Review of Dead Calm (1989) by Michael Y — 02 Apr 2011

One of the best thrillers I have ever seen. The wonders that 3 characters in the ocean can do. This fight for survival tale will keep you at the edge of your seat through the whole movie.

After the death of their infant son, a couple try to, in more ways than one, get away from it all, via sailing boat. But on their vacation they pick up a man leaving his sailing boat because he claims that his crew died of "food poisoning". Yah, sounds like bullshit, eh? Well it is, and that leads towards a rollercoaster ride of unpredictable events and a fight for suvival like no other. The plot is pretty simplistic, the character's psychological struggle is insane though. You can't quite know the extent of the character's will and strength until you see it all. Sure, if you see it once it won't be as thrilling, but this thriller certianly is structured to be at the top of it's game. The 3 actors are incredible, especially from a (far too young for my comfort) Nicole Kidman. Hands down some of the best performances in a thriller that I've ever seen, especially one from the '80s.

The real points aren't for the story. What makes this movie a knock out is the way it's made. about 50% is filmed on a real boat. Using the beauty of nature and the enviroment as it's backdrop, the directing plays with the enviroment very well, not being lazy with the shots, shooting a wide and crazy variety of different angles to make this movie look better than it could have been. The other 50% is a studio to give off an INCREDIBLY claustrophobic vibe. Tight corners and rooms make you feel very trapped, and the way the camera shows this is more than amazing. You feel trapped inside and outside the boat, and that's really impressive and original for a movie. There's no lazy directing seen in this movie. This is definitely a brilliantly made thriller.

I would have liked to see more character developement. That would give this movie a better lasting appeal. But out of the many late 20th Century thrillers I've seen, even if it doesn't have the same kick as it does watching it the first time, Dead Calm is still an incredibly directed movie with an effectively suspecefull story that will keep you wanting more.