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‘Stillwater’ Review: Another American Tragedy

Matt Damon plays a father determined to free his daughter from prison in the latest from Tom McCarthy, the director of “Spotlight.”

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By Manohla Dargis

A truism about American movies is that when they want to say something about the United States — something grand or profound or meaningful — they typically pull their punches. There are different reasons for this timidity, the most obvious being a fear of the audience’s tricky sensitivities. And so ostensibly political stories rarely take partisan stands, and movies like the ponderously earnest “ Stillwater ” sink under the weight of their good intentions.

The latest from the director Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”), “Stillwater” stars Matt Damon as Bill Baker. He’s a familiar narrative type with the usual late-capitalism woes, including the dead-end gigs, the family agonies, the wounded masculinity. He also has a touch of Hollywood-style exoticism: He’s from Oklahoma. A recovering addict, Bill now toggles between swinging a hammer and taking a knee for Jesus. Proud, hard, alone, with a cord of violence quaking below his impassivity, he lives in a small bleak house and lives a small bleak life. He doesn’t say much, but he’s got a real case of the white-man blues.

He also has a burden in the form of a daughter, Allison (a miscast Abigail Breslin), who’s serving time in a Marseille prison, having been convicted of savagely killing her girlfriend. The story, which McCarthy conceived of (he shares script credit with several others), takes its inspiration from that of Amanda Knox, an American studying in Italy, who was convicted of a 2007 murder, a case that became an international scandal. Knox’s conviction was later overturned and she moved back to the United States, immortalized by lurid headlines, books, documentaries and a risible 2015 potboiler with Kate Beckinsale .

Like that movie, which focuses on the sins of a vampiric, sensation-hungry media, “Stillwater” isn’t interested in the specifics of the Knox case but in its usefulness for moral instruction. Soon after it opens, and following a tour of Bill’s native habitat — with its industrial gothic backdrop and lonely junk-food dinners — he visits Allison, a trip he’s taken repeatedly. This time he stays. Allison thinks that she has a lead that will prove her innocence, which sends her father down an investigative rabbit hole and, for a time, quickens the movie’s pulse.

McCarthy isn’t an intuitive or innovative filmmaker and, like a lot of actors turned directors, he’s more adept at working with performers than telling a story visually. Shot by Masanobu Takayanagi, “Stillwater” looks and moves just fine — it’s solid, professional — and Marseille, with its sunshine and noir, pulls its atmospheric weight as Bill maps the city, trying to chase clues and villains. Also earning his pay is the underutilized French Algerian actor Moussa Maaskri, playing one of those sly, world-weary private detectives who, like the viewer, figures things out long before Bill does.

Much happens, including an abrupt, unpersuasive relationship with a French theater actress, Virginie (the electric Camille Cottin, from the Netflix show “ Call My Agent !”). The character is a fantasy, a ministering angel with a hot bod and a cute tyke (Lilou Siauvaud); among her many implausible attributes, she isn’t ticked off by Bill’s inability to speak French. But Cottin, a charismatic performer whose febrile intensity is its own gravitational force, easily keeps you engaged and curious. She gives her character juice and her scenes a palpable charge, a relief given Bill’s leaden reserve.

There’s little joy in Bill’s life; the problem is, there isn’t much personality, either. It’s clear that Damon and McCarthy have thought through this man in considered detail, from Bill’s plaid shirts to his tightly clenched walk. The character looks as if he hasn’t moved his bowels in weeks; if anything, he feels overworked, a product of too much conceptualizing and not enough feeling, identifiable humanity or sharp ideas. And because Bill doesn’t talk much, he has to emerge largely through his actions and tamped-down physicality, his lowered eyes and head partly obscured by a baseball hat that hangs over them like a visor.

It is, as show people like to say, a committed performance, but it’s also a frustratingly flat one. Less character than conceit, Bill isn’t a specific father and uneasy American abroad; he’s a symbol. McCarthy tips his hand early in the first scene in Oklahoma with the image of Bill precisely framed in the center of a window of a house he’s helping demolish. A tornado has ripped through the region, leveling everything. When Bill pauses to look around, surveying the damage, the camera takes in the weeping survivors, the rubble and ruin. It’s a good setup, brimming with potential, but as the story develops, it becomes evident this isn’t simply a disaster, natural or otherwise. It’s an omen.

