Review: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

The other night I really felt like a Tom Hiddleston film, and I’d heard a lot of good things about Only Lovers Left Alive. I think what intrigued me the most was that it was a romantic vampire film which couldn’t be further away from Twilight. I was forced to watch this one alone, my other half wanted to nothing to do with this!

Only Lovers Left Alive tells the story of Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton), two married vampires. They currently live apart, and Adam is suffering terribly from depression. Eve comes to visit him, and life gets better again for Adam, until Eve’s sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska) comes to visit un-invited. In fact, this is the whole plot line, when you actually sit and try to explain it, not an awful lot actually happens in this film!

Adam is a famous musician who lives in a flat, trying to keep himself to himself. He has just one friend, Chekov Ian (sorry) who is nothing but loyal and runs all sorts of errands for Adam, who he admires. Adam is extremely talented, but only leaves home to visit a dirty doctor to get a blood supply from him. It’s incredibly sad watching Tom Hiddleston play this character, I really felt the depression that Adam was suffering. His wife Eve couldn't be more different, she seems to find joy in everything around her. The contrast is clear enough on it’s own but it’s also reflected through their clothing. Adam is always in very dark outfits whereas Eve is normally wearing white.

Although I enjoyed Adam & Eve’s reunion, the story started to slow until Eve’s sister, Ava was introduced. She brought in a lot of noise to an otherwise quiet film, but she definitely needed a slap! As much as her character was unlikeable, I loved watching her and I’m really impressed with Mia Wasikowska as an actress. One thing I really loved about the film was the soundtrack, which fit perfectly. I had Adam’s song stuck in my head for hours after watching it, and I’m humming it to myself now as I type this.

I wasn’t certain how the film would end, I had a gut feeling that there wouldn’t be a conclusive finish but I wasn’t expecting the actual ending. It was quite simple in itself, but haunting when you really think about it. It was perfect, actually.

Only Lovers Left Alive is a film like nothing else I've seen before. It met my expectations and more, although I just wish there was a more detailed plot.