Dark Water (2005)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Walter Salles

Writers (WGA):

Kôji Suzuki (novel)
Hideo Nakata (film Honogurai mizu no soko kara) ...

Release Date:

8 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

This Season, The Mystery Of The Darkness Will Consume Your Life

Plot:

A mother and daughter, still wounded from a bitter custody dispute, hole up in a run-down apartment building. Adding further drama to their plight, they are targeted by the ghost of former resident.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Water | New York | School | Ghost

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jennifer Connelly	...	Dahlia Williams
John C. Reilly	...	Mr. Murray
Tim Roth	...	Jeff Platzer
Dougray Scott	...	Kyle Williams
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Veeck
Camryn Manheim	...	Teacher
Ariel Gade	...	Cecilia 'Ceci' Williams
Perla Haney-Jardine	...	Natasha Rimsky / Young Dahlia
Debra Monk	...	Young Dahlia's Teacher
Linda Emond	...	Mediator
Bill Buell	...	Mediator
J.R. Horne	...	Man in Train
Elina Löwensohn	...	Dahlia's Mother
Warren Belle	...	UPS Man
Alison Sealy-Smith	...	Supervisor

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, frightening sequences, disturbing images and brief language.

Runtime:

105 min | 103 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Philippines:PG-13 | Germany:16 | Iceland:12 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:U | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Norway:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Chandler Valley Center Studios - 13927 Saticoy Street, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The heartbeat heard during Dahlia's migraines are from an ultrasound scan of Daniel Rezende's wife who got pregnant at the beginning of the shooting.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the custody office when Dahlia is arguing with Kyle over hers and Ceci's relocation, Dahlia takes out a newspaper cutting detailing how good the school near her new apartment is; she holds it up with her right hand. In the following shot the article has switched hands, and Kyle snatches it from her left hand.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Ceci: OK, Daddy - let's go.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Scary Movie 4 (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Got Soul

Possibly marketed incorrectly, but still a fantastic film

Before I say anything more, I want to acknowledge that this is not a horror film. I'm not sure if it was even marketed that way, but it is not. It is more drama/psychological thriller. So, before commenting on how it is a bad horror film, please re-evaluate before slandering.

On the film: This is one of my favorite films of the year. The acting by all characters is superb. Connelly plays the character of Dahlia to the tooth. Ariel Gade creates a strikingly, somewhat scary picture of a young Jennifer Connelly. (For now, I will stick with the two main characters) On the story: It is a story about a family being torn apart and the emotional instability of such effects. The supernatural portion of the story adds a feature one can only understand by watching the film. Connelly remarkably recreates scenes of insecurity and the pain of memory and also the pain of sacrifice.

See this film, not only for the characterization created by all of the actors, but for excellent cinematography, emotional depth, and the score (created beautifully by one Angelo Badalamenti). Also, pick up Koji Suzuki and also see the original Japanese film.