Like “Nomadland” and any number of Sundance movies, “Stillwater” seizes on the classic figure of the American stoic, the rugged individualist whose self-reliance has become a trap, a dead end and — if all the narrative parts cohere — a tragedy. And like “Nomadland,” “Stillwater” tries to say something about the United States (“Ya Got Trouble,” as the Music Man sings) without turning the audience off by calling out specific names or advancing an ideological position. Times are tough, Americans are too (at least in movies). They keep quiet, soldier on, squint into the sun and the void. Bad things happen and it’s somebody’s fault, but it’s all so very vague.

Stillwater Rated R for violence and language. Running time: 2 hour 20 minutes. In theaters.

Manohla Dargis has been the co-chief film critic since 2004. She started writing about movies professionally in 1987 while earning her M.A. in cinema studies at New York University, and her work has been anthologized in several books. More about Manohla Dargis

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The Shape of Water review – a seductively melancholy creature feature

Guillermo del Toro’s magical movie, a cold war thriller, is underpinned by a superb cast and knowing nods to Hollywood classics

I n my opinion, the 21st century has produced no finer movie than Pan’s Labyrinth , Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 masterpiece, which acts as a sister picture to his 2001 Spanish civil war ghost story, The Devil’s Backbone . Like Del Toro’s first feature, Cronos (1993), these Spanish-language gems possessed a unique cinematic voice, the distant echo of which could still be heard even amid the thunderous roar of 2013’s Pacific Rim . Now, with his awards-garlanded latest (co-scripted by Game of Thrones graduate Vanessa Taylor), Del Toro has conjured a boundary-crossing hybrid that is as adventurously personal as it is universal, a swooning romantic melodrama that reshapes the mythical themes of Beauty and the Beast with deliciously bestial bite.

An opening voiceover establishes the fable-like tone, setting the story “a long time ago” in “a small city near the coast, but far from everything else”. This is the US in the early-60s, with the cold war and the space race providing the backdrop for “a tale of love and loss and the monster who tried to destroy it all”.

Sally Hawkins is sublime as the orphaned Elisa Esposito, voiceless since the day she was found “by the river, in the water”, the scars on her neck suggesting the key to her silence. Elisa lives above the Orpheum cinema, an old-school dream palace where The Story of Ruth and Mardi Gras play to a slow trickle of patrons. Her neighbour, Giles (Richard Jenkins), is an artist who has lost both his hair and his job and spends his days watching Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Betty Grable on TV reruns, dreaming of the waiter behind the counter in the local Dixie Doug’s pie emporium.

Elisa works as a cleaner at the Occam aerospace research facility where she mops floors with the loquacious Zelda ( Octavia Spencer ). When Occam takes possession of an amphibious creature from the Amazon, Dr Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) wants to learn from this strange beast, once revered by local tribes as a god. Vindictive government agent Strickland ( Michael Shannon ) disagrees, seeing only “an affront” that he dragged here from South America to be tortured and destroyed. Yet Elisa, whose expansive and erotic dreams are fuelled by water, hears music in the creature’s plaintive cry; a haunting refrain interweaving with the waltzing melody that accompanies her own floating steps.

What follows is a weird and wondrous romantic thriller that casts its inspirational web wide: from 50s monster movies such as Creature From the Black Lagoon to Ron Howard’s 80s mermaid rom-com Splash , via the 12th-century writings of Persian poet Hakim Sanai . Del Toro calls it “a fairytale for troubled times”, citing Douglas Sirk and Vincente Minnelli as touchstones, alongside Mexican film-maker Ismael Rodríguez. There are strong undercurrents, too, of the silent pathos of Keaton and Chaplin, interspersed with bouts of musical fantasy, including an audacious Fred and Ginger-style routine that mirrors the monochrome dance designs of Follow the Fleet .

It sounds ridiculous, yet through some magical alchemy it works – magnificently so. Part of its success is the superb ensemble cast: Shannon seething as the scripture-quoting patriot whose world starts rotting from the inside out; Spencer radiating resilience as Zelda, tirelessly tending to the needs of others; Stuhlbarg underplaying nicely as the scientist with lofty aspirations and fluid affiliations. As for Doug Jones (who has been breathing life into Del Toro’s beautiful monsters for decades), his shimmering amphibian man is a sinewy symphony of movement, the perfect partner for Hawkins’s heroine, swimming through the dreamy pools of her endlessly expressive eyes.

Luis Sequeira’s costumes and Paul D Austerberry’s production designs make this blue-green fantasy world real, while Dan Laustsen’s cameras flow like water around the drama, their movement providing the cue for Alexandre Desplat’s lovely score, which juxtaposes jaunty accordions with breathy flutes – musical dialogue for wordless characters.

