Deep Water
shoot back in 2019 , titillating thrillerDeep Waterexperienced a number of setbacks prior to its firing , principally due to the COVID-19 pandemic . At one point in time schedule for a 2020 theatrical premiere , the pic was eventually pulled from the schedule wholly before Disney determine to stream it on Hulu . Despite the time lag , there were reasons to believeDeep Waterhad voltage . It marks the riposte of managing director Adrian Lyne , known for helming title such asFatal Attraction , Indecent Proposal , and others ( on the face of it making him a potent fit for the material).Deep Wateralso stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as the master couple , giving the picture show two in high spirits - visibility player . regrettably , the last result is n’t very compelling . Deep Wateris a leaden and flavorless thriller bear back by a weak script that even Affleck and de Armas ca n’t save .
InDeep Water , Affleck and de Armas adept as married couple Vic and Melinda Van Allen , who are live trouble with their kinship . As part of an unusual arrangement , Vic allows Melinda to see other men as long as she stays marital for the sake of their girl , Trixie ( Grace Jenkins ) . Vic claim to not be bothered by Melinda ’s sleeping around , but eventually thing sprain deadly as Vic ’s internal craze and jealously threaten to boil over and turn his marriage into a dangerous mind plot .
Related : Why Ana de Armas ' Next Big Movie is Already Controversial
Affleck and de Armas were on the precipice of get going a real - lifetime romantic human relationship when they filmedDeep Water , but that chemical science is n’t seeming in the picture show . In some respects , the dynamical works for the floor , as their characters have evidently fallen out of love . Still , there are n’t many traces of the electric discharge between them to animate thing up . Their interactions are cold and emotionless , to the film ’s detriment . AsDeep Watergoes on , it becomes harder for the audience to remain invested in the two leads . Affleck and de Armas can disappointingly do footling to lift the material . Both have earned praise for other turns latterly , but neither is at the top of their game here . Affleck ’s performance lack a bitter sinister edge to sell Vic ’s arc , while de Armas ' normally champagne screen front is more muted and struggles to make an wallop .
Despite the charge , Deep Watercomes across as astonishingly timid , hamstrung by a lack of thrills to keep the viewer ’s tending . The hand ( which does make some changes from the source novel ) is ineffective to establish any actual sense of narrative momentum . It feels more episodic than anything , with Melinda socializing with a new suitor every few scenes . There ’s an attempt to add some machination to the proceeding via Don Wilson ( Tracy Letts ) , someone who suspects Vic of misconduct as Melinda ’s friends go miss . alas , this subplot is missing the necessary punch needed to make it land with the desired intent . Even when thing protrude to pick up in the third act , it ’s a casing of too little , too late .
Much of the focus is understandably on Affleck and de Armas , but the support cast of characters is still severely underserved . None of the actors who play Melinda ’s redundant - marital lovers are onscreen long enough to leave an impression . They ’re all evenhandedly interchangeable , especially as each of their spark follows exchangeable story beats . There ’s also a grouping of character thespian play a accumulation of Vic and Melinda ’s Quaker ( run by Lil Rel Howery ) who are just stock certificate characters with very small to do other than oppose to Vic and Melinda ’s funny situation . It ’s difficult to fault any of the actors involved since theDeep Waterscreenplay is frail , though there is n’t anyone who ’s able to even steal some scenes .
SendingDeep Waterto Hulu could be interpreted as Disney ’s move to lay to rest the cinema , and it ’s easy to see why they did n’t give it much of a push . There were enough pieces here to produce something interesting , but it never full come together . Streaming is definitely the expert place forDeep Water . It ’d easily get lost in the shuffle if it experience a traditional theatrical release — even with Affleck and de Armas as lead . With more appealing swarm alternative hitting the pocket-sized screenland , plus the multiplex pop to round back into form after the pandemic , it ’s hard to recommendDeep Waterto anyone who is n’t a die - hard fan of any of the talents involved .
Next : catch the Deep Water Trailer
Deep Waterstarts cyclosis on Hulu on March 18 , 2022 . It is 115 minutes foresighted and is rated R for intimate content , nudity , linguistic communication , and some violence .
Ben Affleck in Deep Water
found on the celebrated novel by pop mystery story writer Patricia Highsmith ( The Talented Mr. Ripley ) , Deep Water takes us inside the marriage of a seemingly perfect couple , Vic and Melinda Van Allen , to key out the grave idea games they toy and what happens to the the great unwashed that get catch up in them . Revealing to various lover that they have an unresolved family relationship , their neighbors begin to talk , and body begin to appear in perceived acts of rage .
Ben Affleck in Deep Water
