Front Page    
Ottawa XPress
  
 Hour.ca
  
 Voir.ca
  
 Classifieds




Dark Water
 

 
 Official web site

 


Film Front
  
Now playing
  
Upcoming
  
Cinemas
  
Repertory
  
All films
 
 

Dark Water
 
(United States, 2005) With Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly and Tim Roth. Directed by Walter Salles (Central do Brasil). Category : Suspense. Length : 1:45. Classification : 13 and over
 
Movie description :
In the midst of a custody battle, Dhalia and her daughter Ceci move into a creepy New York apartment building. Though the starkness of the modernist setting provides a chilling backdrop and metaphor, it fails to be strong enough to provide tension, which is largely absent throughout the film. The attempt to generate a sense of ambiguity between mental stability and a supernatural presence works to question the source of Dhalia's paranoia. Though there are some decent scenes, for the most part, Salles's approach is too subtle to be frightening and the camera either reveals too much or too little.
 
 

You have seen this movie?
write your own review!
Rating of our members : (22 members)

Dark Water or how to water down a good J-Horror concept in Hollywood's gambit to recycle what has already been of recycled to death in Asian cinema  
 
Hideo Nakata didn't direct the Hollywood remake of Dark Water as was the case of the creepy original but make no mistake about it, his stylistic fingerprints are all over this effort. Unfortunately this helps as much as it hinders. Let me explain. The original 2002 Dark Water was an effective ghost story with all the now standard eerie J-Horror moments that we've come to know and love, it was nicely paced and built towards a satisfying dénouement. Walter Salles, this adaptation's director, was essentially given simple marching orders--replicate what made the original such a hit. Walter Salles is a skilled director so having him play celluloid mimic was as much as disservice to him as it was to the audience. This remake was the equivalent of a McMovie in that it looked like the original but failed to capture its soul.

~

If you're a film fan and you see one film and then you see its afterimage you do not leave with a feeling of satisfaction because you've been shortchanged somehow of something possibly ambitious or different. A remake should be departure in form and not spirit, it should take the original as a point of inspiration and be its own beast. The Hollywood remake of The Ring learned this lesson well. That lesson was not learned here. Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly and the rest of the great cast serve their parts well in this dark drama but it would be deceiving to state that anybody here excelled beyond their normal range. IF you've never seen a ghost story or any J-Horror gimmick then MAYBE this remake might chill you but this being the digital communication age the odds of anyone being that cinematically isolated is rather improbable. Respectable effort but only effective on the most marginal and neophyte of audiences. As always the original overshadows the echo.
Pedro Eggers
August 29, 2009

Murky waters.  
 
Dark Water is somewhat of a red-herring. We are thought to believe we are going to see a Japanese influenced, American-adapted horror film, especially since the writer also wrote the Ring. Needless to say, it was mildly jarring, if at that. And I'm being generous. There is no build up, no tension, no eerie quality to it. Actually it kind of reminds me of the grimy attributes of Seven, that's it.

I must say though, the cast is pretty adept and believable throughout. Jennifer Connelly is always a treat to watch. She's heads above the rest of her peers in most things she's involved in. Tim Roth is convincing as usual as is John C Reilly. The real find here is the little girl. I had seen her on Jay Leno and she sparkles. She's gonna go far.

All this to say, I've seen better. Surely, I've seen worse. But with calibre of cast and writer attached to this movie I was expecting way more. Rent it, but don't expect to be scared, just mildly jolted.
Angelo Vernucci
 {9 votes}
 September 14, 2005

Disappointing and Typical American Ending  
 
Although the acting by all is top notch and there are some chilling moments of anticipation, once again a fine horror film falls prey to the stereotypical American ending. As a result, it makes you wonder why you wasted your hard-earned dollars, precious little free time and gave up your stress hormones to what turns out to be a "yawn" in the end.

At various times too one has difficulty in discerning whether it is all the horrors are figments of the very vulnerable and disturbed, abused child-mind of the great Jennifer Connelly, viewed through numerous flashbacks, or if it they are truly happening in the now. For a while you care which of these is accurate, and after a bit it no longer matters.

