Maelstrom

R

Released Apr 5, 2002

1 hr. 35 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

79%

38 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Bibiane (Marie-Josée Croze), a wealthy part-time model, questions her seemingly perfect life after she has a traumatic abortion. She succumbs to substance abuse and, while driving drunk one night, strikes a pedestrian and drives off. The next morning, she learns of a man who died after a hit-and-run. Wracked with guilt, she attends the man's funeral. There, she meets his son, Evian (Jean-Nicolas Verreault), and the pair begin a romance. But Bibiane is afraid to tell Evian her dark secret.

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Critics Consensus

A peculiar breach of morality that leads with pretension: Denis Villeneuve guides Maelstrom through teetering absurdity without malicious intent.

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Benjamin T

It's a solid psychological drama. Not sure why people gave it an average score. Maelstrom is a perfect title to describe the events that unfold in this one. There are some interesting surprises. The acting is fairly decent. Denis Villeneuve shows why he's one of the best and is quite creative at what he does. I didn't mind the fish telling the tale either. It's just a unique device, that's all. Not sure why people are fussy about this at all.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Denis Villeneuve's sophomore effort shows signs of artistic ambition but doesn't reach its full potential. Visually it's arresting, as Villeneuve knows how to intrigue and captivate with his succession of shots, and striking moments aren't absent, also thanks to the difficult, interesting themes. However, the plot remains fairly simple and the characters arguably needed a little more development, a little more time - the last fifteen minutes especially are too rushed to make much of an impact.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

jorge c

Maelström as it name says, is a whirlpool of gray emotions. The first half was boring, but the second half was very intriguing. In this case, it felt so distant the hand of Denis Villeneuve, maybe this is the worst film of the director for me, but that doesn't mean that is bad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

When the first scene started I didn't even realize I was watching a fish until it moved its mouth. This plot wasn't anything special, with the only unique part being a fish telling the story. People and things are somehow related, like we are living in a small world. Mostly predictable and boring, I don't think this one is as thought provoking or profound as it seemed to be. 4.5/10

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

[⭐️60%] For a director with so many fantastic movies, Maestrom (2000) is certainly one which doesn't stand beside those of Denis Villeneuve recent work, largely down to his age and how inexperienced he was at the time. There are certainly some promising signs with how things are shot and specific reveals but as a movie overall it doesn't come together like he would have intended. The themes Villeneuve was going for arrived at where he intended however the journey there felt inconsistent, awkward and at times confusing. This mixed in with some other sequences allowed for overall a fairly forgettable movie, the one thing which will forever stay in your mind is the narrating fish! Villeneuve directed Maelstrom (2000) early on in his career, and you can certainly see the promising signs which made him such a fantastic director nowadays, but this was a learning curve for him.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

michael d

Pretty good flick though a lil fishy.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Denis Villeneuve

Director

Marie-Josée Croze

Bibiane Champagne

Jean-Nicolas Verreault

Evian

Stephanie Morgenstern

Claire Gunderson

Pierre Lebeau

The Fish

Marc Gélinas

Actor

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Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

Strange it is, but delightfully so.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 1, 2002

Full Review

Philip Wuntch

Dallas Morning News

Darkly funny and frequently insightful.

Rated: B

Jun 6, 2002

Full Review

Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

An original little film about one young woman's education.

Rated: 3/4

May 10, 2002

Full Review

Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Perhaps the film's best part is its unconventional narrator-a fish on a fishmonger's chopping block...it's a fantastical and welcome intervention to an otherwise soapy movie.

Dec 9, 2021

Full Review

Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

Directed with astonishing flair by Denis Villeneuve, and powered by a charismatic performance from Marie-Josée Croze, this is an art film that is more bracing than most, surfing themes of guilt and despair without getting dragged down by the undertow.

Oct 15, 2019

Full Review

Alberto Abuín

Espinof

Birth and death are connected in 'Maelström', in which Villeneuve does not execute any kind of judgment on Bibiane's alleged lack of morality. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 4, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Bibiane (Marie-Josée Croze), a wealthy part-time model, questions her seemingly perfect life after she has a traumatic abortion. She succumbs to substance abuse and, while driving drunk one night, strikes a pedestrian and drives off. The next morning, she learns of a man who died after a hit-and-run. Wracked with guilt, she attends the man's funeral. There, she meets his son, Evian (Jean-Nicolas Verreault), and the pair begin a romance. But Bibiane is afraid to tell Evian her dark secret.

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenwriter: Denis Villeneuve
Distributor: Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm, Arrow Entertainment, Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.
Production Co: Téléfilm Canada, Max Films Productions, SODEC
Rating: R (Strong Nudity|Language|Abortion Scene|Strong Sexuality)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2002, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Jan 17, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $353.7K
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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