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Live by Night

Live by Night

Joe was once a good man.

2016129 minRMidcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Director
Ben Affleck
Starring
Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Remo Girone, Brendan Gleeson

A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Live by Night?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Live by Night to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Live by Night?

Live by Night earns 9 badges, led by Visual feast and Star-studded.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Live by Night worth watching?

Live by Night's Midcredits score is the 52nd percentile of all films, from 98K ratings across 6 sources. 51% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

52nd percentile

Better received than 52% of films

68th percentile among Action52nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)49th
Approval (how many liked it)54th

61 /100

49th percentile of all films

66th percentile among Action50th percentile among 2010s

Critics 49 · Audience 62

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

51% liked it

54th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Action54th percentile among 2010s
51% rated it 7–1049% rated it 1–6

Critics 34% · Audience 42%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 4 noms overall

96th percentile

98K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Action96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$65M
Opening weekend$33K
Domestic gross$10M
Worldwide gross$23M

Returned 0.4× its budget — 69th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film boasts impressive period detail and production values, but they diverge on whether that alone compensates for narrative and character flaws.

Fans praised

  • strong period recreation: costumes, sets, cars, and atmosphere
  • well-staged action set pieces, including car chase and shootouts
  • supporting cast shines, especially Chris Cooper and Elle Fanning

Detractors panned

  • Affleck’s lead performance is wooden, monotone, and unconvincing
  • sprawling, unfocused plot with too many underdeveloped characters and subplots
  • dull pacing and reliance on voice-over narration to explain story

What stands out

Cinematography80

Stunning visuals and period recreation praised across camps

Atmosphere75

Immersive 1920s Boston and Florida settings, but occasionally lacking grit

Effects and spectacle75

Action sequences, car chase, and shootouts called exciting

ActingDivisive55

Supporting cast praised; Affleck widely criticized as stiff and miscast

Plot and storyDivisive40

Sprawling and episodic, lacking focus or a compelling arc

PacingDivisive40

Sluggish in the middle, with rushed final act

Characters35

Underwritten, with many interesting figures barely developed

Emotional impact30

Lack of investment in characters undercuts emotional stakes

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 20 points higher than women.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 14 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Live by Night like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

It leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseBittersweetMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film plays its gangster-crime material straight and earnestly, treating the violence and moral compromises with solemn weight.
The rideSustained tension from violence, balanced with romantic and reflective moments, building toward a somber resolution.
StructureThe story follows a conventional rise-fall arc but moves through loosely connected episodes in Boston, prison, and Tampa rather than a tight cause-effect chain.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a complex mix of loss and slight hope as Joe ultimately tries to build something good, but after so much violence and tragedy it feels earned and fragile.
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).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · 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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

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

Why this archetypeJoe Coughlin's attempt to rise beyond his criminal past is repeatedly undone by forces beyond his control—betrayal, the Klan, mob politics—while a faint rebirth arc (redemption through fatherhood) never fully lands.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · 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% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · 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%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsViolence · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows Joe's attempts to atone for his criminal past by building a legitimate life and protecting his family.
StanceThe film questions whether redemption is possible after a life of violence, without fully celebrating or condemning Joe's choices.

The world

Early 20th centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score
Setting1920s Boston and Tampa, with Prohibition-era speakeasies and gangster conflicts.

Content guide

Is Live by Night okay for kids?

R

Live by Night is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (79/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at severe (83/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (62/100) and frightening material at moderate (59/100). Overall it is heavier than 70% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • JapanPG12
  • Brazil14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmarkt.o.15
  • Hungary18
  • LTN-13
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SK15
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 82% of all filmsHeavier than 70% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 39%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 43%

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

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and drug and alcohol content. 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 Live by Night have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Live by Night?

Cast

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

Ben Affleck
as Joe Coughlin
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Elle Fanning
as Loretta Figgis
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Remo Girone
as Maso Pescatore
Brendan Gleeson
as Thomas Coughlin
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Robert Glenister
as Albert White
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Matthew Maher
as RD Pruitt
Chris Messina
as Dion Bartolo
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Sienna Miller
as Emma Gould
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Miguel
as Esteban Suarez
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Zoe Saldaña
as Graciela
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Live by Night?

Movies like Live by Night include Road to Perdition (2002), Lawless (2012) and Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (2026). Of the 12 closest matches, most are gangster films, and several are films about violence.

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

8 of these 12 share its subject: redemption. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Live by Night?

1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gangster. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.