The male actors are super, as is the little girl, but all the fine acting does not redeem a poorly edited film witha band-aid end plastered on...
Joyce Ostroff
 {23 votes}
 July 22, 2005

The *original* pre-emptive critique of..."Dark Water"  
 
Hideo Nakata strikes again! Well, by proxi and Hollywood adaptation if nothing else anyways...

<<>>

Once again the creative starvation that's seemingly affected Hollywood since forever has nudged it to adapt another of Hideo Nakata's past oeuvres, in this case his "Honogurai mizu no soko kara" from 2002. That's "Dark Water" to the rest of you, by the way. His talent for capturing eerie moments and building creepy momentum while telling the story is already quite established and was there in full force in the cultish original so it was inevitable that Hollywood would try to echo that success sooner rather than later. Hideo Nakata isn't directing this one like he did the cool & creepy original that was a smash at Fantasia a few years back but I'd be terribly surprised if the studio suits didn't impress upon Walter Salles, this adaptation's director, to take more than a few pages from the original's shooting script. If you've seen the trailer then you've already got a sense that this has somewhat already happened. If this reassures or disappoints you, depends on your perspective.

<<>>

Once again, Jennifer Connelly finds herself in a dark drama, which frankly is the element she shines in best. She hasn't done anything less than stellar work even when the projects themselves sucked but that's a discussion for another day. Plus hey, she's easy on the eyes. Will this have "Ring" level success? I'm not sure but given the killer cast and creepy premise it's at least got my interest piqued, which I really can't say for a lot of movie these days. Sure, I'd highly suggest you view the cool original before watching this movie but I'm assuming that that went without saying.
Pedro Eggers
 {73 votes}
 May 31, 2005

Levitra  
 
Erectile dysfunction, levitra online, 153070, [URL=http://www.levitrausaonline.com/]levitra online[/URL], ();(, http://www.levitrausaonline.com/ Levitra, hyrq.
Levitra Levitra
October 14, 2009

Viagra  
 
Sildenafil citrate, viagra, 60894, [URL=http://clubs.uci.edu/jumpstart/bbpress/profile.php?id=31]viagra[/URL], ;(:)8, http://clubs.uci.edu/jumpstart/bbpress/profile.php?id=31 Viagra, pnxazx.
Viagra Viagra
October 2, 2009

I agree with the top statement...  
 
This film did have a somewhat eerie feeling to it, but it did lack a little suspense. That could be as simple as footsteps above her in apartment 10F but I guess you can't hear anything when you're apartment is flooded...lol. Still it had it's moments (feeling bad for what Jennifer Connelly goes through in the custody battle and the bath scene at the end with the girl)...kind of gave it a similar feel like "The changeling" (1979) a bit.

I think what i really didn't believe was the girl drowning in the water reservoir and her hair getting sucked into the drain in Connelly's apartment or the fact the little girl's parents seemingly cared so little for their un-accounted for daughter (whichever parent took the kid after their split). This is more like a one time viewing material.
Ger Madden
September 8, 2006

All wet  
 
Jennifer Connelly plays a young mother who is forced to rent a run down appartment unit when her marraige breaks down. Something is not quite right of course, as a rather digusting looking ceiling stain lets us know that something sinister is afoot somewhere overhead. The daughter (who fans of the series Invasion will recognize) also begins having an imaginary friend her own age, and we eventually learn that a girl is missing who occupied the apartment above their own. The film attempts to be more of a psychological thriller than an outright horror piece, but unfortuneatly is too slow paced and predictable to be effective, and the ending rings false.
Brian Lindsay
July 3, 2006

Down came the rain and washed the spider out...  
 
Dark Water falls in line with many of the other Japanese movie remakes (i.e. The Ring and the Grudge): it's eerie, semi-slow, dark and features a small kid with unnaturally large eyes. Jennifer Connelly plays the mother who moves in with her daughter into a run-down apartment building during a custody dispute and bitter divorce. Unfortunately, they are targeted by a ghost that had previously dwelled in the complex. Dark Water is a pretty good movie in terms of Japanese remakes. It doesn't just delve into the supernatural, but also deals with realistic human issues such as matrimonial problems, children issues with moving, adaptation to new schools, child abuse and custody fights. This movie has more of a plot and gives you a deeper connection with the mother and daughter. In the end I really like this movie because it was more than just a horror/scary movie as it had an actual story to it. The acting was very good: Jennifer Connelly really carries the film, but the little girl who plays Cecilia was just really cute. This movie is less spooky than you would expect but has more content.
Reena Tabing
June 25, 2006

The Ghost...  
 