“You’ll never know just how much I care,” runs the tune, sung by Alice Faye in Hello, Frisco, Hello , which echoes nostalgically through The Shape of Water . The genius of Del Toro’s creation is that we know exactly how much Elisa cares for her soulmate and how he makes silent sense of her fish-out-of-water feelings. Watching them dance around each other, I became aware of the shape of my own tears, swept along by the emotional waves of Del Toro’s sparkling drama, succumbing to its seductively melancholy song of the sea.

• The Shape of Water
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The water man, common sense media reviewers.

Touching family drama explores love, friendship, and loss.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Promotes honesty, courage, compassion, teamwork. I

Gunner is a kind, devoted son and talented artist.

The film follows a Black family, but the community

A mother looks very sick, shuts the door so her so

Occasional language includes "crap," "damn," "hell

Prescription drugs: Gunner finds his mother's pres

Parents need to know that The Water Man , actor David Oyelowo's directorial debut, is about Gunner Boone ( This Is Us 's Lonnie Chavis), a boy who tries to track down a local folk legend in order to save his sick mother (Rosario Dawson). This family drama is tween-friendly overall but does…

Positive Messages

Promotes honesty, courage, compassion, teamwork. Importance of strong parent-child relationships is stressed, as is the need for a trusted friend or adult to whom a child can turn to admit they need help.

Positive Role Models

Gunner is a kind, devoted son and talented artist. He wants to do everything he can to save his mother. Mary is loving and protective of Gunner. Amos realizes he needs to change how he interacts with his son. Jo shoplifts and gets away with it, but Gunner later confronts her and says "stealing is wrong." She realizes she needs to be more honest and does so through her friendship with Gunner.

Diverse Representations

The film follows a Black family, but the community they live in and supporting characters are White. Main character Gunner is a boy, but Jo and Mary have positive key roles. Jo has a large, visible neck scar that she's self-conscious about, but no one else treats it negatively. Mary has leukemia and is seen fighting illness for most of the story. Her cancer is largely a plot point that serves Gunner and Amos' father-son relationship, but she has traits outside her disability, such as humor, maternalism, and spirituality.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

A mother looks very sick, shuts the door so her son won't see her getting ill. A girl throws a boy on the ground, holds his hands down. In the tale of the Water Man (which is animated), a man is anguished that his wife drowned. A quick view of his mom's thin, naked upper back and bald head disturbs Gunner so much that he cries. A bunch of bugs falls on Gunner and Jo; they run to get away from them. Gunner nearly falls into rapid water. When the Water Man finally appears, he's creepy looking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional language includes "crap," "damn," "hell," "B.S.," "gross," "liar," and one race-based comment when a White father says his daughter "wouldn't have a friend like that" in a way that suggests she wouldn't have a Black friend.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Prescription drugs: Gunner finds his mother's prescription morphine.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Water Man , actor David Oyelowo 's directorial debut, is about Gunner Boone ( This Is Us 's Lonnie Chavis), a boy who tries to track down a local folk legend in order to save his sick mother ( Rosario Dawson ). This family drama is tween-friendly overall but does contain a few disturbing moments of brief peril, occasional language ("damn," "B.S.," "crap"), and discussions of cancer, death, and child abuse. Scary scenes include a creepy-looking folk legend, a moment when a boy looks like he's going to fall into rapids, an instance when a girl pushes a boy down on the ground, and a brief encounter with bugs that kids have to run away from in a hurry. Amid the serious themes are messages about honesty, courage, compassion, and teamwork, as well as the importance of strong parent-child relationships. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (6)
• Kids say (4)

Based on 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE WATER MAN follows young Gunner Boone ( Lonnie Chavis ), who's moved to a small logging town in Oregon with his mother, Mary ( Rosario Dawson ), and father, Amos ( David Oyelowo ), who recently returned from being stationed in Japan. Mary is quite sick with cancer but has kept the full truth of her diagnosis from Gunner, who spends most of his time reading and drawing a graphic novel about a ghost detective. After Gunner discovers that his mom has leukemia, he's desperate to find a way to help her beat the odds. When he hears a neighborhood girl named Jo ( Amiah Miller ) say that she's seen "the Water Man," Gunner's curiosity leads him to research the legend and talk about it with a local funeral director ( Alfred Molina ), who explains that the story is about a miner who found a special rock that brought him back to life after a flash flood killed him and his wife. He supposedly still haunts the area looking for his dead wife to resuscitate. Gunner offers Jo money if she's willing to escort him to where she last spotted the Water Man, hoping to find him and convince him to help Mary.

Is It Any Good?

