Deep Water had me hooked until it didn't, an erotic thriller that begins to run out of steam. Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas are good with the material, while Adrian Lyne's direction on this slow burner mostly compels. I took issue with Zach Helm and Sam Levinson's writing. Still worth the watch.The Love Story is Never the Whole Story Deep Water seems to be a mixed bag of many things: a slow-burning erotic thriller, an underdeveloped storyline, a murder mystery, and the sexual friction between its two leads (Affleck and de Armas). Deep Water marks a 20-year return to the director's chair for filmmaker Adrian Lyne (Flashdance, Fatal Attraction, and Unfaithful). Shot in 2019 but delayed multiple times due to COVID, Deep Water finally makes a splash onto Hulu. 2022's Deep Water is based on the 1957 novel by mystery writer Patricia Highsmith (Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley). Our film takes us inside the conflicted marriage of Vic (Affleck) and Melinda (de Armas) Van Allen. They have a daughter named Trixie (Grace Jenkins) but are bound in a loveless marriage. In order to avoid going through a divorce, Melinda is allowed to take a number of lovers, as long as she doesn't leave the family. Yet, Vic becomes obsessed with her affairs, threatening many of them and even darkly joking that he killed one of Melinda's past lovers, who is currently missing. Not to mention, Vic's strange hobby in breeding snails. We are stuck between Vic and Melinda's passive-aggressive mind game and sexual tension as director Lyne throws in the hook to catch the bait. Yet, where Deep Water comes up short and ultimately drowns is due to its rather shallow writing by screenwriters Zach Helm (Stranger than Fiction) and Sam Levinson (HBO's Euphoria and Malcolm & Marie). The storyline's mystery should have been tightened up to keep the viewers more on edge. Instead, Deep Water begins falling apart around the middle half, turning into a rather silly affair. The mystery and psychological drama are undercooked, leaving us with an incoherent tone. Yet, Lyne's stylization and dramatization are heightened scene after scene. Affleck and de Armas do their best with the material they are given. What is also fascinating ahead of watching Deep Water is knowing that our two leads briefly dated after filming wrapped up. Moving forward, Affleck and de Armas' psychological warfare produced ripple effects throughout the screen. Deep Water is not a bad movie by any means, nor is it a great one either. In the end, Lyne's movie is still worth your time, even if you don't like it. Through blood, sweat, passion, and tears: Deep Water takes a deep dive into the river of seduction and murder. Deep Water is rated R (Restricted) Some Violence | Language | Sexual Content | Nudity. Stream it now on Hulu. Directed by Adrian Lyne Starring Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Dash Mihok, Finn Wittrock, Kristen Connolly, Jacob Elordi, and Rachel Blanchard.
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Ryan Arnold
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March 2024
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