Directed by Adrian Lyne
Available to stream now on Hulu
With "Fatal Attraction", a chilling drama that put fear in the hearts of married men with a warning about the dangers of having casual flings with single career women, Adrian Lyne would help usher in the erotic thriller back in 1987. He had already made a significant impact with his previous sensual dramas, "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Flashdance" but "Fatal Attraction" would become a global sensation, igniting heated discussions on relationships and infidelity. And while this film brought the director acclaim and success, it also helped Lyne overcome some criticism of his early feature film work, which many found to have a greater emphasis on beautiful actors and glossy visual imagery than characterization and story, most likely due to the beginning his career as a director of television commercials.
After "Unfaithful" in 2002, another cautionary tale about a marriage threatened by infidelity with deadly consequences, Lyne had not directed another feature film until now. Yet his latest psychological thriller, "Deep Water" does not find the British director back in classic form with the eroticism sluggishly timid and what thrills that are found feel tragically predictable.
Vic and Melinda are a couple largely in appearance only. They are raising their daughter together in their beautiful home in a small community in Louisiana yet there is tension between them. After making a fortune creating chips used for guiding drones in combat, Vic has essentially retired, leaving him bored and unmotivated. And this hasn't helped his relationship with his wife. In order to have Melinda remain in their unhappy marriage, Vic has accepted an agreement that she can discreetly have a lover. Or two. And while Vic (with no interest engaging in his own extramarital activities) appears to be content tending to his snail farm at home, that doesn't mean that he really likes this arrangement between them.
At a dinner party, Vic casually tells Joel (Brendan C. Miller), one of Melinda's current lovers she has invited, that he murdered his wife's last boyfriend, who has disappeared, with a hammer . For some reason, people believe that Vic was joking (except Joel), even after the missing lover's body turns up with a bullet lodged in his head. At another party at a friend's home, Melinda drags a new, young lover, Charlie (Jacob Elordi) to the event and his presence infuriates Vic. Then later that evening, Charlie is found dead in the pool. Everyone assumes that it was a tragic, accidental drowning yet secretly only Vic knows for certain.
I was very surprised to see that the screenplay by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson (who is behind the groundbreaking yet controversial teen drama series, "Euphoria") is based on Patricia Highsmith's book of the same name. Despite setting the novel by the writer of "Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" in present day, the writers fail to invigorate or elevate their version of her story, offering only trivial, lackluster suspense and a muddled conclusion that has been altered from the book. The fatal flaw is the lack of a beating, sexual pulse. The few intimate encounters that occur feel unimaginative and depressingly listless. Affleck and de Armas fell in love during the production (and ended their relationship not long after) yet the actors do not ignite any sparks as a couple on screen.
I was very surprised to see that the screenplay by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson (who is behind the groundbreaking yet controversial teen drama series, "Euphoria") is based on Patricia Highsmith's book of the same name. Despite setting the novel by the writer of "Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" in present day, the writers fail to invigorate or elevate their version of her story, offering only trivial, lackluster suspense and a muddled conclusion that has been altered from the book. The fatal flaw is the lack of a beating, sexual pulse. The few intimate encounters that occur feel unimaginative and depressingly listless. Affleck and de Armas fell in love during the production (and ended their relationship not long after) yet the actors do not ignite any sparks as a couple on screen.
As an actor, Affleck has grown more comfortable on screen, delivering compelling, lived-in performances recently with his roles in "The Way Back", "The Tender Bar" and even "The Last Duel" where he plays a blonde, medieval Count. At times, Vic is silently filled with blind rage at his wife's behavior while occasionally looking aroused at being a cuckold, Affleck is very effective as a man still madly in love with his wife, regardless of what he must endure to keep her.
Ms de Armas has the more challenging role, trying to make us understand why Vic would insist on having this woman stay in their marriage. As a wife, Melinda has moments where she can be charming, fun and caring but usually Vic has to deal with a messy, self-centered party girl who is a vicious drunk. And as a mother, she tends to be indifferent, prioritizing her love affairs over the needs of their child. Ms. de Armas is a fine actor, making an impression with appearances in "Knives Out", the final Daniel Craig lead Bond movie, "No Time To Die" and receiving buzz about her upcoming Marilyn Monroe bio-pic, "Blonde", yet even with her captivating talents is still unable to make such a discordant character appealing.
There are some of Lyne's cinematic trademarks to be found here; beautifully shot, lush settings and stylized scenes filled with tension. But what is missing from the film is convincing drama, lusty passion and genuine terror, elements that tends to be required for a persuasive erotic thriller. "Deep Water" is just too low-energy and impotent to properly stimulate the mind or the body.
Ms de Armas has the more challenging role, trying to make us understand why Vic would insist on having this woman stay in their marriage. As a wife, Melinda has moments where she can be charming, fun and caring but usually Vic has to deal with a messy, self-centered party girl who is a vicious drunk. And as a mother, she tends to be indifferent, prioritizing her love affairs over the needs of their child. Ms. de Armas is a fine actor, making an impression with appearances in "Knives Out", the final Daniel Craig lead Bond movie, "No Time To Die" and receiving buzz about her upcoming Marilyn Monroe bio-pic, "Blonde", yet even with her captivating talents is still unable to make such a discordant character appealing.
There are some of Lyne's cinematic trademarks to be found here; beautifully shot, lush settings and stylized scenes filled with tension. But what is missing from the film is convincing drama, lusty passion and genuine terror, elements that tends to be required for a persuasive erotic thriller. "Deep Water" is just too low-energy and impotent to properly stimulate the mind or the body.
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