Dead Calm
Movie Review
1989 | R
Reviewed February 10, 2007
Grieving the death of their young son, a couple (Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman) take an extended vacation on their yacht, only to come across a sinking schooner in mid-ocean. They rescue the sole survivor (Billy Zane) from the ocean, but Neill finds his tales of woe a little too unbelievable, and sets out to investigate the sinking schooner himself… leaving his wife alone on the yacht with what turns out to be a highly psychotic killer, who takes off with the yacht—and the lady. (By this time, I think it’s obvious that you should never leave a redhead on a ship with Billy Zane.) While Neill struggles to keep alive on the sinking schooner, his wife has to handle her volatile “guest”; fortunately, she’s got a good supply of sedatives, harpoons, and common sense at her disposal. For once, this isn’t your typical woman-as-timid-victim thriller; Kidman’s character can give as good as she gets, and isn’t above playing a few mind games of her own to lure the villain into a false sense of security. It’s not as edge-of-your-seat good as, say, Deliverance, but it does deliver the promised chills and thrills; boats are always good settings for murderous rampages, and nobody goes nutso quite like Billy Zane. There are a few frustrating lapses of logic (for God’s sake, why doesn’t anyone ever kill the killer when they have the chance?), but those are no more than the usual thriller plot twists (hey, if they kill the villain good and dead, he can’t come back for the final scare). Hardcore thriller fans will probably have seen it all before, but fans of the actors and anyone who likes claustrophobic creepiness and character-driven mayhem will get a kick out of this. (So will anyone who wants to see Billy Zane drag Nicole Kidman around by her hair.)
Without Feathers is a personal site run by Romy.
Brand Spankin’ New
- 9.02.08: What I Did (Not) on My Summer Vacation
- 7.09.08: My Current Hobbies
- 7.04.08: Question: Suicides and Soap Mummies
- 6.25.08: Panda Mating Fails, Veterinarian Takes Over
- 6.18.08: This Calls for an Aria
Allow Me To Recommend…
Tom Swifties
A fun word game.
What Not To Say To A Cop
Mel Gibson has probably used most of these already.
Reload for more!