---
title: "Behind the Candelabra"
year: 2013
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/behind-the-candelabra"
fi1m_id: "behind-the-candelabra"
imdb_id: "tt1291580"
tmdb_id: 119675
wikidata_id: "Q2893887"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:53.670083+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh · 1h 58m · MPA R · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Behind the Candelabra

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/behind-the-candelabra
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** behind-the-candelabra
- **IMDb ID:** tt1291580
- **TMDB ID:** 119675
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2893887
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1291580/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/119675, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2893887

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 82 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* A love story with a mirrored ceiling, and only one of them is ever looking up

> Michael Douglas plays Liberace soft, watchful and entirely in control, Matt Damon lets himself be remade in another man’s image, and Steven Soderbergh shoots the whole affair without a smirk. The second half follows a well-worn path, but it is a fine one.

## Synopsis

Late 1970s. Scott Thorson (Matt Damon), a young man out of foster care with no fixed plans, is taken by a friend, Bob Black (Scott Bakula), to see Liberace (Michael Douglas) perform in Las Vegas. Backstage, the pianist takes an interest. Within weeks Scott has moved into Liberace’s house, all mirrors, marble and candelabras, as companion, chauffeur and rather more. Liberace’s manager, Seymour Heller (Dan Aykroyd), keeps the public story straight. Dr Jack Startz (Rob Lowe), a plastic surgeon, arrives with ideas about faces. Steven Soderbergh directs, shoots and edits Richard LaGravenese’s screenplay, adapted from Thorson’s own memoir of the five years the two men spent together.

## Review

Steven Soderbergh made *Behind the Candelabra* for American television, and it was billed at the time as his last film. Over here it went into cinemas, on 7 June 2013, and it deserved the bigger screen. It is a story about a famous man and the young man he bought, and Soderbergh, who also shot and edited it, tells it without a smirk. Not once does the camera invite us to laugh at Liberace behind his back. Whatever the film finds funny, and it finds a great deal funny, it lets Liberace be in on the joke.

Michael Douglas is the reason to see it. He does not do an impression. The voice is a soft, coaxing purr with the vowels pushed forward, and the smile comes on and off like a stage light, but what he is playing is a man who has spent a lifetime working out what each person in front of him wants and what it will cost. Watch him at the piano at home, playing for one guest as if for two thousand. The moment that caught us off guard comes in a bedroom, when the hairpiece comes off and Douglas, bald and blinking, asks Scott not to look. It moved us more than we expected, because for a second nobody is performing, and the film has taught us by then how rare that is in this house.

Matt Damon is plainly too old to be playing a boy barely out of foster care, and neither he nor Soderbergh pretends otherwise. It works because the film is about being remade, and Ellen Mirojnick’s costumes do half the acting: Scott arrives in denim, is put into matching white suits, and ends up onstage in a rhinestone chauffeur’s uniform, his own face steadily turning into a copy of the one beside him. Howard Cummings fills the house with mirror, marble and gilt so that there is nowhere to stand without seeing yourself. Soderbergh, working as his own cinematographer, lights it all warm and gold rather than harsh. He lets it be beautiful, because Liberace thought it was beautiful, and so, for a while, does Scott.

The supporting cast are used sparingly and well. Dan Aykroyd’s Seymour Heller, the manager, treats Liberace’s private life as a scheduling problem and is right to. Scott Bakula, as the friend who makes the introduction, has the wariness of a man who has seen this before. Rob Lowe plays Dr Jack Startz, the plastic surgeon, with a face pulled so tight it appears to have been ironed, and we laughed every time he spoke, then felt slightly ashamed, since the joke is a man selling other people the thing he has done to himself. Cheyenne Jackson has a few scenes as Billy Leatherwood, the young man Scott replaces, and he does not need more than a few.

Richard LaGravenese’s script, adapted from Scott Thorson’s memoir, is witty and clean, and in its second half it goes where stories of kept young men usually go. We will not spell out where. None of it is badly done and all of it is expected. Scott stays a little blank, too: we know what is done to him and less about what he wanted, and Damon, good as he is at looking dazzled, cannot fill in what the script leaves out. Marvin Hamlisch’s score keeps its head down and leaves the field to the piano, which is right, though it means the music never tells us anything Liberace’s own does not. Soderbergh, cutting his own footage, ends scenes a line before you expect. It keeps 118 minutes moving. It also keeps us at arm’s length, and by the last reel we were admiring the film rather than aching with it.

Against Soderbergh’s own work it sits high. It has the speed of [*Out of Sight*](https://film.one/film/out-of-sight) and the interest in what things cost that runs through [*Magic Mike*](https://film.one/film/magic-mike), and it is warmer than either. Most critics have taken it as one of his best, and we would not go quite that far, but we would not argue hard.

It was made for television, and it looks better than most films that were not. Watch it at home with the lights down and the sound up, so the piano fills the house. That is how Liberace would have wanted it, and for once he would have been right.

