Set in a romanticized Detroit and a secluded Tangier, this idiosyncratic romp allows us to peek inside the lives of two vampires, Adam and Eve. Older, wiser and enigmatic, Eve travels to Detroit to be with her younger, sullen and dissatisfied with the human race husband, Adam, after learning he’s on a downward spiral.

At the arrival of Eve’s impulsive sister the fragility of their routine is shaken, causing the two to ponder if they can exist in a world where they’ll always be outsiders.

That is Only Lovers Left Alive when tied up neatly in a bow-it’s really so much more.

The beauty of Jim Jarmusch’s most recent film is the way he fills the silence. The small moments with our characters are given reason; the moments that would usually be given a pass due to inactivity are highlighted by Jarmusch in a way that perfectly captures the mindset of Adam and Eve.

These are two characters that have lived very long lives and not every moment of every day is some grand adventure, but as Eve often signifies, that doesn’t make it less important.

Adam is often brought out of his dower reverie by Eve’s higher spirits and outlook on life. Where Adam sees decay and destruction, Eve sees nature and nurture. Adam sees life as a monotonous cycle of humans poisoning their world as well as themselves, while Eve looks at life as an excuse to explore, to love, and especially, to dance.

They are two sides of a coin and together they make one of the most electrifying couples on screen this year.

This is largely due to the charismatic performances turned in by Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. The chemistry between the two works wonders for the aforementioned quieter moments.

Whether they are lying around in bed, out at a bar and listening to music, or in a truly joyful scene dancing around in Adam’s living room, they light up the screen with their joint presence. They’re believable not just as vampires, but as two people who are entirely comfortable in one another’s space. There’s a feral look to the two of them, juxtaposed by their overtly cultured personas. That coupled with Hiddleston’s dry wit and Swinton’s idyllic performance, Adam and Eve pop off the screen.

The supporting players such as John Hurt, Mia Wasikowska and Anton Yelchin also make an impression, but the film wouldn’t be what it is without its star players.

Soulful, sensual and serene, Only Lovers Left Alive has expertly woven a handful of genres without losing the melancholy tone. The film is laugh out loud funny with many deadpan moments delivered timely by Hiddleston.

It’s romantic despite the fact that Adam and Eve never engage in purely carnal acts. It’s reflective, allowing moments of quiet introspection for creatures that are so often in storytelling fashion, larger than life. Rather than seeming like monsters, predators or sparkling beautiful people, Adam and Eve are simply earth-bound mammals that were given stricter instructions on how to go about their day-to-day life.

There isn’t an easy way to recommend this film to a causal film goer. It’s a mood piece-it either clicks with you or it doesn’t. It isn’t just a vampire film, it’s a film about life and how you live it.