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Byzantium
2013 118 min Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Belgium R 18+
★6.4
Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Director: Neil Jordan
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Residents of a coastal town learn, with deadly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought refuge at a local boarding house, the Byzantium.
Budget:
$10M
US Gross:
$89,237
Worldwide:
$89,237
Starring
Saoirse Ronan
Actor
Gemma Arterton
Actor
Sam Riley
Actor
Awards
2 wins & 7 nominations total
Key opinion
Byzantium is a moody, gothic exploration of vampirism that reframes the genre through the lens of a mother-daughter relationship. While many critics praise its atmospheric direction and the central performances, others find the narrative disjointed and the pacing uneven.
| Acting | Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan deliver standout performances that ground the film's fantastical premise. | |
| Production | The film successfully establishes a lush, melancholic, and visually evocative gothic atmosphere. | |
| Score | Javier Navarrete’s score is widely recognized as a key element that enhances the film's emotional depth and stylistic cohesion. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative structure, which relies on a fragmented, non-linear progression of flashbacks, creates a divide between those who find it immersive and those who find it incoherent or overstuffed. | |
| Pacing | The contemplative, slow-burn tempo rewards patient viewers but is perceived by others as tedious and lacking necessary momentum. |