*Fi1m score 81, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews cluster tightly around the two lead performances. Nearly every critic singles out Michael Douglas as Liberace, several calling it one of his finest turns, and most pair him with Matt Damon’s Scott Thorson as a partnership that plays the affair straight rather than for stereotype. Soderbergh’s direction draws steady praise for wit and economy, for turning a television budget into deliberate visual choices, and for letting the camp sit alongside something sadder: claustrophobia, control, loneliness. The spread is narrow.

What reservations exist are about depth rather than execution. The New York Times finds the film short on heart and heat, with little chemistry between the leads, and Collider thinks the story familiar and the relationship predictable, offering nothing new. The Los Angeles Times, otherwise warm, says it simplifies too much. Most critics do not share these doubts, and the dissenters are American rather than British.

## Straight answers

**Is Behind the Candelabra worth watching?**

*Behind the Candelabra* is worth watching for anyone who wants a love story told without a smirk, and we scored it 81. Michael Douglas's Liberace, soft and watchful and always in control, is the reason to see it. The second half goes where stories of kept young men usually go, and the film keeps us at arm's length, so admire it rather than expect to ache.

**How long is Behind the Candelabra, and what is it rated?**

*Behind the Candelabra* runs 1h 58m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Behind the Candelabra in the US?**

*Behind the Candelabra* is streaming on HBO Max, The Roku Channel, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.79. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Behind the Candelabra, and is it suitable for children?**

*Behind the Candelabra* is a 15 certificate in the UK and R in the US, and it is not for children. There is no violence to speak of; the certificate reflects a frank adult relationship between a famous man and the young man he keeps, with sex, drugs and plastic surgery in view. Older teenagers who can take its subject will be fine.

**How does Behind the Candelabra compare to Sunset Boulevard?**

*Behind the Candelabra* and [*Sunset Boulevard*](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard) are both about a fading star and the young man kept in the house, and Billy Wilder's film is the better of the two. It is funnier, more frightening and more merciless, and it has aged better. Soderbergh's film is warmer and never laughs at Liberace behind his back, which is its virtue and also why it cuts less deep.