Never really wanted to watch this movie at the theatre however we rented the DVD and thought it wasn't bad, wouldn't have paid money at the movies for this one but DVD not bad. It is about a woman who is in a divorce battle for her daughter and needs to get an apartment fast and cheap so they rent this creepy apartment soon to find out that it is haunted by this little girl who's spirit won't rest until... anyhow it is worth renting was good entertainment for a couple of hours. The little girl who plays the daughter is Ariel Gade who also plays in the movie "Invasion" series every week didn't know that she had ever started in any movie and I thought she played her part quite well.
Pamela Osi
 {1 vote}
 January 22, 2006

Boring re-make of the Ring  
 
From the previews this movie looked really scary and freaky! I almost went to see it in the theather but didn't have time and rented it instead. I would have wasted my money by going to the theather. Don't even bother renting it. It was so long and boring and looked like a cheap version of the Ring. The only good thing about the movie was the cute little girl who actually does a very good job. The story line is slow to follow and the movie doesn't pick up until the last 15 minutes when the "scary" stuff starts happening and then it overs and your left wondering why did I just waste 2 hours on this crap. Do not rent it save your money!
Jaimie Hay
 {1 vote}
 January 7, 2006

Dark Water  
 
I was expecting a lot more from this film.

The actors did an amazing job but the story line left much to be desired.

As a "horror" movie, this film was way to predictable. I am one of those annoying people that jump in their seat or let out a small yip during the high climactic scenes. I don't recall any of those moments in this film.

It would have been nice if one of the special features on the DVD would have been the original Japanese version. I'll look for it in my local video stores and hope for the best.
Alex Benjamin
January 5, 2006

Scary  
 
This movie about a young mother moving to Roosevelt Island with her daughter will keep you on the edge of your seat. Dark Water is scary and filled with suspense. The only problem is that there are a few story lines which they forgot to elaborate on and it leaves the viewer with questions at the end of the movie. The acting was good and plot interesting apart from a few unanswered questions.
Manon Murray
January 2, 2006

Almost the same as the original  
 
Dark Water is now out on video. I rented it tonight and it is pretty close to the original Japanese version, but less creepy. I wouldn't classify it as a horror movie or suspense movie because it's not scary enough. On the other hand, I already knew what to expect after seeing the original. I didn't care for the added subplots about the lawyer and the ex-husband fighting over Cecilia.
Sue Michal
December 29, 2005

Nothing happened  
 
I could hardly wait for this movie to come out, since being such big fans of "The Ring." On the positive side, Dark Water was full of suspense and low on gore. I remember only one swear word. The movie also had the eerie atmosphere of "The Ring." There was also a good lesson about being a responsible parent. On the other hand, the beginning was good; it slowly built the suspense and kept you on the edge of your seat. But I was amazed when I saw the credits-how could the movie be over when nothing really scary had happened? There wasn't a scary climax, not like in "The Ring." I felt cheated. Almost two hours of suspense building for nothing!
Brydon eleni
 {3 votes}
 September 4, 2005

Not recommended  
 
The best way to describe this movie was weak. It had no plot, no chills, and no tension what-so-ever. To be honest, Jennifer Connely did a good job, but there was nothing there for her to do. John C. Reilly was good as the shady landlord, but once again, his character went nowhere. Tim Roth was good as well, and his character was never explained. This was a horror movie without horror. a scary movie without any scares. a mystery without any mystery. anyone that has ever seen a ghost story before will know immediately that the backpack the daughter finds and where it is found is directly correlated to the central "mystery" of the film. Overall, not recommended.
Jiang Hao
 {2 votes}
 September 3, 2005

Dark Water  
 
This is a horror movie that is finally worthy enough to call a horror movie. The movie is very dark and let's in no type of humor, which is good. The story is about a family who moves into an apartment building. The mother and daughter start to see giant water stains coming from upstairs, the problem with that is no one lives up there. The story has a highly dark tone. The scares are genuine and very real. The movie can make a heart drop. The acting was very good. Jennifer Connely gives her best performance since "A Beautiful Mind". She gives a really dark performance that sends shivers up one's spine. The director seemed to know what he was doing and gave us some good shots and, hopefully, more to look forward to. The visuals, sad to say, sucked. The water and ghostly images were very fake and not as real as I would of hoped for. The movie, overall, was a great entry into the horror genre. This is a movie that will leave you jumping ten feet into the air.
Helen Lin
 {2 votes}
 September 2, 2005

Dark Water or The Ring?  
 
