Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Slow-paced mystery has mild violence and peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
In Love and Deep Water
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
IN LOVE AND DEEP WATER takes place on a luxury cruise ship, where butler Ubukata (Ryô Yoshizawa) becomes involved in a murder mystery where even the dead body is missing. Things get more complicated when Ubukata meets the mysterious stowaway Chizuru (Yuuki Luna), who gets him entangled in yet another mystery, this one involving his girlfriend.
Is It Any Good?
Japanese murder mysteries often skim over the actual mystery and focus on the mundane lives of the characters around them. For better or for worse, In Love and Deep Water is no exception. Although the plot hints of Agatha Christie, the delivery lacks thrills, making the setting, a luxury cruise ship, the most exciting aspect of the film.
Although focusing on the downstairs/upstairs dynamics of the cruise ship would've been a fascinating sociological study, given the ample assortment of characters, the film never achieves depth on any level. Not that frivolous entertainment, in itself, isn't a worthy cause, but In Love and Deep Water doesn't allow for that either. Every time the mystery becomes the focus, the film changes its point of view, making for a harrowing experience. While that doesn't necessarily turn this into a shipwreck, it amounts to being trapped on a boat with no clear destination or arrival date.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the class dynamics on the cruise ship. How do passengers treat Ubukata? Why does he let first-class passengers talk down to him? Is that fair?
A wheelchair user is used as a plot device, meaning they aren't given much agency as a character, but merely help move the story forward. Would you say that's a fair way to depict wheelchair users?
Have you been on a cruise ship? If so, how does the movie compare to the real-life experience? If not, where would you like to sail off to? How did In Love and Deep Water affect your wish to travel on a cruise ship?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 16, 2023
- Cast : Ryo Yoshizawa , Yuuki Luna , Rinko Kikuchi
- Directors : Yûsuke Taki , Morgan Bailey Keaton
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 125 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 5, 2023
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