**What should I watch after Behind the Candelabra?**

After *Behind the Candelabra*, try [*Sunset Boulevard*](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard) (1950, Fi1m 91): The original kept young man and fading star, and it has aged better than either. Then [*Fox and His Friends*](https://film.one/film/fox-and-his-friends) (1975, Fi1m 78): Fassbinder’s working-class winner is bled dry by richer lovers; the same story without the sequins; and [*Boogie Nights*](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights) (1997, Fi1m 86): Another surrogate family built on show business, warmer and louder, and it ends worse.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **Slant Magazine**, Chris Cabin (3.5/4): The critic praises the film as powerful, funny, and emotionally rigorous, noting its exploration of control and show business through strong performances by Douglas and Damon. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/behind-the-candelabra/)
- **Empire**, Dan Jolin (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a magnificent, rhinestone-studded encore with fearless, transformative performances from Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson. Soderbergh turns TV-budget limitations into intriguing visual choices while letting the script and leads shine. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/behind-candelabra-2-review/)
- **Film Comment**, Violet Lucca (85/100, inferred): Soderbergh's portrait of Liberace offers a wealth of riches in its star performances and expert camerawork. The film stands as one of the best mainstream releases of its decade despite its made-for-cable origins. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/behind-the-candelabra-steven-soderbergh-dvd-review)
- **Vulture**, Matt Zoller Seitz (85/100, inferred): The critic finds it an impressive work that feels like a great old Hollywood film, with wrenching emotional impact and elegant purposefulness from Soderbergh and the cast. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/tv-review-beyond-the-candelabra.html)
- **IndieWire**, Anne Thompson (B+): The critic highlights Douglas and Damon shining in a funny, poignant melodrama that showcases Soderbergh's direction of the Liberace story. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-douglas-and-damon-shine-in-soderberghs-funny-poignant-melodrama-behind-the-candelabra-197748/)
- **Evening Standard** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the HBO-made film highly entertaining, with Matt Damon and Michael Douglas on top form in unexpected roles and a literate screenplay that respects the relationship while delivering witty lines. Soderbergh avoids parody in depicting Liberace's excesses and the production values capture the palatial kitsch effectively. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/behind-the-candelabra-film-review-8648733.html)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): Soderbergh delivers a massively pleasurable and understanding biopic of Liberace's secret relationship with Scott Thorson. It successfully balances camp romp with the sadder realities of the era's sexual politics and a suffocating partnership. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/behind-the-candelabra)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Mary McNamara: The critic calls it a darkly moving look at two lonely men who briefly found something like love, while noting it simplifies too many things despite strong performances. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2013-may-24-la-et-st-behind-the-candelabra-20130524-story.html)
- **Screen Daily**: Beneath the flamboyance, the film emerges as a touching gay love story focused on personal heartache. Michael Douglas gives a triumphant performance as Liberace in this entertaining showbusiness biopic from Soderbergh. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/behind-the-candelabra/5056550.article)
- **Sight and Sound**: Steven Soderbergh's swansong is a captivating biopic of Liberace and his relationship with Scott Thorson. It balances laughs at the excesses with a sense of claustrophobia and mortality, anchored by strong performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-behind-candelabra)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: Steven Soderbergh's addictively funny and watchable film is about the tempestuous love match between Liberace and Scott Thorson, brilliantly played by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. It is a bizarre anti-Pinocchio parable of toxic love, co-dependency, plastic surgery and celebrity loneliness that starts super-camp and ends gently sentimental. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jun/06/behind-the-candelabra-review)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: The critic calls the film fabulous, superbly scripted and brilliantly directed, with standout performances by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon that bring real feeling and sly humor to the Liberace biopic. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/behind-candelabra-cannes-review-525761/)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody: The critic highlights the film's exploration of the ordinary under the extraordinary in Liberace and Thorson's relationship, praising Soderbergh's stylistic choreography of actors and camera. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/soderberghs-liberace)
- **The New York Times**, Mike Hale: The critic praises Michael Douglas's assured impersonation of Liberace but finds the film limited and short on heart or heat, with little chemistry between the leads. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/arts/television/behind-the-candelabra-starring-michael-douglas-on-hbo.html)
- **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin: Soderbergh's exceptional film, adapted from Thorson's memoir, treats the five-year relationship with piercing intelligence and features one of Michael Douglas's greatest performances as the flamboyant Liberace. Douglas combines slackness and precision into a brilliantly unsettling yet lovable whole in this HBO-produced biopic that receives a UK cinema release. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10069397/Behind-The-Candelabra-review.html)
- **HeyUGuys**, Craig Skinner (5/5): The review highlights the film's exquisite craftsmanship, strong performances, and blend of humour and underlying melancholy in depicting the complex relationship. It is described as one of the best films seen at Cannes that year. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/cannes-2013-behind-the-candelabra-review/)
- **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it Soderbergh's best film in years, an honest and authentic rendering of the passionate love affair between Liberace and Scott Thorson. They single out the lead performances by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon for their natural affection and avoidance of stereotypes. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/behind-candelabra-review-sex-lies-closet-92966/)
- **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (4/5): Soderbergh directs with wit and economy, playing the relationship's extremes for comic effect without demonizing its subjects. Douglas delivers a complex, arresting performance as the lonely, larger-than-life Liberace. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a486386/behind-the-candelabra-review-michael-douglas-lifts-veil-on-liberace/)
- **Eye for Film**, Richard Mowe (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the authentic and fearless performances of Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in portraying Liberace and Scott Thorson. The film is seen as evolving into a moving love story of two misfits amid the glamour and excess. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/behind-the-candelabra-2013-film-review-by-richard-mowe)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C-): The critic finds the relationship predictable and the story familiar, despite strong performances from Douglas and Damon; it feels like a disappointing final film from Soderbergh as it offers nothing new or insightful. [Read](https://collider.com/behind-the-candelabra-review/)
- **Paste**, Tim Grierson (7.0): The film explores the challenges of loving a famous person more than its camp elements; Soderbergh and the cast deliver a lively, warm portrayal of the imbalanced yet affectionate relationship between Liberace and Thorson. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/behind-the-candelabra-2013-cannes-review)

## Details

- **Director:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Director:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Screenplay:** Richard LaGravenese
- **Cinematography:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Editor:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Music:** Marvin Hamlisch
- **Production design:** Howard Cummings
- **Costume design:** Ellen Mirojnick
- **Producer:** Susan Ekins, Gregory Jacobs, Michael Polaire
- **Cast:** Michael Douglas as Liberace; Matt Damon as Scott Thorson; Dan Aykroyd as Seymour Heller; Scott Bakula as Bob Black; Rob Lowe as Dr. Jack Startz; Tom Papa as Ray Arnett; Paul Reiser as Mr. Felder; Bruce Ramsay as Carlucci
- **Runtime:** 1h 58m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 26 May 2013
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Budget:** $23 million
- **Box office:** $16 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeqViWgc7QE

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.79, hd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, sd
- Apple TV: buy $9.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, EC, ES, FR, GB, ID, MX, MY, NZ, PA, PE, PH, SG, TH, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), Fi1m 91: The original kept young man and fading star, and it has aged better than either. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md)
- *Fox and His Friends* (1975), Fi1m 78: Fassbinder’s working-class winner is bled dry by richer lovers; the same story without the sequins. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fox-and-his-friends.md)
- *Boogie Nights* (1997), Fi1m 86: Another surrogate family built on show business, warmer and louder, and it ends worse. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights.md)
- *The Duke of Burgundy* (2014), Fi1m 84: Two women, one house, and a careful study of who really holds the leash. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-duke-of-burgundy.md)
- *Magic Mike* (2012), Fi1m 70: Soderbergh’s other film about bodies for sale, shot in Florida orange rather than Vegas gold. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/magic-mike.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/behind-the-candelabra