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Maelstrom

Play trailer Poster for Maelstrom R Released Apr 5, 2002 1h 35m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 38 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
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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Maelstrom

Maelstrom

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (93) audience reviews
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 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 Audience Member A surrealist romance with poetic imagery and reaching moral questions. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Maelstrom

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

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
Producer
Roger Frappier, Luc Vandal
Screenwriter
Denis Villeneuve
Distributor
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc., Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm, Arrow Entertainment
Production Co
SODEC, Max Films Productions, Téléfilm Canada
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
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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