I went to see this movie since it was showing at theater where the tickets are very cheap, and wanted to see it althought lots of my friends were saying to not bother. Just to start, not sure if most people thought this would be an horror movie, but it's almost what the trailer seem to be suggesting, but this should actually be more a thriller/drama. I was very please with the story in general, I thought there was some ressemblance with The Ring, a child that died comes back to haunt this woman and her girl, to try to get them to find out how she was kill, so she can rest in peace. In all I think this was a great movie, and plus it's not like most of American movies, it doesnt really have an happy ending, but a very good one. If you like good thriller, in the same genre as The Ring, you will like this one, but not as spooky as The Ring, and I insist in saying this is not an horror movie but really a thriller.
Rejean Roy
 {2 votes}
 September 2, 2005

How does it compare to the original?  
 
I had never even heard of the American version of Dark Water. I just rented the Japanese original, Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara (2002), which was pretty creepy, but had a lot in comon with Ringu (ghost girls, long hair, creepy locomotion, electronic surveillance, drowning, water, etc.)

Does this 2005 version have identical plot? Is it in theaters now?
Sue Michal
August 20, 2005

Not a pure horror  
 
Still a good movie to watch. I got caught on the story from the beginning. But if you are looking for a real scare like "The Ring", then don't go. The storyline is nothing new: a young girl is left behind and drowned. She wants a mother so she comes back to haunt. The acting is excellent with Jennifer Connelly playing the mother on the verge of mental breakdown and Pete Postlethwaite as the superintendent. The atmosphere and sound are there but the plot ruins everything. The ending is a bit weak. It lacks the creepiness that the original Japanese version had. Wait for a scary moment to come, and it doesn't.
Zhiying Shao
 {3 votes}
 August 5, 2005

A good movie ...  
 
When I was going to see this movie, my first idea was that it was just going to be almost exactly like "The Ring". In a way though, it kind of was. It had many similarities yet several differences. I enjoyed this movie..it kept me interested and was very suspensful! Also, I liked this movie because it's not just a plot-less horror film, but a deep, emotional thriller. If you are looking for a movie that will scare your pants off this is not for you. It is falsely-labeled as a horror, but in truth, it is a drama. A very good drama.
Yasmine Alloul
 {6 votes}
 July 14, 2005

Dark Water runs low  
 
As someone else here has said, Jennifer Connelly is the perfect actress for this movie. Too bad the movie isn't anywhere close to perfect.

I've seen the original and despite the flaws I can sit back and tell you that it works beautifully. Can't do that here. Connelly is great and really sells the movie but everything else in the movie feels like it's on auto-pilot. There are no fright or chills and you'd have to be really blind not to figure out what's going on here. Rent the original, avoid the remake!
Eric Bertrand
 {4 votes}
 July 10, 2005

Dark Water: A Review  
 
Something that i got a hard time understanding is this obsession to remake every Japanese horror movie ever made. I also don't understand what is the point of seeing water and ghost of lost children in every one of them. Is it because in Japan, they thing that seeing water coming out of nowhere or seeing a ghost of a dead child is scary. Personally, i don't think it's scary. I didn't think it was scary in "The Grudge" or "The ring 2" and i still don't think it's scary in this one.

In my mind i think it would be time to stop doing remake of Japanese horror movie because it's becoming like a very stale formula right now and it's just a waste of time, money and talent for a sub-par movie. This movie is more or less a rental and it's not worth going to the theatres and paid 13$ to go see.
Martin Rioux
 {3 votes}
 July 10, 2005

Dark Water!!!!!!  
 
