Dead Calm

Dead Calm is a thriller film that follows an Australian couple, John and Rae Ingram, who embark on a sailing trip in the Pacific to cope with their son's death. During their journey, they rescue a young man named Hughie Warriner who claims to be the sole survivor of a food poisoning incident on his ship. However, John suspects that Hughie's story is not entirely true, and upon investigating further, he discovers that Hughie is a dangerous psychopath who has murdered his companions on board. As John tries to catch up with Hughie's ship, Rae awakens from her sleep and attempts to reason with Hughie while also trying to stall him. She eventually gains his trust and formulates a plan with him; however, things take a turn when Hughie starts to exhibit erratic behavior, and Rae realizes that she must find a way back to her husband to save him from Hughie's clutches. The film's plot revolves around the themes of grief recovery, isolation/confined spaces, and survival instincts. The Ingrams' attempt to escape their sorrow by sailing solo across the Pacific Ocean only to be confronted with a terrifying and potentially deadly situation emphasizes the difficulty of coping with loss. The isolated environment also heightens tension as the characters are confined to a small space with limited resources, making it challenging for them to escape or call for help. Ultimately it's up to Rae to use her wits and resourcefulness to outsmart Hughie in a tense battle of survival. The film stars Sam Neill as Captain John Ingram; Nicole Kidman as Rae Ingram; and Billy Zane as Hughie Warriner. It was directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Charles Williams' novel "The Dead Calm." Dead Calm received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success and has since become a cult classic.

You can stream Dead Calm on: Shudder The Criterion Channel Apple TV Amazon Store Fandango at Home

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Dead Calm include The Crow, The Lost Boys, The Good Son, The Vanishing, The Hidden, The Return of Godzilla.

Dead Calm was released in theaters on April 7, 1989.