Vampires get a fresh, modern reworking, in Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. The film stars Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as Adam and Eve, two vampires that have been living in the world for centuries, and are living in the modern age.
Adam is an elusive rockstar who lives in Detroit making records out of his bedroom, with the help of a friend named Ian (Anton Yelchin) who Adam pays handsomely to bring him whatever he needs, with no questions asked. Eve lives comfortably in Tangier, in a more exotic setting of culture. They survive by keeping a low profile, knowing that in the modern age, they cannot just hunt people for blood as a traditional vampire film would suggest. Instead they seek it out with help from others. Adam goes to a hospital where he pays Dr. Watson (Jeffrey Wright) for pure blood, as many humans blood these days are “contaminated.” Eve goes to a well respected vampire know as Marlowe (John Hurt) to get her fix.
Adam and Eve are lovers who have no trouble living apart for long lengths of time considering that they’ve been alive long enough to see the whole world change around them. Eve goes to visit Adam in Detroit after sensing that he’s getting tired of living in the modern world with normal people, who he refers to as “zombies.” They’re enjoying their time together with things seemingly going well, all until Eve’s sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska) pays them a visit for the first time in 87 years. Adam is not happy about this, as the last time they saw Ava, she caused a huge problem, as she is a very loose spirit, acting more like the zombie’s that Adam hates than a respected vampire.
Jarmusch penned the script in addition to directing it, and he gives us a dark comedy/romance that is a slow burning midnight deadpan. It’s a treat to watch unfold at its own pace. Like the drop of the needle on a turntable, which is how the film stars. This opening scene sets the tone for the film with long forgotten American rock songs, creating a a soundtrack that goes perfect with the mindset and mood of Adam in this modern world. Adam has seen it all go down, and he remembers all the good that the world has produced tired of being forced to live with the bad. His reconnection with Eve helps his transition, but Ava comes and destroys it. Ironically Ian is one of the few “zombies” that are ok in Adam’s book, arguably even more so to him than Ava.
Hiddleston, who rose to fame in recent memory thanks to his role as Loki in Marvel’s Thor & The Avengers, shows a different side to him here as a murky bummed out vampire that spends more time brooding than anything else. He pairs off great with Swinton who delivers a more charming upbeat nature than goes hand and hand with Hiddleston’s character. Mia Wasikowska plays her role well, annoying us to the extent that her character is supposed to, but also maintaining her fair share of charm, similarly to Anton Yelchin, who returns to vampire films after the already forgotten 2011 Fright Night remake. John Hurt delivers a typically great performance, although I wish his screen time was longer.
Only Lovers Left Alive isn’t a vampire movie. It’s a movie that focuses on two connected people that happen to be vampires, who are in love and are trying to stay connected to a world that they no longer understand. In this day and age, trying to find ways to stay connected in a world that seems to be passing you by is something that many can connect with. There are things both in the past, and present, that we would deem better for us, or preferable. But which side will you choice if you had to? At some point, you gotta adapt to survive, and it’s there where Jamusch leaves us, fending for ourselves just as Adam and Eve do, but at least they will always have each other.
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