Patrick Teoh
Chief Justice
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Return to Paradise about?
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.
How long is Return to Paradise?
Return to Paradise has a runtime of 109 minutes (1h 49m).
Who stars in Return to Paradise?
The cast of Return to Paradise includes Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Joaquin Phoenix, David Conrad, Jada Pinkett Smith.
What is the rating of Return to Paradise?
Return to Paradise has a rating of 6.5 out of 10 based on 308 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (3)
Drama
Thriller
Romance