Dead Calm

Dead Calm (1989)

  • 95% of critics liked it
    (21 reviews)

  • 58% of users liked it
    (29,877 ratings)

Grieving over the death of their son, a married couple decide to take a long yachting trip for relaxation's sake. Their journey takes a dark turn, however, when they rescue a young man from a drifting vessel. The couple soon discover that the other ship's crew had been brutally murdered by their new… More

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Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By
Phillip Noyce
Genres
Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Apr 7, 1989 Wide
On DVD
Dec 7, 1999
Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

  • Clint Morris, Mediasharx

    One of the best thrillers of our time....it'll leave your gasping for air

  • Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

    Fun, scary and suspensful from start to finish.

  • Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

    One of the better yuppies-in-jeopardy thrillers of the late '80s and early '90s.

  • Willie Waffle, WaffleMovies.com

    Great thriller with two excellent actors!

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    Edgy cinematography keeps the tension coming like waves.

Read all 7 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Melvin W


    Rae Ingram: You know what I'd love for lunch? Fresh asparagus, then, um, pasta - angel hair pasta with heaps of basil, garlic, olive oil and, um, apple pie. Yeah. Uh, John, have you got a towel?  "In the middle of nowhere there is nowhere to hide." Wow, I've seen… More

  • Jeff "


    Dead Calm is an intense horror thriller that never lets you take a breath. The film makes you stay on the edge of your seat throughout. Whats really interesting about Dead Calm is it's story. The film is set on a sailboat and it manages to be a very good film despite the fact… More

  • Drew S


    Dead Calm exemplifies economy. It spends very little time outside of its menacing setting, allowing its characters to develop within the framework of the threat they become involved in - their actions are what color them, not heavy-handed exposition lumped in at the beginning of the… More

  • Aaron N


    Rae: Is that boat sinking. Hughie: Well, past tense would be more appropriate. A well made thriller, isolating the characters on the ocean to create genuine tension, complete with quality performances from all three leads, outweighing the standard thriller elements that make… More

  • Anthony L


    Dead Calm is one of the last great thrillers. Hitchcock could have directed this!

Read all 18 featured audience ratings

Cast

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