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Byzantium

Byzantium

Irresistible. Immoral. Immortal.

2012118 minRMidcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Director
Neil Jordan
Starring
Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan, Sam Riley, Jonny Lee Miller

Residents of a coastal town learn, with deadly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought refuge at a local boarding house, the Byzantium.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Byzantium?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Byzantium streaming on Acorn TV via Prime Video, AMC+, MUBI, Pluto TV (free), Sundance Now via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Byzantium?

Byzantium earns 6 badges, led by Atmospheric and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Byzantium worth watching?

Byzantium's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all films, from 91K ratings across 6 sources. 57% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of films

66th percentile among Drama65th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)65th
Approval (how many liked it)62nd

66 /100

65th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Drama64th percentile among 2010s

Critics 66 · Audience 66

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

57% liked it

62nd percentile of all films

62nd percentile among Drama62nd percentile among 2010s
57% rated it 7–1043% rated it 1–6

Critics 65% · Audience 51%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 7 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

94th percentile

91K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Drama94th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 16% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£8M

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

Opening weekend$17K
Domestic gross$89K
Worldwide gross$828K

58th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A moody, slow-paced, female-driven vampire drama with strong acting and a Gothic aesthetic.

Fans praised

  • Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton's performances
  • Gothic atmosphere and lyrical visual style
  • Thoughtful, character-driven vampire mythology

Detractors panned

  • Slow pacing and bloated runtime
  • Unlikable or emotionally distant characters
  • Clunky dialogue and awkward male performances

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive85

Bleak, Gothic, seaside setting with immersive mood

Cinematography82

Gorgeous, dark, Gothic visuals with poetic imagery

ActingDivisive80

Ronan and Arterton praised as compelling leads; detractors find them not big-screen caliber

OriginalityDivisive70

Fresh take on vampire lore with female leads and no traditional weaknesses

CharactersDivisive67

Complex mother-daughter dynamic; detractors find them unlikable or whiny

Emotional impactDivisive65

Poignant mother-daughter bond; detractors feel no connection

Plot and storyDivisive62

Engaging dual-timeline narrative; detractors find it contrived and thin

PacingDivisive35

Slow and contemplative; detractors call it boring and overlong

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men even
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Byzantium like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadMelancholicRomantic
Heaviest: late
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film takes its gothic, forlorn material completely seriously, never winking at the audience despite moments of heightened melodrama.
The rideThe film maintains a persistent dread and melancholic atmosphere, building to a tense and emotionally charged climax.
StructureThe present-day story is intercut with extended flashbacks to 1804, gradually revealing the characters' origins and secrets through Eleanor's storytelling.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering melancholic ache, dwelling on the cost of immortality and the fragile bond between mother and daughter.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe duo constantly flees a vampire brotherhood that enforces patriarchal laws, placing the oppressive institutional body as the monster they must evade. The story also carries a tragic arc for the protagonists, bound by their cursed nature and past.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsIsolation · 5% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the fierce protective bond between two women who are each other's only family, set against a backdrop of isolation from society and the secret of their true nature.
StanceThe film mourns the isolation and sacrifice imposed by a supernatural condition, focusing on the tragic cost of the bond between the two protagonists.

The world

Early 21st centuryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Javier Navarrete
Settinga rundown British seaside resort with a dilapidated hotel and dark, rain-soaked streets
MusicThe score mixes sweeping strings with eerie, minimalist passages that underline the film's gothic atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Byzantium okay for kids?

R

Byzantium is rated R: “Rated R for bloody violence, sexual content and language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (85/100), sexual content at moderate (55/100), language at intense (64/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (65/100) and frightening material at severe (81/100). Overall it is heavier than 79% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR15
  • Belgium18
  • GreeceΚ-15
  • Hungary16
  • Netherlands18
  • SK15
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 87% of all filmsHeavier than 79% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 73%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 65%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 83%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 80%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, drug and alcohol content, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Byzantium have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Byzantium?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Gemma Arterton
as Clara
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Saoirse Ronan
as Eleanor
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sam Riley
as Darvell
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jonny Lee Miller
as Ruthven
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Caleb Landry Jones
as Frank
newcomer then · star now
Daniel Mays
as Noel
Kate Ashfield
as Gabi
Maria Doyle Kennedy
as Morag
Uri Gavriel
as Savella
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Thure Lindhardt
as Werner

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Byzantium?

Movies like Byzantium include Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), The Butcher Boy (1997) and The Dark (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, several are gothic horror films, and several are stories about vampires.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Neil Jordan directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Byzantium?

2.9K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: psychological horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.