Oyelowo's directorial debut is a short and sweet family drama/adventure. Lots of family films focus on silly, easy laughs, but this one is like a thoughtful middle grade novel come to life. It's reminiscent of book adaptations like Bridge to Terabithia , where there's a little bit of magical realism, a stellar cast -- including thoughtful child actors -- and a whole lot of heart. Chavis, who's so good as the younger Randall on This Is Us , delivers a standout performance as the earnest, talented Gunner. Dawson is well cast as Mary, who's trying to shield Gunner from the ugly truths of her cancer. Maria Bello pops up as the town sheriff Amos enlists once Gunner runs away with Jo, but she's somewhat underserved in the role.

Oyelowo's faith is evident in the movie's themes, particularly in two touching scenes: one where Gunner and his mom discuss what happens when you die, and another in which the family prays a prayer of thanks together. But the movie's themes are universal, promoting the bond between parents and kids, honesty between friends, and facing your fears with grace and courage. The soundtrack is effective, featuring Miller singing the haunting "The Water Man Rhyme" in a pivotal scene and Jessica Oyelowo (David's wife) singing "My Son" and "What Love Does." Oyelowo shows promise as a director; here's hoping he can do it again, continuing to focus (as he's reportedly said) on the positive representation of Black and Brown families in film.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Water Man' s messages about loss and family. Why do you think many movies have been made about dying mothers?

Do you consider the movie violent ? Scary ? What parts upset you, and why?

What is the Water Man trying to teach Gunner? What does Gunner learn from his journey trying to find the Water Man?

How does the movie promote courage , compassion , and teamwork ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 7, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : May 25, 2021
• Cast : David Oyelowo , Rosario Dawson , Lonnie Chavis
• Director : David Oyelowo
• Inclusion Information : Black directors, Black actors, Female actors, Indigenous actors, Latino actors
• Studio : RLJ Entertainment
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Adventures , Friendship
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Teamwork
• Run time : 91 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : thematic content, scary images, peril and some language
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : November 22, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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White Castle Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Original Harold & Kumar Movie

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle gets celebrated by the titular burger joint in honor of the film's 20th anniversary.

The 20th anniversary of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is being celebrated by the restaurant at the heart of the film that spawned a franchise . White Castle is even giving out free digital copies of the film along with exclusive 20th anniversary merchandise.

Directed by Danny Leiner, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle was written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, two of the creators of Cobra Kai . It starred John Cho and Kal Penn as the titular stoners, following the pair as they partake in smoking cannabis and setting out on an adventure to visit a White Castle restaurant. Neil Patrick Harris also memorably appeared as himself , with the actor stealing their car serving as one of many obstacles that prevent Harold and Kumar from reaching their destination. Ahead of the film's 20th anniversary, which will officially fall on July 30, White Castle started the promotion early, appropriately on April 20 .

Sweet Dreams Star Johnny Knoxville Compares New Comedy to Bad News Bears

“Harold and Kumar’s hijinks leading to their epic journey represents the heroes’ quest, and their passion and dedication to the Crave represents the same love that generations of White Castle fans have shown,” White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson said in a statement. "No matter what calls you to savor the flavor of your favorite Slider, whether at a Castle or in your kitchen, that bite into a 100% beef patty steam-grilled on a bed of onions nestled between two perfectly baked buns is the crave satisfaction you deserve."

Richardson added, “We have always embraced being the place to gather after a fun night on the town or enjoying a sleeve or two of Sliders from the freezer after getting home from work. We were the original late-night hot spot, and with our variety of affordable restaurant and grocery offerings, we welcome customers to follow their Crave whenever it calls.”

Seth MacFarlane Explains How Family Guy Tackles Offensive Comedy

The promotion begins on April 20. Customers who purchase a Crave Clutch a White Castle restaurants, through 7 p.m. and 3 a.m., will receive a free promo code for a digital version of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle . The company will also offer three Harold & Kumar -themed collectible cups while supplies last. The celebration also extends to the grocery store, as retail shoppers who buy two of any size packages of White Castle Sliders on one register receipt will also be given the digital code for the film. Additionally, customers can buy personalized Harold & Kumar shirts at whitecastle.nadelstore.com .

There's Another Way to Watch the Film for Free

If you can't make it to White Castle to get a digital download code for the film, you fan still stream Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle for free, albeit with ads, on Tubi.

Source: White Castle

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Underwater 's strong cast and stylish direction aren't enough to distract from the strong sense of déjà vu provoked by this claustrophobic thriller's derivative story.

