Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Silly, violent trapped-at-sea-with-a-psychopath thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dangerous Waters
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In DANGEROUS WATERS, Alma (Saffron Burrows) is a struggling single mother. She lives with her daughter, Rose (Odeya Rush), and both of them are working crummy jobs just to get by. Then Alma's new boyfriend, Derek (Eric Dane), invites them to go on a sailing trip for 10 days. Things seem OK until the trio is attacked by mysterious pirates and left for dead, drifting on the ocean. It's up to Rose to pull together all her courage and fight to save the day.
Is It Any Good?
It has decent acting and cinematography, but this frustrating thriller is one of those movies in which the characters are either excruciatingly dim -- or terrible at hiding their true motivations. Everyone who's ever seen more than a few movies will know straight away that the vacation planned in Dangerous Waters is a bad idea. While Alma is completely clueless, Rose at least has enough sense to be wary. But even though she's introduced as being smart, she still lets herself be fooled by the most ridiculous ploys. And there's just no hiding that the character who's supposed to be good is really bad.
The movie comes alive for five brief minutes in the third act when Rose faces off with the late Ray Liotta, who plays "The Captain," the evil leader of a human trafficking ring. She plays coy and flirts with him, and he gives his line readings a silky menace that makes them a masterpiece of camp. But, unfortunately, things return to foolishness as Rose turns into the action hero we see her watching in a generic movie on television. Dangerous Waters seems to suggest that if you watch enough action movies, you'll have the ability to beat up as many villains as you want. Unfortunately, if you watch this movie, you run the risk of losing brain cells.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dangerous Waters' violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How are drinking and smoking depicted? Are they glamorized Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Is the movie scary? Why do people sometimes like to watch scary movies?
In the end, the main character insists that she has "nothing," but another character tells her she has "a future." What does he mean? Is that enough?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 13, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : October 13, 2023
- Cast : Odeya Rush , Eric Dane , Saffron Burrows
- Director : John Barr
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Signature Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 101 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 21, 2023
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