NateWatchesCoolMovies Fear of isolation has been a staple element in film since the beginning. A quiet, shrouded forest. A damp, derelict back alley. The endless waters of earth's oceans, which is where Philip Noyce's nightmarish psychosexual shocker Dead Calm takes place. The key is not in projecting fear of being isolated, which is bad enough, but instilling the unnerving notion that you're not actually alone after all, and be it human, supernatural or the forces of nature, something is out there with you. This is what vacationing couple Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman discover, only in this case it's no creature or ghost, but Billy Zane instead. I know what you're thinking, that perennial goofball Zane is the farthest thing from fearsome you could find, but he's actually one of the most memorable and shit-scary movie villains out there. Neill and Kidman are a couple with enough issues to begin with, sailing their schooner somewhere way out there trying to forget past tragedy, until Zane brings new trouble onto their horizon. After they rescue him half dead floating on the waves, he tells them of a capsized ocean liner, and claims to be it's only survivor. Neill isn't quite bought and sold on his story and ventured off to see for himself, unwisely leaving his wife behind with this strange dude, which is loose thriller plotting 101, but oh well, inciting incidents have to come from somewhere, don't they. Zane turns out to be an unstable maniac of the highest order, and steers the schooner off on his own course with Kidman in tow, and Neill left in the wake, trying to find them out there and save her. The scary thing about this villain is that he has no plan, no goals, no endgame or reason for doin this, he's simply certifiably out of his fucking head, and there's an unpredictability to that which I found immensely freaky. The scenes aboard the boat with him and Nicole on their own are charged with a tangible danger and crazed frenzy, a canary in a cage circled by a thoroughly crazy cat. The acting sells it there, with Kidman's raw terror and Zane's oddball sociopathy walking a narrow, rigid tightrope that could snap any second, and does. When the action comes it's fierce, R rated mayhem as Neill vengefully charges back into the picture, and although not as intimately scary as the horror bits, still holds our gaze. Zane also gets one of the coolest villain deaths ever seen, shot in full gory detail as well. A chamber piece at sea, a glowing example of effective filmmaking in the thriller genre, and scary in spades.

Leofwine_draca Despite its age, I still see DEAD CALM as a pretty definitive seafaring thriller. To be more precise, it's a psychological thriller, one of many that were all the rage back in the late '80s and early '90s: FATAL ATTRACTION kick-started the sub genre, and there were many interesting choices along the way. For me, the two pinnacles of the genre are this film and THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE.The plot is deceptively simple, making use of just three actors. There's a loving couple, traumatised by events of the recent past, and a mysterious stranger hiding dark secrets. What follows is a hold-your-breath tense thrill-ride packed with twists and life-or-death situations. I loved the eerily isolated backdrop and director Phillip Noyce – who's made a career of edgy, dark filmmaking – makes perfect use of a small yacht to imprison his lead characters. The acting is also fine, which is a plus as if it hadn't been this film would have lost a lot of its charisma. Sam Neill is the sterling, never-give-up hero, and Billy Zane excels as the genuinely frightening psychopath, always retaining a hint of sympathy about him. But the film belongs to Nicole Kidman, who stars as the grieving woman forced to become a warrior to save both her husband's life and her own.Although I'm not a big fan of Kidman, I believe this to be one of her best performances, and it's hard to fault. She's fragile and gutsy, weak and powerful, all in the same breath, and watching her cat-and-mouse antics with Zane is what suspenseful filmmaking is all about. DEAD CALM is a classic thriller thanks to its pure simplicity.

matttaylor-65065 This film is a really good suspense drama, from start to finish its edge of your seat drama. The plot is really very realistic and it will make you think all the way through. It could happen to me! Absolutely nothing about this could be considered made up or even far fetched, every scene just perfectly directed and acted out wonderfully I can't say enough about how realistic it is. Along side the excellent acting the sound track is just as intense. There are a couple of minor issues which is what reduces the rating of the film down from a 10 to a 7 but there is enough drama, action to make it a film well worth watching. Make sure you strap yourself to the sofa before you sit down and start watching it!

LeonLouisRicci Slightly Underrated and Highly Enjoyable Sea Going Thriller. Three Handsome Actors and the Deep Blue are the Ingredients in this Never Complicated Story. It Just Moves with a Familiar Formula and Presents Itself as a Picture Postcard From Hell.Early Nicole Kidman Looking as Fresh as a Sunrise and Billy Zane, Darkly Tanned and Buff, Exuding Pathological Behavior from the Get Go are Teamed with the Centralized Character of a Navy Veteran (Sam Neill) that is Definitely Worth His Salt.Except for a Completely Unnecessary Prolog the Movie Sails Along with Contemporary Fulfillments Like a Sex Scene and Some Obligatory Topless Shots (what's a yacht movie without those), but Along the Voyage Some Surprising Things Happen Until the Predictable Ending. Anyone who has Seen More than Three Movies will Not Find that Surprising.Overall, a Tightly Paced and Great Looking Movie with a High Entertainment Value and it's About as Attractive as These Things Get.