Tom Hiddleston And Tom Holland’s Vampire Movie Is Guaranteed To Break Your Heart
By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Even if you love vampire movies like a good night kid, it can be hard to find a modern movie with these monsters that suck. A few years ago, however, we got a heartbreaking vampire drama from an iconic indie director, who started two Marvel icons. The movie in question is Only Lovers Left (2013), and now you can stream this underrated Tom Hiddleston/Tilda Swinton classic for free on Tubi.
The foundation of Only Lovers Left that two vampires who have been married for centuries are now living two very different lives on opposite sides of the world. However, a dark, destructive ennui has begun to take hold of Tom Hiddleston’s character, and he’s thinking about uncoiling the world he’s tired of. Tilda Swinton’s character comes to help him find happiness after years of empty life, but whether he succeeds will come down to how much they can rekindle the love that brought them together in the beginning.
Cast Of Undead Excellence
The cast of Only Lovers Left features some of the biggest names in the genre, including Tom Holland (best known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). Including Jeffrey Wright (who is best known for Batman) and the late, great Anton Yelchin (better known as Star Trek restart). It even includes the legendary John Hurt (well known Alien) who, in an inspired scene, plays William Shakespeare’s contemporary Christopher Marlowe.
Mainly, however, Only Lovers Left around Tom Hiddleston (well known The Avengers) and Tilda Swinton (well known We Need To Talk About Kevin). Each one of them does a great job of portraying a supernatural being that’s becoming smaller and smaller than a human, and their natural chemistry helps lend this movie its romance and pathos. Trust me: if you’re familiar with these characters from Marvel movies, seeing them in a sad indie where they chew up the scenery as they see fit is a revelation.
You’re Dead and You Don’t Like It
When Only Lovers Left premiered, it didn’t make the box office feel it could have. Against a budget of $7 million, the film grossed only $7.9 million; however, it received a surprising number of accolades despite the poor results: for example, it was nominated for the Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and deservedly took home the festival’s prestigious film award for Best Soundtrack. Seriously, this combination of the director’s favorite songs and his band’s scores help give this classic a surprisingly authentic and almost shockingly autobiographical vibe.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that it was completely different from other vampire media, Only Lovers Left cast an addictive spell on everyone who saw it. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 86 percent rating, with critics praising director Jim Jarmusch for pumping new blood into a genre that felt stale a long time ago. They also singled out Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton for giving performances that range from heartbreaking to hilarious and back again, fully selling us on the unexpected compromises and quiet triumphs that come from a love that literally never ends.
Who Wants to Live Forever?
Now, here’s a rare confession from a critic: I had to watch it Only Lovers Left twice before I really understood and appreciated you. The first time, the movie felt slow to me, and it went against my expectations of a genre story full of blood and betrayal. However, on the second watch, I realized that the film is about answering the question that was first asked by the Queen all those decades ago: “who wants to live forever?”
Although it makes for a tear-jerking watch at times (it’s not a question of if you’ll cry but when), Only Lovers Left Alive poignantly asks what eternal love looks like for a man and a wife who will never die. How does that change the traditional wedding promise of “till death do us part,” and how do you keep the spark alive when the weight of countless eons weighs on your chest like a rock of years? For anyone who has ever loved someone with all their heart, Only a Couple Left Alive forces you to think about how you can sustain this love over the centuries and what its sudden absence would mean to you and your relationship.
The Scary Mirror
In this way, Jim Jarmusch has created a vampire movie that isn’t really a vampire movie; rather, its supernatural characters are metaphors for evil desires and a creeping loneliness that threatens to tear apart even the strongest unions. It’s not really a horror movie, especially for those hoping to see a lot of blood, explosions, and other essential horror movie mayhem. But in elevating a consistent image of both the impermanence of lust and the eternal fire of true love, this may be the scariest vampire film of all.
You will admit that Only Lovers Left is it the slow-burning genre, or is this a vampy movie you’d like to put a stake in? The only way to find out is to stream it for free on Tubi today. Come discover the stars of Marvel and stay for an eye-opening meditation on life, love, and the forbidden attraction of death!
ONLY A FEW LEFT UPDATE THE RESULT
