Keep the Lights On
2012 · 102 min · Director: Ira Sachs
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
It's 1998 and New York City is in a state of intense flux when documentary filmmaker Erik Rothman (Thure Lindhardt) first meets Paul Lucy (Zachary Booth), a handsome but closeted lawyer in the publishing field. What begins as a highly charged first encounter soon becomes something much more, and a relationship quickly develops. As the two men start building a home and life together, each continues to privately battle their own compulsions and addictions. A film about sex, friendship, intimacy, and--most of all--love, Keep the Lights On takes an honest look at the nature of relationships in our times.
Emotional fingerprint
Keep the Lights On (2012) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Melancholy 30%, Empathy 25%, Sadness 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Melancholy30%
- Empathy25%
- Sadness20%
- Love15%
- Nostalgia10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Melancholy, Empathy, Sadness. Genres: Drama, Romance. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Melancholy, Empathy and Sadness. Its IMDb rating of 6.4/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 66/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sadness
- Tension
- Love
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Love
Dominant emotion: Relief
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sadness | Tension | Love |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | 23 % | 4 % | 12 % | 11 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Love | 27 % | 9 % | 16 % | 17 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 13′ | Love | 36 % | 11 % | 21 % | 28 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Love | 50 % | 9 % | 31 % | 36 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Relief | 61 % | 16 % | 50 % | 29 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Tension | 59 % | 31 % | 55 % | 16 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 33′ | Sadness | 57 % | 42 % | 53 % | 14 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 38′ | Tension | 64 % | 49 % | 60 % | 25 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Sadness | 61 % | 47 % | 51 % | 33 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Love | 51 % | 31 % | 32 % | 37 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 54′ | Love | 60 % | 30 % | 41 % | 44 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Tension | 76 % | 52 % | 66 % | 45 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 64′ | Sadness | 73 % | 59 % | 66 % | 36 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 69′ | Tension | 60 % | 43 % | 48 % | 30 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Love | 59 % | 36 % | 36 % | 45 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Love | 59 % | 38 % | 40 % | 52 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 84′ | Sadness | 59 % | 42 % | 51 % | 42 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Tension | 69 % | 56 % | 55 % | 43 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 94′ | Sadness | 79 % | 72 % | 47 % | 50 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 99′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Keep the Lights On. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Dan
Thomas
Marilyn Neimark
Katie
Katie's Mom
Katie's Cousin
James Bidgood
John Michael Cox Jr.
Henry Arango
Agosto Machado
Igor
Details
- Directed by
- Ira Sachs
- Written by
- Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2012
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Melancholy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Free
Rent
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