Serenity

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Serenity

R

Released Jan 25, 2019

1h 43m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

21%

Tomatometer

201 Reviews

31%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Baker Dill is a fishing boat captain who leads tours off of the tranquil enclave of Plymouth Island. His peaceful life is soon shattered when his ex-wife Karen tracks him down. Desperate for help, Karen begs Baker to save her -- and their young son -- from her abusive husband. She wants him to take the brute out for a fishing excursion -- then throw him overboard to the sharks. Thrust back into a life that he wanted to forget, Baker now finds himself struggling to choose between right and wrong.

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Critics Consensus

A high-concept mystery with a twist, Serenity isn't what it appears to be at first -- unfortunately, it's also not anywhere near as clever or entertaining as it thinks.

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It's sort of intriguingly bad... [But] it's worth seeing -- the cast is terrific.

Sep 17, 2019

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Michael Sragow

Film Comment Magazine

A crackpot suspense film about a fishing boat captain who veers into perilous existential waters, Serenity tries to pull off a "bait-and-switch" times two. But will anyone take the bait either time?

Mar 21, 2019

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

When the twist was revealed I went, "Yeah, I know."

Mar 5, 2019

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

Hindered by such a weak and conceited script, I struggle to imagine any version of this that I would be able to take seriously.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Ryan McQuade

InSession Film

When he reaches for the stars, Knight fails to catch anything, thus leading me to admire what this film could have been, instead of what we were given.

Rated: D

Apr 4, 2024

Full Review

Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

Serenity tries to go big and bold, but falls astonishingly flat. Plot holes, logical incongruencies, awful dialogues, terrible editing, hollow characters, and neglected subplots (...) one of the worst films of 2019.

Rated: D-

Jul 24, 2023

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Kensey C

I like it!! A bit of a crazy story to reach the plot/twist, but the message at the end gets me all choked up. I’ve watched it twice now! The acting is TERRIFIC too.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/19/25

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Jade C

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A couple of tacky tropes aside, it was engaging with enough of a twist that I would gladly watch this movie again. surprising it has the rating it has. Worth a watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/25

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Jeremy W

Honestly, this is a surprisingly enjoyable movie, with an interesting concept, great actors, fluid plotting for a sci-fi. Does not deserve the bad press.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

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Alain E

Failed the 20 minute test although I like McConaughey. Maybe if I were a tuna, I would have kept watching as it appears to have a remote connection to The old man and the Sea.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/08/24

Full Review

Jeffrey C

Halfway through this movie, the plot seemed a little silly. I think that is why the ratings here are so low. If you didn't stick around, or, if you formed your opinion of this movie at the halfway point, the current scores make sense. The 2nd half of the film, revealing the plot twist, makes the first act make sense. It's not perfect, but it is, an interesting enough idea. I recommend this film. Yes, Matthew McConaughey reprises his most famous (and only) role, playing... Matthew McConaughey. And nobody plays McConaughey as good as Matthew McConaughey. There is also a scene where McConaughey has a fantasy about skinny dipping with his adolescent son. Weird choice. But there is A good dramatic story being told, and has enough thrills and suspense to keep the pacing tight. The scoring on rotten tomatoes has become laughable. The two scores mean nothing anymore. "Brothers" was the worst film of 2024, and has a score on par with "Jaws." Give this one A try, it's far better than the score indicates.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/24

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William R

A cross/mix of the matrix and the sixth sense

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/24

Full Review

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Steven Knight

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Baker Dill

Anne Hathaway

Karen Zariakas

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Serenity: Trailer 2

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Serenity: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Baker Dill is a fishing boat captain who leads tours off of the tranquil enclave of Plymouth Island. His peaceful life is soon shattered when his ex-wife Karen tracks him down. Desperate for help, Karen begs Baker to save her -- and their young son -- from her abusive husband. She wants him to take the brute out for a fishing excursion -- then throw him overboard to the sharks. Thrust back into a life that he wanted to forget, Baker now finds himself struggling to choose between right and wrong.

Director: Steven Knight
Producer: Steven Knight, Greg Shapiro, Guy Heeley
Screenwriter: Steven Knight
Distributor: Aviron Pictures
Production Co: Global Road Entertainment, Nebula Star, Ingenious, Shoebox Films
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language Throughout|Some Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 25, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 23, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.5M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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