Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis and based on the 1990 semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien.

Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, having lost his family and been recently fired, has decided to move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death.

He loads a supply of liquor and beer into his BMW and gets drunk as he drives from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Once there, he develops a romantic relationship with a prostitute played by Elisabeth Shue and the film shifts to include her narrative perspective.

After limited release in the United States on October 27, 1995, Leaving Las Vegas was released nationwide on February 9, 1996, receiving strong praise from critics and audiences with many lauding the performances from Cage and Shue, the tone, the themes and Figgis's direction and screenplay.

With nothing left to live for and a sizable severance check from his boss, he heads to Las Vegas to drink himself to death.

One early morning, he drives drunkenly from his Los Angeles home down to the Las Vegas Strip; he nearly hits a woman, Sera, on the crosswalk.

When she enters their hotel room, the students change the deal and demand anal sex, which she refuses.

Mike Figgis based Leaving Las Vegas on a 1990 autobiographical novel by John O'Brien, who died by suicide in April 1994, shortly after finding out his novel was being used as the basis for a film.

[13] This caused him to film some scenes on the Las Vegas strip in one take to avoid the police, which Figgis said benefited production and the authenticity of the acting, remarking "I've always hated the convention of shooting on a street, and then having to stop the traffic, and then having to tell the actors, 'Well, there's meant to be traffic here, so you're going to have to shout.'

MGM/UA reportedly spent less than $2 million marketing the film, which included TV spots and ads in industry publications.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Oscar-awarded Nicolas Cage finds humanity in his character as it bleeds away in this no frills, exhilaratingly dark portrait of destruction.

[19] Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun-Times and Rick Groen from The Globe and Mail gave the film high marks.

[22] Leonard Klady from Variety wrote Leaving Las Vegas was "certainly among a scant handful of films that have taken an unflinching view of dependency.

[44] A soundtrack album, consisting mainly of film score composed and performed by Mike Figgis, was released November 7, 1995.

A version of "Lonely Teardrops" performed by Michael McDonald from The New York Rock and Soul Revue: Live at the Beacon that features in the film is not included.