Review of Adrift (2018) by Benskylerhill — 31 May 2018

It’s difficult to watch Adrift and not see it as a combination of the primary aspects of other movies like All Is Lost, Into the Wild, etc. It’s a familiar formula, but this film benefits from strong performances and seamless storytelling methods; as a result, it turns out to be a surprisingly engaging, even thrilling, drama.

Without spoiling anything, Adrift makes use of nonlinear storytelling, frequently jumping back and forth between two timelines, and for the most part, it works. The vast majority of the transitions are acutely timed and serve to develop the characters and therefore boost the narrative. But there are some flashback scenes that feel out of place, almost as though they were shot simply to add a little variety while adding nothing to the story and detracting from the tone of desperation.

The dialogue is iffy, half of it being realistic and powerful and the other half being cheesy and unnecessary.

Another issue I had with this film was the soundtrack. It really doesn’t add anything to the film and some of the music feels out of place with the scenes it accompanies.

Shailene Woodley is really what gives Adrift the majority of its force. She gives this role everything that she has and it’s impossible to not feel the desperation and fear that she gives to the character of Tami. Sam Clafin also plays his character well, but his strength is less in the tense drama and more in the romantic scenes where his charisma serves to elevate them.

Adrift isn’t a movie you need to rush out to go see right now, but it’s certainly both charming and gripping enough to overshadow most of its flaws and make it worth a watch.

Story: 7.5.

Acting: 8.5.

Script: 6.

Visuals/Sound: 6.

Entertainment Value: 8.

OVERALL SCORE: 7.