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Belgian action star  Jean-Claude Van Damme returns in "Black Water," a mediocre submarine thriller that only really comes to life when co-star Dolph Lundgren gets to one-up the Muscles from Brussels. Van Damme and Lundgren have worked together five times now since 1992, when the two '80s icons traded blows and bullets in the first " Universal Soldier " film. Not much has changed in 26 years since Lundgren, playing a berserk cyborg antagonist, stole that earlier film, too. 

Lundgren stands out in both films because he doesn't have to carry either project. He grins like a cat who figured out how to get a lifetime supply of canaries while Van Damme grimaces as he struggles to carry a blase, paint-by-numbers siege narrative about (deep breath) a rogue CIA agent who must fight both the CIA  and  evil mercenaries for the security of digital files that contain the names and personal info of the CIA's active undercover agents. Unfortunately, Van Damme barrels his way through another uninspired programmer, leaving Lundgren with the impossible task of breathing life into an already burst balloon.

Lundgren plays Marco, a mysterious German spy that Wheeler bumps into after he wakes up in a blacksite prison...on a submarine. Marco is cool and resigned to his fate while Wheeler is groggy and pissed-off. Marco also never directly answers Wheeler's questions, but rather sighs about the seeming hopelessness of their shared predicament. So it's up to Van Damme to set up the plot through an extended flashback: he was attacked by a group of bad dudes who cornered him and his partner Melissa (Courtney B. Turk) at a seedy motel. Soon after that, Wheeler was captured by the CIA—led by Agent Patrick Ferris ( Patrick Kilpatrick )—in an industrial car park. The baddies from the hotel are supposed to be really bad dudes because they shoot Melissa twice (and in slow-motion) while Van Damme protests with an unintentionally hilarious groan. Soon after this inciting incident, Wheeler defies Ferris's group, who threaten Wheeler with torture—including eyeball-related trauma—if he doesn't tell them where they can find the files he's hiding. There's some confusion about Wheeler's real allegiances—did he go rogue, or is he actually still loyal to his country—but that question is cleared up sooner rather than later since screenwriter Chad Law doesn't seem to care about this tired, but heavily foregrounded complication.

Law's scenario often focuses on keeping track of the various factions housed in the never-named blacksite submarine prison. There's Wheeler and aspiring/good CIA agent Cassie ( Jasmine Waltz ), who form a team, and struggle to escape together. And there's the suspicious security crew led by Kingsley ( Aleksander Vayshelboym ), and the rogue agent whose identity I won't spoil (though really, it's not that hard to guess). There's Ferris and his guys. And don't forget generic good guy Captain Dorsey ( John Posey ) and his hapless crew, all of whom just seem to want to keep their sub from blowing up. Oh, and Marco's there, too.

It's weirdly fitting that Lundgren, the most physically imposing actor in "Black Water," can't be found for much of the film's drawn-out 105-minute runtime. You might says he's the proverbial elephant in the underwater submersible, but he's not really since Marco gets to outsmart and out-maneuver several villains. Lundgren does a fine job with the sliver of a role that he's got, though that's not really saying much.

The most significant problem with "Black Water" is that nobody, not even the good CIA agents (some of whom are proven to be bad before the film hits its midway point), talk about their super-secret, under-water CIA prison setting. In this aqua-jail, torture and undocumented interrogations are standard operating procedure. Nobody balks at that galling reality. Instead, "Black Water" concerns the capture and inevitable release of Wheeler, a good guy who is accused of bad things, but that we all trust implicitly because, uh, his lady partner was executed in front of him? This kind of "avenge the dead girl" stock plot doesn't make sense when transplanted to a modern setting, one where US officials can threaten to stab a guy in the eyeball and walk away looking comparatively innocent. If you're going to exploit something as grisly as  government-sanctioned torture, then you'd better follow through. The makers of "Black Water" never do. 

And what of Van Damme? As Wheeler, he spends much of his time going pew-pew with automatic rifles and/or scowling at instantly forgettable baddies. Forget Lundgren: even the twice-billed star of " Double Impact " deserves better than "Black Water."

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair ,  The Village Voice,  and elsewhere.

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Film credits.

Black Water (2018)

Rated R for violence and language.

105 minutes

Jean-Claude Van Damme as Wheeler

Dolph Lundgren as Marco

Patrick Kilpatrick as Ferris

John Posey as Captain Darrows

Jasmine Waltz as Cassie Taylor

• Pasha Patriki

Writer (story by)

• Tyler W. Konney
• Richard Switzer

Cinematographer

• Spencer Creaghan

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