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Tideland

Play trailer Poster for Tideland R Released Oct 13, 2006 2h 2m Drama Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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31% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Little Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) has a very warped childhood. Her parents (Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Tilly) are both drug addicts, and one of her daily chores is to prepare their syringes. After her mother dies of an overdose, her father, Noah, takes her away to his childhood home, but his own mother has passed away and the house is decaying. Then Noah overdoses, and while his body rots in his chair, Jeliza-Rose meets a taxidermist and her unstable brother.

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Tideland

Tideland

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Critics Consensus

Tideland is a disturbing, and mostly unwatchable effort from Terry Gilliam.

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Critics Reviews

View All (77) Critics Reviews
Jeremiah Kipp Slant Magazine This two-disc set is sure to keep Gilliam's few Tideland fans buzzing for some time. Feb 27, 2007 Full Review Jeff Shannon Seattle Times Honest, unflinching and worthy of reappraisal. Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 3, 2006 Full Review Josh Rosenblatt Austin Chronicle Ugly, disturbing, and misguided mess. Rated: 0.5/5 Oct 30, 2006 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Gilliam’s film isn’t easy. He doesn’t want it to be. At every turn, he challenges us. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 8, 2024 Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List Gilliam's plan to make a small budget film of limited scope that would leave him free to display his unfettered creative genius sounds good on paper. However, his melodramatic, Alice In Wonderland variety fairy tale is sadly near-incomprehensible. Rated: 2/5 Nov 3, 2018 Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia It works best when Gilliam allows Jeliza-Rose to disappear inside her own mind, revelling in unrestricted solitude. Oct 30, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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leonel M Our bizarre and cruel world, but seen from the innocent and noble eyes of a girl. Without a doubt a good film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/22/24 Full Review John S Brilliant and disturbing. Jeff Bridges's and Jennifer Tilley's performances are great, and Jodelle Ferland is wonderful. Terry Gilliam's directing is so good. This is a weird, dark movie, but definitely worth watching. There is nothing like it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/11/24 Full Review The D I'm sorry but rotting corpses and paedophillia overtones don't appeal to me, and this mess of a movie is ruined by these awkward themes. Unlike other Gilliam movies, this one is devoid of any humour whatsoever. Hated it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/14/24 Full Review MMO K Disgustingly evil, and backstabbery abounds in the writing. Friends and family turning on friends and family, with no loyalty, and narcissism at every turn. No relationship is sacred here... Spoiler Alert: Mothers trying to kill daughters, Humans hating the Tidelander's Mothers (Sirens) for killing their men, and blaming the Tidelander Half-Siren children who are longing to find their mothers, willing to kill, and betray anyone and everyone to do so. And for what? This is the question that is never answered. They DO see their mother sirens right at the end, and then..... the season and series is over. It's not even a good cliffhanger.. just a cliff that they drove right off, which is why this is a sunken ship of a movie with no resolution to the most basic question of, WHY? Sadly, with the writer and actors on strike, I suspect that older garbage like this, that we skipped the firs time, is all that lay ahead of us for the time being. This reminds me of the Wicker Man. Watching this leaves you feeling gross and icky all over. It reminds you that while it's fiction, that people like this really do exist in the world. The sex in the movie is stupid. Rather showing empowerment, sluttiness is simply accepted as the norm, and never addressed. Apparently sleeping with each other, no matter the perceived relationship is acceptable. The Tidelander Queen/"Mother" is seen on screen kissing and making out with her adult "children" whom they refer to as "The Madam". I was left wondering if this was a brothel reference, which seemed to be the case as gratuitous scenes show the "children" making out with each other for no apparent reason. I like skin and sex in a movie, but it needs to have purpose and relate to the plot, if even in the least little bit, or even announce its gratuitous nature. But it seems to me to be an attempt to include skin and sex simply because "sex sells". But then they sensor it at times warring with the idea of having it or not having it... Alas, even some gratuitous skin is not enough to save this wretched piece of work. Calliope is the only one worth watching here. Charlotte Best did a good job in the role. It's hard for me judge any other acting, because the scenes didn't give enough opportunity to any of the other actors IMO. Even though I was left cursing the writing on even her scenes. One quick example: If you are placed in a time sensitive situation of saving a girl or your brother... why did you spend precious MINUTES, wailing about not being able to save them both, and instead of Getting to WORK on one and then moving to the other as one would, She.. well,,, she simply wastes time... by the end, I was biased. I may be harsh, but I will give them credit for evoking such a strong emotional reaction from me. I liked the potential of this show at the beginning and toward the middle, but by the end, I hated this show. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Mark R A twisted trip but one worth taking. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/21/23 Full Review Gianmarco R Very strange movie, I would even dare to say too strange, the plot is very particular and manages not to go anywhere. The whole film has something wrong, it has many points that are too wrong or too absurd for the disturbing poetic aspect it would like to have. In conclusion it is not a bad film but it is excessive and too stupidly unrealistic and at times even boring. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/22 Full Review Read all reviews
Tideland

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Movie Info

Synopsis Little Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) has a very warped childhood. Her parents (Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Tilly) are both drug addicts, and one of her daily chores is to prepare their syringes. After her mother dies of an overdose, her father, Noah, takes her away to his childhood home, but his own mother has passed away and the house is decaying. Then Noah overdoses, and while his body rots in his chair, Jeliza-Rose meets a taxidermist and her unstable brother.
Director
Terry Gilliam
Producer
Gabriella Martinelli, Jeremy Thomas
Screenwriter
Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Production Co
Recorded Pictures Company, Capri Films, HanWay Films
Rating
R (Bizarre and Disturbing Content|All Involving a Child|Some Language|Drug Use|Gruesome Situations|Sexuality)
Genre
Drama, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 13, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 13, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$61.2K
Runtime
2h 2m
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