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Only Lovers Left Alive

Only Lovers Left Alive

2013123 minRMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Director
Jim Jarmusch
Starring
Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Yelchin, Mia Wasikowska

A depressed musician reunites with his lover. However, their romance, already played over several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Only Lovers Left Alive?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Only Lovers Left Alive streaming on Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Only Lovers Left Alive?

Only Lovers Left Alive earns 8 badges, led by Top 10% in Comedy and Atmospheric.

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

Reception

Is Only Lovers Left Alive worth watching?

Only Lovers Left Alive's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all films, from 374K ratings across 6 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of films

93rd percentile among Comedy89th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)89th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

74 /100

89th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Comedy89th percentile among 2010s

Critics 79 · Audience 73

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Comedy85th percentile among 2010s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 86% · Audience 75%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 6 wins / 43 noms overall

97th percentile

374K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Comedy97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 24% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$7M
Opening weekend$88K
Domestic gross$1.9M
Worldwide gross$7.9M

Returned 1.1× its budget — 70th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It is a slow, atmosphere-driven, unconventional vampire film built on its lead performances and Jarmusch's distinctive world-weary mood, not on action or horror.

Fans praised

  • atmospheric, meditative tone and 2am feel that really lands
  • luminous lead performances from Hiddleston and Swinton, perfect casting
  • beautiful cinematography, production design, and a soundtrack that gives the film its pulse

Detractors panned

  • slow, plotless, and self-indulgent, with no real dramatic peaks
  • dry dialogue and predictable characters that undermine the premise
  • unfocused, mixing undeveloped genre elements (romance, drama, horror) without committing

What stands out

Atmosphere90

Mesmerizing nocturnal, world-weary rock-star mood that drips from every frame

ActingDivisive88

Swinton and Hiddleston are luminous, carrying the film with otherworldly charisma

Cinematography85

Gorgeous, moody night-time visuals and Detroit/Tangier production design

OriginalityDivisive75

Subverts vampire genre clichés with a slow, intellectual approach — novel to some, a gimmick to others

CharactersDivisive68

Centuries-old vampires 'bored and melancholy' — some find them immersive, others predictable or dry

Plot and storyDivisive55

Loose, contemplative 'jam' with minimal dramatic peaks — praised as anti-narrative, panned as pointless

DialogueDivisive55

Cultural witticisms and dry philosophical exchanges — sharp for some, stiff or ponderous for others

Pacing40

Deliberately languid, 2am momentum — meditative for fans, boring or 'without any peak' for detractors

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 17 points higher than critics.

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

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Only Lovers Left Alive like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast or you want every question answered.

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

What it asks of you

Patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
ContemplativeRomanticMelancholicDread
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Romantic · 8% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film maintains a languid, brooding atmosphere while allowing moments of dry humour and genuine tenderness; it is sincere in its exploration of immortal ennui and love.
The rideThe film maintains a steady, hypnotic register of quiet contemplation and muted romance, with an undercurrent of dread that never fully erupts.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear chronology following the reunion, disruption, and aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film lingers as a melancholy meditation on immortality and love, leaving a bittersweet sense of beauty and decay.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).RebirthHealing
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%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA depressed vampire is rejuvenated by the return of his lover, but their tranquil life is disrupted by her wild sister, leading to a journey that tests their bond.

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 filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · 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%: 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% (this title) · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsIsolation · 5% of filmsArt · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines enduring romantic love against a backdrop of existential alienation and the solace of art.
StanceThe film questions whether eternal life is a blessing or a curse, and whether art or connection gives it meaning, without settling on an answer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
AmbientElectronicSupportive music · hybrid · Jozef van Wissem
Settingdecaying Detroit and Tangier, inhabited by immortals living on the fringes of human society
MusicThe score blends minimalist guitar and drones, mirroring Adam's musical world and the film's hypnotic atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Only Lovers Left Alive okay for kids?

R

Only Lovers Left Alive is rated R: “Rated R for language and brief nudity” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at moderate (37/100), language at moderate (59/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at moderate (41/100). Overall it is heavier than 15% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Denmark15
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands9
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia16+
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland14
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 42% of all filmsHeavier than 15% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 33%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 35%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 50%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 24%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 35% of R-rated films.

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 Only Lovers Left Alive have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Only Lovers Left Alive?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Tilda Swinton
as Eve
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.
Tom Hiddleston
as Adam
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Anton Yelchin
as Ian
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.
Mia Wasikowska
as Ava
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Jeffrey Wright
as Dr. Watson
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Slimane Dazi
as Bilal
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Hurt
as Christopher Marlowe
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Carter Logan
as Scott
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Aurélie Thépaut
as Flight Attendant
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ali Amine
as Taxi Driver, Detroit
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Only Lovers Left Alive?

Movies like Only Lovers Left Alive include The Time Traveler's Wife (2009), The Lake House (2006) and Prelude to a Kiss (1992). Of the 12 closest matches, half are stories of healing, and most are fantasy films.

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

10 of these 12 share its story type: supernatural drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Only Lovers Left Alive?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: supernatural drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.