In 1997 New York City, filmmaker Erik bonds with closeted lawyer Paul after a one-night fling. As their relationship evolves through dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries while being true to himself.
Keep the Lights On (2012) is a drama and romance film directed by Ira Sachs, released on July 27, 2012 with a runtime of 1h 42m. It stars Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson and Souléymane Sy Savané. Viewers rate it 5.7 out of 10 across 105 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Keep the Lights On before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Keep the Lights On.
Trailer
Featurette
Featurette
Thure Lindhardt
as Erik Rothman
Zachary Booth
as Paul Lucy
Julianne Nicholson
as Claire
Souléymane Sy Savané
as Alassane
Justin Reinsilber
as Dan
Ed Vassallo
as Thomas
Paprika Steen
as Karen
Marilyn Neimark
as Marilyn Neimark
Sebastian La Cause
as Russ
Sarah Hess
as Katie
Roberta Kirshbaum
as Katie's Mom
Jamie Petrone
as Katie's Cousin
Directed by Ira Sachs, written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, produced by Marie Therese Guirgis, Ira Sachs and Lucas Joaquin.
Average viewer score of 5.7/10 from 105 ratings.
I found to be kind of annoying at times. The main character seems all right at first glance but the longer you watch it you see that he isn't really a good person who uses manipulation and emotional blackmail on the people around him. A hook up leads to a relationship, but we find out that one of the guys had an addiction problem and that becomes the focus of the later part of the movie.
Reviewed on September 8, 2026
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Keep the Lights On (2012) is available to stream on Philo, MUBI, OVID and Metrograph, and to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and MovieMe. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Keep the Lights On (2012) includes Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souléymane Sy Savané and Justin Reinsilber. The film was directed by Ira Sachs. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Keep the Lights On was released on July 27, 2012 and runs for 1h 42m.
Keep the Lights On (2012) holds an average rating of 5.7 out of 10 from 105 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and romance films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Keep the Lights On trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
