Only Lover’s Left Alive (OLLA) is the Bizarro version of the Twilight films; the premise is similar, but unlike Twilight it’s sophisticated, intelligent, rational, artistic, imaginative, humorous, romantic and a refreshingly well-made film! I was thoroughly surprised to discover OLLA is not adapted from any previous source material, since it seemed way too collected to be an original screenplay. The film stars two centuries-old vampires (respectively named Adam [Tom Hiddleston] and Eve [Tilda Swinton]) who live hidden in plain sight in the modern world. The two actors possess a lovely amount of chemistry that makes both their interactions enjoyable, passionate, and engagingly sophisticated. The film treats its very old characters (they were married in the 1800s) exactly how you’d expect them to act. Both are extremely wise and knowledgeable of their respective interests, with Adam knowing practically everything about music and instruments, and Eve having read multiple lifetimes worth of books plus knowing the proper names of all animals/fungi. In one scene the couple plays a game of chess while reminiscing about people who have long sense died (much to the annoyance of Adam who’s trying to make his move); Eve then decides to bring out an experimental surprise in the form of frozen blood popsicles. A good amount of scenes focus simply on Adam and Eve’s interactions with each other; discussing philosophies and issues, visiting old landmarks to reminisce and enjoying each other’s company. The actors not only FEEL like an actual couple, but are remarkably engaging to watch from beginning to end.
OLLA balances its romance with its wonderfully dark sense of humor and wit, particularly when Eve’s eccentric sister comes to pay them an unwanted visit. The film’s cinematography has a very psychedelic feel to fit with Adam’s love of the 60s and 70s; creating a very relaxing and mesmeric feel (the opening scene is simply a rotating shot of them staring into space), along with a soothing pace that takes its time without becoming dull (though a few scenes are needlessly drawn out). One of my favorite plot details is something I've wanted to see in a vampire film for a long time: the concept of contaminated blood. The film deals with the issue that blood is no longer safe to drink directly from people without the risk of being infected (bad blood can poison and kill a vampire), ironic considering how vampires are normally the one’s doing the infecting. They now need a safer way for obtaining good blood (such as O-, which to them is straight up orgasmic), such as buying it from blood-banks via bribe money (Adam does so under the alias of Dr. Faust, though the bribed doctor refers to him also as Dr. Strangelove and Dr. Caligari). It’s with its plot, characters, cinematography, humor and additional plot ideas that Only Lovers Left Alive becomes one of the best vampire movies to come out in a long time. If you’re someone who believes great vampire films are officially gone, I highly recommend you watch this film, there’s a high-percent chance you'll end up changing your mind!
