Dead Calm

TV-MA

Now Playing

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

List

84%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Rae Ingram (Nicole Kidman) and her husband, John (Sam Neill), struggle to overcome the sudden death of their young son. In an attempt to move past their loss, the couple take their yacht out for an extended vacation trip. While far out at sea, they come across a sinking schooner and rescue the ship's sole survivor, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane). Hughie claims the crew of the ship died from food poisoning. Though Rae is empathetic towards Hughie, John is suspicious of his story.

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Critics Consensus

Nicole Kidman's coiled intensity and muscular direction by Phillip Noyce give this nautical thriller a disquieting sense of dread.

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Audience Member

It's not a vacation anymore, it's a voyage into fear The creator of the Road Warrior and the director Phillip Noyce of 'Salt' and 'Catch a Fire' starring Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane, and Sam Neill based on the novel by Charles Williams A couple Rae and John go on a boat trip to overcome the loss of their son Then they come across a stranger named Hughie stranded out to sea, he boards their yacht claiming the other passengers he traveled with died of food poisoning But the more time this couple spends with him the more they begin to question the validity of his story and perhaps he might be unstable This is definitely a slow pot boiler for sure Barely any music and we spend a great deal of time on these boats It was just alright but the three leads work really well especially Nicole Kidman who's essentially the main hero going from dependent to resourceful

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/07/24

Full Review

Emilliano Jr S

The story twist was so simple that was so effective. Meeting a stranger at nowhere is predictable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/04/24

Full Review

Jerod S

Zane was a great bad guy - but I'm not sure what his back story really was. Dead Calm missed his motive and also forgot that Kidman and her hubby were grieving a dead child.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/20/23

Full Review

A W

I think this is Nicole's best film

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/03/23

Full Review

Jelisije J

A very good film where a husband and wife take on a drifter in the middle of the ocean who has gone full blown psycho. A very engaging film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

Full Review

Jack O

I was so ready for the thrill ride since I am ready to see Dead Calm which is filled with scares, terror and you guys are waiting to know what is happening and getting you on the edge of your seat like myself to be include. This movie stars Sam Neill, a very young Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane. It had that very evocative plot and story it executes really well. It's really like you swimming in the middle of nowhere and then you thinking about how are you gonna get back. The thrills are great, the acting is unbelievable and I quite like the cinematography in this film. Dead Calm is a film that you have to stay calm while you watch it, I mean DEAD calm! I would recommend it if you are a fan of psychological thrillers. If you haven't seen Dead Calm, go watch it! It's just great!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/19/23

Full Review

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Phillip Noyce

Director

Sam Neill

John Ingram

Nicole Kidman

Rae Ingram

Billy Zane

Hughie Warriner

Rod Mullinar

Russell Bellows

Michael Long

Specialist Doctor

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Variety Staff

Variety

Though not always entirely credible, Dead Calm is a nail-biting suspense pic [from the novel by Charles Williams] handsomely produced and inventively directed.

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

A classic piece of pared-down genre film-making is lent extra depth by an emotional subtext stressing Kidman's transition from dependent wife to resourceful individual.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Caryn James

New York Times

"Dead Calm" ... becomes disturbing for all the wrong reasons.

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

It is a tightly wound and wonderfully suspenseful work, making use of an extremely limited cast and cleverly exploiting its setting to maximum effect.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 22, 2024

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Dead Calm is not particularly original, but it is well made. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 24, 2022

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

The best kind of shabby little shocker.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 2, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Rae Ingram (Nicole Kidman) and her husband, John (Sam Neill), struggle to overcome the sudden death of their young son. In an attempt to move past their loss, the couple take their yacht out for an extended vacation trip. While far out at sea, they come across a sinking schooner and rescue the ship's sole survivor, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane). Hughie claims the crew of the ship died from food poisoning. Though Rae is empathetic towards Hughie, John is suspicious of his story.

Director: Phillip Noyce
Screenwriter: Terry Hayes, Charles Williams
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Kennedy Miller Productions
Rating: TV-MA, R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English (Australia)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.0M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround

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