Common Sense Media Review
By Christie Cronan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Unsettling survival thriller is lost at sea; cursing, peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Not Without Hope
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
NOT WITHOUT HOPE retells the harrowing true story of four friends' fishing trip tragedy in 2009. Nick Schuyler (Zachary Levi), Will Bleakley (Marshall Cook), and NFL Buccaneers players Marquis Cooper (Quentin Plair) and Corey Smith (Terrence Terrell) cast off into the Gulf of Mexico, capsize, and find themselves stranded in the middle of a tropical cyclone. Beset by fears even worse than drowning, the four men must battle nature, hypothermia, dehydration, and fatigue to survive the 43-hour fight of their lives.
Is It Any Good?
The waves of gripping thrills peak too early in this survival story, drowning in rough seas with little room to fully submerge in the fact-based story's unsettling potential depth. Not Without Hope—yet another man vs. nature thriller from director Joe Carnahan (The Grey)—preys on a core human fear worse than drowning, sharks, or even isolation: the beauty and terror of the ocean itself. Forcing viewers to face their own fears with primal instincts, survival skills, and emotional resilience, the story offers audiences a way to escape reality to find self, hope, and the will to live.
Or so you might think—but that's when this fishing trip gone wrong steers even further off course. Themes of survival, resilience, and appreciation for life capsize thanks to little narrative navigation or emotional depth. With more than half of the film taking place on top of a 21-foot capsized boat, there's little wiggle room for an engaging story expansion, even with the help of Levi's believable performance. Nature's power and the harsh elements end up feeling monotonous, even a little boring, with the same repetitive scenes crashing into viewers like wave after wave of rough "film" seas. The results are likely to leave audiences sad, confused, and a little hopeless—which is ironic, considering the film's title.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what movies like Not Without Hope tell viewers about survival, resilience, and human fear. How would you sum up the movie's messages?
What's the appeal of lost-at-sea thrillers? How do you think you'd fare if you were stranded on a capsized boat for 43 hours? How accurate do you think the movie is to what actually happened? Why might filmmakers sometimes adjust the facts in films based on true stories?
Do you consider Nick a hero? Why, or why not? What might make him a more positive role model?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 12, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : January 6, 2026
- Cast : Zachary Levi , Josh Duhamel
- Director : Joe Carnahan
- Studio : Inaugural Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Sports ( Football )
- Run time : 119 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language throughout
- Last updated : December 10, 2025
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