Indie Film Spotlight: Only Lovers Left Alive

Welcome to Indie Film Spotlight! In which I act as your guide through the mess of mediocre indie movies out there and bring to you a select few that are not only worth watching but are actually worthy of love and recommendation. But first, a quick primer: an indie film, or independent film, is one that is produced outside of a major film studio and usually distributed by the same. Indie films are also generally recognizable by the filmmaker's personal artistic vision and are lower budget than their media conglomerate cousins. Hence the reason many of them are quite bad. That being said, enjoy this spotlight on an incredible one!

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Synopsis

Adam is a moody and depressed musician living in Detroit. Eve is modern, classy, and living in Madrid, checking in every so often on her friend Christopher Marlowe. When Adam becomes fed up with the state of humanity, Eve comes to visit, the two of them reminiscing on life, love, and their centuries-long relationship. But when Eve's unruly little sister comes to visit, life as they know it is turned upside down.

Why You Should Watch It

Only Lovers Left Alive is an artsy vampire movie, in all the best ways possible. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, and Mia Wasikowska, with a supporting cast that includes John Hurt and Anton Yelchin, this Jim Jarmusch film is casting perfection. It's a new and often humorous take on vampires in modern society, and their approach to drinking blood is surprisingly rational. Despite being centuries old, both Adam and Eve are relatable characters, and the relationships showcased are just perfect.

Fair warning: This is one of the slowest-moving films I've ever seen, but it's one of the only slow-moving films I've thoroughly enjoyed. The cinematography is simply stunning, and it's rife with music and literature references. Yes, Christopher Marlowe is the Christopher Marlowe, and he takes shots at the ancient feud of who actually wrote Shakespeare's plays. It's a literature nerd's dream. This film is everything good about arthouse films, rolled into one perfectly-cast vampire movie.

This self-obsession is a waste of living. It could be spent on surviving things, appreciating nature, nurturing kindness and friendship... and dancing!

Have you seen Only Lovers Left Alive? What did you think?