Featured Audience Ratings

• Universal D

  
  An successful middle aged man, a trophy wife, and a young aimless drifter converge for a day's outing on a sailboat ... what could happen next? Polanski seems to suggest that the setup tells the story in this brilliantly filmed black and white drama from 1962, and it does… More
  An successful middle aged man, a trophy wife, and a young aimless drifter converge for a day's outing on a sailboat ... what could happen next? Polanski seems to suggest that the setup tells the story in this brilliantly filmed black and white drama from 1962, and it does indeed. It does indeed.

• paul o

  
  It was good but not as good as repulsion. The acting and cinematography were great but the film's pacing with its lack of story depth left me somewhat empty at the end.

• Emil K

  
  Interesting little drama-thriller that is also debut feature from talented Polanski. It is the haunting mood of this film that keeps you hooked from beginning to an end. Only flaw is that it does not if it wants to be black-comedy or a thriller with a love-triangel twist. End result… More
  Interesting little drama-thriller that is also debut feature from talented Polanski. It is the haunting mood of this film that keeps you hooked from beginning to an end. Only flaw is that it does not if it wants to be black-comedy or a thriller with a love-triangel twist. End result is mixed, but captivating.

• Jan Marc M

  
  A Roman Polanski debut work that strictly features a ménage à trois: a couple and a young stranger, on a sailing trip. Knife In The Water features gradual subtle exposition of tension that has developed into something intriguing. Inventive. Stirring. Dynamic.

• AJ V

  
  This is one of Polanski's great early films, and one of my favourites, it involves a love triangle, and is very suspenseful and dramatic. I love it.

• Chris W

  
  While this is a good movie, I was wanting, and expecting, it to be great. It is good, but it seems a little random and under developed. I appreciate subtlety, and there is a lot of unspoken tension that's going on, but I kind of wished there was some more visceral action, and a… More
  While this is a good movie, I was wanting, and expecting, it to be great. It is good, but it seems a little random and under developed. I appreciate subtlety, and there is a lot of unspoken tension that's going on, but I kind of wished there was some more visceral action, and a little better payoff. But, it's like Orson Welles said, "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations". Polanksi was restricted by budget (and other things I would guess), so he and the crew had to make the best with what that had, and, even though it underwheled me, they basically succed where it counts, taking a minimalist situation and trying to get as much out of it as possible. From a technical perspective, I'm amazed at how they made this movie given the size of the boat. I liked the setting though, and that's part of why this film works. Cramped spaces are good at producing tension, claustrophobia, and atmosphere. For things to work though, you have to either have good writing, and or some good perforances to carry the picture, otherwise you'll get a boring failure. Thankfully the performances are good, and the players are good looking and photograph well. Well, Malanowicz is a little weird looking, but it suits his character's odd and mysterious nature. The camera work is pretty great given the circumstances, and the scenery is lovely, too. I want to give this 4.5, and made the mistake ahead of time of expecting too much, so I'll give it a 4, but in letter grade terms, let's say very high B+ to close but not quite an A-. I appreciate the effort, and I'm generally kind and forgiving, so I think that's fair, even if I'm left a bit disappointed.

• Randy T

  
  Since Jolanta Umecka spends about 90% of the film in a skimpy white bathing suit, I actually had to watch the film twice. It was during the second viewing that I discovered there were actually other characters, a boat and a pretty good plot.

• Conner R

  
  I loved the simplicity of this film. It is not only filmed to perfection, but it is extremely true to life and realistic. It is also a beautiful looking film. The acting was great for first time actors and it being an extremely low budget film.

• Stella D

  
  the shape of great things to come from polanski. highly suspenseful psychological thriller that doesn't rely on gore. men are silly :p

• Tim S

  
  Highly original and well made film by Roman Polanski. It wasn't anything I expected and that's the thing I most enjoyed about it. It also has one of the my favorite shots in a movie. The guy might be a pervert, but at least he's a stylish director.

• Ken S

  
  Polish Lake country has never looked more beautiful or haunting

• Pierluigi P

  
  Polanski succeeds at almost every level in his first work. a brilliant and tense drama set on a tiny yacht with two men on a dangerous game to win the female on board

• Michael G

  
  Early Roman Polanski before he snapped. Very good.

• Antony S

  
  Brilliant early film from Polanski, ably adressing several of his typical themes: self-doubt, alienation, psychological threat and the pursuit of carnal desire. This is a masterwork of tension, and contains a perfect presentation of cat-and-mouse leading to our protagonist's… More
  Brilliant early film from Polanski, ably adressing several of his typical themes: self-doubt, alienation, psychological threat and the pursuit of carnal desire. This is a masterwork of tension, and contains a perfect presentation of cat-and-mouse leading to our protagonist's voyeurism. The film is highly sexy and dangerous to the core. And of course, has been ripped off like no-one's business, that new Kelly Brook movie (of all things!) seems to have a plot borrowed entirely from this great.

• Chris B

  
  Early Polanski, that is a wonderful black and white psychological thriller with wonderful camera work. Tension builds very subtitle throughout, finally exploding near the climax. Great acting and wonderful cinematography really elevator this film and make Knife in the Water a must… More
  Early Polanski, that is a wonderful black and white psychological thriller with wonderful camera work. Tension builds very subtitle throughout, finally exploding near the climax. Great acting and wonderful cinematography really elevator this film and make Knife in the Water a must see!

• Quinto W

  
  Amazing performances, but I never sensed there was any build-up between the characters and the chemistry between Jolanta Umecka and Zygmunt Malanowicz was at tmes kind of ackward.

• Dimitris S

  
  A unique debut,spooky in its simplicity and...mental excitement.The inner scope on this unconventional trio is more than just a picture.The only Polish feature film of Polanski.Three thumbs up!

• Tom S

  
  A subtle, but thought-provoking power struggle over class, gender roles, sailing proficiency.

• Emily B

  
  Polanski's debut film. A good, simple story involving a couple and the hitchhiker they pick up. I found the first half a little uneventful but it picked up in the second half. Good acting considering they were basically unknown.

• Linda K

  
  Very interesting film as Polanski first feature lenght film!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings