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Byzantium

Play trailer Poster for Byzantium R 2013 1h 58m Horror Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
65% Tomatometer 118 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Mayhem follows when two female vampires who are on the run from a kindred group take refuge at a seaside British community.

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Byzantium

Byzantium

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Critics Consensus

Director Neil Jordan remains as expert as ever when it comes to setting a chilling mood, but Byzantium struggles to match its creepily alluring atmosphere with a suitably compelling story.

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Critics Reviews

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Amy Taubin Film Comment Magazine Aug 29, 2019
Arterton and Ronan's characters have the determination and brio of true heroines. Go to Full Review Deborah Ross The Spectator Sep 5, 2018
It's melancholia at its most trying. Go to Full Review Larushka Ivan-Zadeh metro.co.uk Sep 5, 2017
4/5
Arresting, gory and surprising, this flight-of-horror fantasy is wonderfully acted for post-Twilight vamp lovers craving something altogether eerier but emotionally resonant. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Sep 2, 2022
4/4
From the stunning compositions to Eleanor’s thoughtful narration to the poetic drama of Jordan’s treatment, the theme of storytelling itself unfolds and transforms what may be considered familiar vampire material into operatic fantasy. Go to Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Jan 31, 2021
2/5
An elegant, if slightly dull film, that tries to bring something new to the Twilightized vampire genre, but staked by flawed storytelling. Go to Full Review Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See Jul 8, 2020
B
Occasionally bloody and violent, "Byzantium" is primarily a somber tale of a woeful, savage life. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Angelo R @RT61287290 Jun 28, 2026 A beautiful story of the humanity of being a vampire. See more Rich C. @Cordu0702 Feb 23, 2026 Decent film. Didn't quite get there for me. See more Ellen T. @ellentorke Feb 9, 2026 This is such an original take on the vampire myth. The actors are all excellent. I particularly liked Caleb Landry Jones and the shy, ill, yearning vampire to be See more Laurence S @Lazza Dec 22, 2025 Very good. I’ve been watching vampire movies for 50 years now, and this was a refreshing take on the theme. See more Wayne K @WayneKelso Dec 16, 2025 As weird as this might sound, Byzantium is one of the most ‘human vampires’ I’ve seen before. Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan are great as the mother and daughter doomed to hide their true selves for eternity. They share an obviously close bond but frequently grate on each other, and the more one tries to hold on to the other, the more the start to suffocate them. You can look at it as a metaphor for parenthood, or women’s marginalised place in history, or even the pitfalls of being human, desiring companionship and earnesty but having it constantly ripped away from you. It’s a little slow and repetitive at times, and I have no idea which accent Caleb Landry Jones is going for, but there’s a big beating heart at the centre of it, and by the time its over the characters will have wormed their way under your skin. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Oct 16, 2025 Success in 1 hour and 58 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language, Bloody Violence and Sexual Content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Read all reviews
Byzantium

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Cast & Crew

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Neil Jordan

Director

Gemma Arterton

Clara

Saoirse Ronan

Eleanor

Jonny Lee Miller

Ruthven

Caleb Landry Jones

Frank

Sam Riley

Darvell

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Byzantium

Gemma Arterton as Clara Webb in "Byzantium." Caleb Landry Jones as Frank in "Byzantium." Gemma Arterton as Clara Webb and Sam Riley as Darvell in "Byzantium." Saoirse Ronan as Eleanor Webb in "Byzantium." (L-R) Thure Lindhardt as Werner, Uri Gavriel as Savella, Gemma Arterton as Clara Webb and Sam Riley as Darvell in "Byzantium." Gemma Arterton as Clara Webb in "Byzantium." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Mayhem follows when two female vampires who are on the run from a kindred group take refuge at a seaside British community.
Director
Neil Jordan
Producer
Stephen Woolley, Alan Moloney, Elizabeth Karlsen, William D. Johnson, Sam Englebardt
Screenwriter
Moira Buffini
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Parallel Film Productions Ltd., Lipsync Productions, Number 9 Films
Rating
R (Language|Bloody Violence|Sexual Content)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 28, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$84.3K
Runtime
1h 58m
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