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Stay

Stay

Between the worlds of the living and the dead there is a place you're not supposed to stay.

200599 minRMidcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Director
Marc Forster
Starring
Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Kate Burton

Psychiatrist Sam Foster has a new patient, Henry Letham, who claims to be suicidal. In trying to diagnose him, Sam visits Henry's prior therapist and also finds Henry's mother -- even though Henry has said that he murdered both of his parents. As reality starts to contradict fact, Sam spirals into an unstable mental state. Then he finds a clue as to how and when Henry may try to kill himself, and races to try to stop him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Stay?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Stay streaming on Indie Club via Prime Video and Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Stay?

Stay earns 9 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Stay worth watching?

Stay's Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all films, from 276K ratings across 6 sources. 65% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of films

75th percentile among Drama70th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)70th
Approval (how many liked it)72nd

67 /100

70th percentile of all films

73rd percentile among Drama69th percentile among 2000s

Critics 41 · Audience 69

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

65% liked it

72nd percentile of all films

74th percentile among Drama70th percentile among 2000s
65% rated it 7–1035% rated it 1–6

Critics 26% · Audience 69%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

97th percentile

276K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Drama94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 1% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$2.2M
Domestic gross$3.6M
Worldwide gross$8.5M

Returned 0.2× its budget — 84th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Fans and detractors agree the film is deliberately confusing and stylistically ambitious, but disagree on whether that makes it brilliant or frustrating.

Fans praised

  • visually stunning cinematography and seamless transitions
  • atmospheric, dreamlike mood that immerses the viewer
  • strong emotional impact and thought-provoking themes

Detractors panned

  • confusing, incoherent plot that fails to satisfy
  • pretentious style over substance
  • predictable twist ending that feels gimmicky

What stands out

Cinematography80

creative use of tilted frames, morphing transitions, striking compositions

Atmosphere80

unsettling, dreamlike, thoroughly immersive

ActingDivisive75

strong performances by Gosling, McGregor, Watts; Hoskins singled out

Emotional impactDivisive60

tragic ending moves fans; detractors find it emotionally flat

CharactersDivisive55

deliberately fractured identities; written as archetypes rather than full people

Originality40

derivative of Jacob's Ladder, Sixth Sense, Lynch; fans see novel execution

Plot and storyDivisive35

twist-based structure perceived as gimmick by detractors; fans see layered puzzle

EndingDivisive35

divisive twist; fans find it poignant, detractors call it a cop-out

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 20 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Stay like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
DreadMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its material straight, treating its themes of mortality and guilt with solemn respect, though the surreal visuals create a detached, dreamlike atmosphere.
The rideA sustained dread that builds through an increasingly fractured investigation, resolving only in the late reveal of Henry's death.
StructureThe story unfolds out of chronological order, opening with the car crash and later revisiting it at the climax, with surreal repetitions that mirror a dying man's fragmented consciousness.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer with an unsettling puzzle about reality and guilt, lingering long after the credits roll.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film revolves around Sam's investigation into Henry's impending suicide, with the central mystery being what is real and what is happening inside Henry's mind as he hovers between life and death.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfMortalitySurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Mortality · 2% of filmsGrief · 6% of filmsGuilt · 3% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is fundamentally about confronting one's own death, the momentary world built in its approach, and the guilt and grief that accompany dying.
StanceThe film mourns a single life and the world that dissolves with it, treating mortality as loss rather than spectacle or warning.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalIn transitStylized realism
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score
SettingNew York City of the early 2000s, rendered surreal and unmoored as a dying man's mental construct.
MusicA brooding, ambient-leaning score underpins the film's dreamlike atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Stay okay for kids?

R

Stay is rated R: “Rated R for language and some disturbing images” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (58/100), sexual content at mild (25/100), language at moderate (47/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at intense (62/100). Overall it is heavier than 17% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK18
  • CanadaR
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • Czechia18+
  • Hungary18
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 44% of all filmsHeavier than 17% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 33%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 19%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 19%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Stay have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Stay?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Ewan McGregor
as Sam Foster
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Naomi Watts
as Lila Culpepper
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ryan Gosling
as Henry Letham
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kate Burton
as Mrs. Letham
Elizabeth Reaser
as Athena
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Bob Hoskins
as Dr. Leon Patterson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
BD Wong
as Dr. Ren
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Janeane Garofalo
as Dr. Beth Levy
John Tormey
as Custodian
José Ramón Rosario
as Cabbie
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Stay?

Movies like Stay include The I Inside (2004), Asylum (2005) and Equus (1977). Of the 12 closest matches, several are puzzle films, and several are films set in New York.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its world: medicine. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Stay?

1.4K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: doctor. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.