If I were to say the movie Only Lovers Left Alive was a vampire movie, you might keep reading or bail… who wants another vampire movie? But this one is unique, it’s special. It’s more of a mood piece… a movie in love with music, art, and science and in love with love but in hate with humanity. A movie that fetishises Detroit (where it was filmed) in its decaying, lost glory – which is representative of the film itself and the main character’s view on people.
The movie is about two centuries-old vampires playing by Tom Hiddelston (Loki) and Tilda Swinton. Both are cultured and intelligent though his character is a brooding and moody tortured musical genius living in his ramshackle wreck of a house in the decaying corpse of a mostly abandoned area of Detroit.
There isn’t much plot in the movie – mostly it’s going for moody and tone. When things do happen, the movie lingers on the events and sometimes they are funny, sometimes they are tragic, and usually they are thoughtful and even beautiful.
It’s somewhat of a spoiler to say that, about an hour in, Mia Wasikowska shows up as Tilda Swinton’s vampire sister… she plays an airhead party girl vamp from LA who basically proves that “hell is other people”… the film smartly pairs her flibbertigibbet-ways with Hidelston’s self-serious goth/emo sulking and it’s hilarious without telegraphing why its funny. Just knowing how self-serious and snobby he is matches so well with how he finds her insufferable.
John Hurt and Anton Yelchin also star. Anton Yelchin is actually pretty amazing in his roll as a rock ‘n roll aficionado/procurer/lackey. I have liked this guy for a few previous movies but he kind of excels here. Also, Jeffrey Wright has a couple scenes as a doctor who’s on the take, and a little wise to, the vampires (he supplies them with blood for a big wad of cash).
I really dug this movie. Probably the best movie I’ve seen this year… though that isn’t saying much. If you like smart, cerebral, and beautiful movies, check this one out. It’s playing On Demand – I caught it on Apple TV/ITunes.