Dead Water was a movie that really surprised me. It has a cast of four people (Judd Nelson, Casper Van Dien, Brianne Davis and Griff Furst) and manages to deal with not only piracy on the high seas, but also Shell Shock as former Marine, David (Furst) must use his military skills to save his friends from McLean (Nelson) all while dealing with the psychological trauma of warfare.
I prefer to use the term Shell Shock instead of the initialism PTSD, because I feel it cheapens the suffering that military personnel have endured during time of war. Yes, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is real (I have it myself), but when you use the phrase Shell Shock, it’s a keep in the teeth and requires more careful handling the person going through their situation.
Now, back to our movie — when I spoke with Nelson about the making of the film, he was pleased that they got very lucky in that Mother Nature was kind to them as they spent several days filming the Caribbean during what could have easily gotten them caught in monsoon weather.
The 21-day shoot allowed them put all their efforts in to get it right in the first couple of takes and still made you wonder just how far David’s character would go, not only to save the life of his friends, but also in dealing with McLean and the flashbacks that his character caused him.
Dead Water is a 90-minute thriller that pulls no punches and never has you bored for a second. The tension builds throughout the film and even when you see it coming, you’re still pleased with the end result.
Sadly, there aren’t any bonus features with this Blu-ray release, but let’s be honest, the movie is more than enough to keep you interested.
Dead Water comes to Blu-ray and Digital on Tuesday, September 17, 2019.
- Overall Score
Summary
Dead Water is a thriller that deals with Shell Shock, piracy and the human condition as we fight for our own survival.