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Keep the Lights On

Keep the Lights On

2012101 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Director
Ira Sachs
Starring
Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane

In 1997 New York City, filmmaker Erik bonds with closeted lawyer Paul after a one-night fling. As their relationship evolves through dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries while being true to himself.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Keep the Lights On?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Keep the Lights On streaming on Cineverse via Prime Video, Fandor via Prime Video, MUBI, Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Keep the Lights On?

Keep the Lights On earns 3 badges, led by Award Winner and Preferred by Men.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Keep the Lights On worth watching?

Keep the Lights On's Midcredits score is the 63rd percentile of all films, from 13K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

63rd percentile

Better received than 63% of films

64th percentile among Drama63rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)69th
Approval (how many liked it)55th

67 /100

69th percentile of all films

72nd percentile among Drama68th percentile among 2010s

Critics 79 · Audience 65

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

54th percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2010s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 89% · Audience 62%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 7 wins / 10 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

73rd percentile

13K ratings across platforms

75th percentile among Drama75th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$56K
Domestic gross$246K
Worldwide gross$388K

49th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-paced, raw drama about a gay couple torn apart by drug addiction and codependency.

Fans praised

  • Lead performance captures emotional need and anguish
  • Unflinching portrayal of codependency and addiction
  • Intimate, raw, and honest depiction of a toxic relationship

Detractors panned

  • Underdeveloped characters, especially Paul remains a cipher
  • Slow, tedious pacing with little narrative momentum
  • Relies on drug-addiction clichés and gay stereotypes

What stands out

Acting80

Thure Lindhardt's performance praised as emotionally compelling; Zachary Booth seen as less effective

Cinematography70

Somber, atmospheric visuals; some note anachronistic details

OriginalityDivisive65

Honest and personal but uses familiar drug-addiction relationship tropes

Emotional impactDivisive60

Devastating for some; fails to generate sympathy for others

Plot and storyDivisive40

Loose structure, lacks stakes, and feels like a stretched short film

EndingDivisive40

Unsatisfying, anticlimactic, and feels abrupt or trivial

CharactersDivisive35

Paul remains shallow and unmotivated; Erik better drawn but still incomplete

PacingDivisive30

Tedious, slow-moving, and loses energy in the final third

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 27 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Keep the Lights On like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its characters' flawed relationship with unflinching honesty and emotional directness, never undercutting or judging them.
The rideThe film maintains a low simmer of tension throughout, with its most emotionally raw moments in the final confrontations and the bittersweet goodbye.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically across key years in a long-term relationship, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with the weight of a love that couldn't survive addiction, both heartbreaking and lingering.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a character-driven relationship study spanning years, driven by emotional dynamics rather than a conventional plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% (this title) · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsAddiction · 1% of filmsTrauma · 7% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the painful arc of a relationship strained by drug addiction and secrecy, asking how much love can survive under these pressures.
StanceThe film presents the relationship's highs and lows without moralising, watching two people damage and care for each other in equal measure.

The world

Early 21st centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
ElectronicAmbientSupportive music · original score · Arthur Russell
SettingManhattan, late 1990s to mid-2000s, the lives of an artist and a lawyer
MusicArthur Russell's own music (a cellist/composer who died in 1992) provides a haunting, melancholic electronic underscore that mirrors the film's emotional texture.

Content guide

Is Keep the Lights On okay for kids?

Not Rated

Keep the Lights On is not rated. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (42/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at moderate (46/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (57/100) and frightening material at minimal (0/100). Its violence, language and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • UK18
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 79%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 80%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (46 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Keep the Lights On have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Keep the Lights On?

Cast

Thure Lindhardt
as Erik Rothman
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Zachary Booth
as Paul Lucy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Julianne Nicholson
as Claire
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Souleymane Sy Savane
as Alassane
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ed Vassallo
as Thomas
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Paprika Steen
as Karen
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sebastian La Cause
as Russ
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sarah Hess
as Katie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Maria Dizzia
as Vivian
Stella Schnabel
as Esther
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Keep the Lights On?

Movies like Keep the Lights On include Sid and Nancy (1986), Malcolm & Marie (2021) and Love Is Strange (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories of toxic codependency, and several are films set in New York.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its subject: addiction. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Keep the Lights On?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: lawyer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.