Rae and John have taken their yacht for an extended trip after the death of their son to get away from things for a bit. When they come across Hughie, escaping from his sinking schooner in the middle of nowhere, they bring him aboard. It isn’t long before they realize he is actually a deranged sociopath and they may now be the ones who need rescuing.
Nicole Kidman (Rae), Sam Neill (John), Billy Zane (Hughie).
I have seen this one before and will see it again I’m sure, it just never gets old. The movie kicks off at a high pace with plot and character development then settles into a nice tension building stride. The bulk of the plot is set once Hughie is revealed to be a sociopath, fairly early on, and the rest of the movie deliciously builds suspense with only the three main characters. The ending was a bit unrealistic but not enough so to damage the rest of the film. This is one of those unusual films that builds tension unbelievably well.
Acting was very nice in this film. This was an earlier film by Kidman and one of the few roles in which I enjoy her work. She seemed to have a freshness that didn’t last long in her career and it was particularly enjoyable to see her character transform from mourning mom to survivor. Neill performed well if not predictably while Zane, also one of his earlier films, completely sold the sociopath character to the finest detail.
Camera work, sets, sound and dialogue were all done very well. It is surprising how overlooked this film is considering the quality of acting, impact of the plot, and overall production quality. Well worth watching if you enjoy thrillers or are a fan of any of the main characters.
Some nudity, sexual scenes, violence, and adult concepts. Save this one for the oldest teens and above.
Released: 1989
Reviewed: 12.5.18
Star rating: 5 out of 5
Genre: Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological Thrillers, Horror, Thriller
copyright ©2018 Dave Riedel
Nicole Kidman (Rae), Sam Neill (John), Billy Zane (Hughie).
I have seen this one before and will see it again I’m sure, it just never gets old. The movie kicks off at a high pace with plot and character development then settles into a nice tension building stride. The bulk of the plot is set once Hughie is revealed to be a sociopath, fairly early on, and the rest of the movie deliciously builds suspense with only the three main characters. The ending was a bit unrealistic but not enough so to damage the rest of the film. This is one of those unusual films that builds tension unbelievably well.
Acting was very nice in this film. This was an earlier film by Kidman and one of the few roles in which I enjoy her work. She seemed to have a freshness that didn’t last long in her career and it was particularly enjoyable to see her character transform from mourning mom to survivor. Neill performed well if not predictably while Zane, also one of his earlier films, completely sold the sociopath character to the finest detail.
Camera work, sets, sound and dialogue were all done very well. It is surprising how overlooked this film is considering the quality of acting, impact of the plot, and overall production quality. Well worth watching if you enjoy thrillers or are a fan of any of the main characters.
Some nudity, sexual scenes, violence, and adult concepts. Save this one for the oldest teens and above.
Released: 1989
Reviewed: 12.5.18
Star rating: 5 out of 5
Genre: Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological Thrillers, Horror, Thriller
copyright ©2018 Dave Riedel
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