Oscar-nominated director Adrian Lyne (1987's "Fatal Attraction") became synonymous with the erotic thriller in the 1980s and 1990s. The announcement of his return to filmmaking with "Deep Water" (his first since 2002's excellent "Unfaithful") generated a palpable sense of excitement from movie watchers across the internet, raising hopes that Lyne was coming back to deliver another trashy delight. For those who've seen the hits among Lyne's filmography, there's a they don't make them like they used to anticipation at the start of "Deep Water," but the movie never delivers on its promise.
Ben Affleck stars as Vic, a wealthy businessman, who is married to Melinda (Ana de Armas). From the outset, we are clued into their marriage, and an apparent arrangement surrounding their nuptials. Melinda openly flirts with other men (the various men are played by Brendan Miller, Jacob Elordi, and Finn Wittrock) at parties, disappearing for large amounts of time, sometimes coming home the next morning. Vic knows what she's doing and Melinda is never shy about flaunting it in front of him, but this appears to be their routine in order to avoid a divorce.
Things get darker as the movie progresses, and if "Deep Water" interests you (whether it's due to the director, the genre, the stars, or the tabloid fodder they created at the start of the pandemic), you should experience the movie cold. As a psychodrama, "Deep Water" is sporadically effective in the mind games that occur between Vic and Melinda; it's just the payoff that comes up short.
"Deep Water" is a tepid version of what Lyne was once a master of doing. His movies are revered as trashy classics, but have also been celebrated by the Oscars ("Fatal Attraction" was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress, while "Unfaithful" garnered Diane Lane her only career nomination). "Deep Water" is stuck somewhere in between, never fun enough to be a modern so-bad-it's-good classic, and the performances, while good, are not helped by the staid screenplay (by Zach Helm and "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson, based on the book by Patricia Highsmith).
Affleck is coming off a strong year with celebrated performances in "The Last Duel" and "The Tender Bar," and he clearly relishes being unlikable as Vic. He and de Armas find the right levels of toxic rapport to carry the movie through, but the film constantly lags behind them.
"Deep Water" debuts on Hulu Friday March 18.
| Movie title | Deep Water |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2022 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Art-trash auteur Adrian Lyne is back with his first erotic thriller in two decades, but the man behind “Fatal Attraction” and “9 1/2 Weeks” doesn’t make ‘em like he used to. |
