Movie Review - Dead Calm

Dead Calm (1989)

Starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, and Billy Zane

Directed by Philip Noyce

 **Currently streaming on Netflix**

This is one of those flicks that I've wanted to see forever and thanks to Netflix streaming, I've now got my chance.  Unfortunately, once again (as is often the case), the flick just isn't all that good.

Dead Calm is actually fairly promising for its first half.  A couple, John and Rae (Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman), who just went through the tragedy of losing their toddler son decide to take a sailboat trip in the Pacific.  While out at sea, they come across another sailboat with a single passenger named Hughie (Billy Zane).  With Hughie's boat sinking, they decide to take him aboard.  Unbeknown to them, however, Hughie is a psychopathic killer who murdered his fellow crew members and may likely to the same to them.

This initial set-up is well-paced and well-shot.  However, the problem with the film comes in the second half when Hughie's true colors begin to show.  This is one of those movies where the screenwriters got together and said, "Our bad guy's crazy, so whatever he does really doesn't have to make any sense."  Unfortunately, using the guy's insanity as an "out," they also negate any sense of realism that was here in the first place.  Any moments of tension are simply laughed off by the viewer because the bad guy simply isn't making any sense. 

Philip Noyce certainly does an admirable job directing -- the film takes place, for the most part, on the confined quarters of a sailboat and Noyce creates a feeling of entrapment for his characters.  Nicole Kidman is also quite good in what was one of first starring roles.  

But in the end, the film really fails in its second half and it just can't garner a recommendation from me.  

The RyMickey Rating: C-