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Poster for Keep the Lights On

Keep the Lights On

2012 · 1h 42m · NOT RATED Drama, Romance
Directed by Ira Sachs

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Overview

Documentary filmmaker Erik and closeted lawyer Paul meet through a casual encounter, but they find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers — compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity and to be true to himself.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
90%
Tomatometer
Fresh

This is a painful drama, but its pain is more studied than emotive, and it demands that we think just as much as it makes us feel.

Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Fresh

The cast, uniformly excellent, draws us into a vibrant, energetic Manhattan where commitments are forged and broken through sheer chance and those seeking permanence must continually resist temptation and ennui.

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Fresh

A complex and mysterious tale of a love affair, one that lacks the tidy story arc of a movie but feels real.

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Fresh

When you summon memories of this film, they are almost always of two men in a room, in a default state of discontent.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh

A heart-breaking love story and call for emotional transparency in relationships.

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

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