At an advanced screening of "Dark Water", I saw Jennifer Connelly,this Oscar winning actress in her new horror film that was based on a popular Japanese film that I had not seen.This remake,with one of Hollywood's great actress,was one of the reasons I went to the screening. The movie itself had many haunting chilling scenes;such as the leaking ceiling,bathtub incident,laundry scene and many weird events. The acting of the little girl was quite good,especially the finale,with those tears that show us that she will be a future star in the movie business. Definitely,not a movie for all to see,but do wait for video rental!!
Vicky Parisella
 {4 votes}
 July 6, 2005

Not impressed  
 
I saw the original version of this movie last summer at Fantasia Fest and was not really impressed. I won't tell you the punch, but it could be seen miles away. From what I have seen of the previews, the remake seems to be almost identical to the original, which means I will wait to see it on DVD.

If you like that kind of movie, you should try to catch an original version at Fantasia Fest this July, it might be worth your money a lot more.
Daniel Leduc
 {7 votes}
 June 29, 2005

The Jennifer Connelly factor  
 
Jennifer Connelly. I'll repeat it: Jennifer Connelly. I'm sorry but this woman is not only an incredible actress who's done just about every genre but she damn hot to look at at. I remember watching the original movie and if this remake can be half as good I'll be impressed. This should kill with genre fans and critics alike if it's as good as the trailers look like.
Vladimir Joseph
 {2 votes}
 June 17, 2005

Shallow Water  
 
This film had potential, except for the fact that it was not scary and was not consistent. I felt that the plot was not well developed and there were gaps missing within the story line. The audience had to keep guessing and making up their own story line just to keep up with the rediculous idea that Jennifer Connelly's character gave up her life to spare her daughter's. Sorry for ruining the ending, but in my opinion I just saved and hour and fourty five minutes of your life.
Jason Edelstein
August 31, 2005

Dark Water Just Okay  
 
This movie is what I would call mediocre. I can't say it was bad but I can't say it was good either. It was just in the middle. I expected more and have to admit to being a little disappointed. Jennifer Connelly does a decent job but the script needs to be worked on.

I don't care for these remakes of Japanese movies. Soemthing seems to be lost in the translation.
Selena Lobo
 {2 votes}
 July 21, 2005

 
 
Something really different happen to this movie...The direction was given to a brazilian director, Walter Salles, someone who is making his space in the movie industry. Not because of a super production or special effects, but because of a great work. I think we can`t expect less than a nice work. Jennifer Connelly maybe is the perfect actress for the movie, she has a great facial expression...Maybe if people don`t go to the movies thinking that they will see "The Ring" they are going to like it.

Walmor Santos
 {3 votes}
 June 26, 2005

On pins and needles for dark water  
 
I finally saw the trailer for this movie the other day and that made me want to see the original Japanese version first. Probably not the brightest idea, now I know exactly what going to happen in the remake but if its half as good I'll be very pleased. Jennifer Connelly is always nice to see on the big screen and this is no different. Should be good.
Daryl Campbell
 {9 votes}
 June 2, 2005

Dark water  
 
After seeing the trailer , i can say that this movie doesn't look that good. In fact, the only thing it got going for it is a Academy award winning actress in Jennifer Connelly who looks like she was force into this movie. We will see if this movie is good or not when it's release this summer but for what i saw, i doesn't look good.
Martin Rioux
 {9 votes}
 May 3, 2005


Write your review!
please follow these guidelines
Information requested in blue will remain confidential   [privacy policy]
Please indicate your real first and last names.
First name : 
 
Last name : 
 
Your email : 
 
Confirm your email : 


Title of your review (max. 150 characters)

 
Your review (max. 2000 characters)

 available characters

You have seen this movie ?
What rating do you give to this movie ?


 
 
 
LIMIT PER PERSON : one comment before the movie and one review after. Thank you.

Your review will be read by our approval team and, if it is approved, will be posted on the website within 24 hours. It could also be published, along with your name, in the printed version of Xpress magazine and on any of our partner websites. In order to present the highest quality of reviews, Xpress reserves the right to refuse certain submissions. Any plagiarism will entail the entire removal of the member’s profile.
Hour and Xpress are not responsible for the opinions expressed by the members.


 

Subscribe
  
 Report a mistake
  
 Classifieds
  
 Jobs at XPress
  
 Contact us
  
 Advertise with us
© 2006, Communications Voir inc. All rights reserved.