“★★★★★ – Fun, scary, and suspenseful from start to finish.” -Cole Smithey

Easily the tensest, twistiest, tastiest suspense film from the late-’80s/early-’90s domestic thriller boom, Philip Noyce’s DEAD CALM is a three-hander at sea, a sexy, dangerous shocker set amidst the wide-open beauty of the Coral Sea. Starring Nicole Kidman in a star-making role as a grieving mother and Sam Neill as her sailor-captain husband who become embroiled in a drama of mystery, high emotions and extreme danger when they encounter a stranger (Billy Zane) on the high seas. Kidman, Neill and Zane are all in top form here — if you thought Zane was a skeezy creep in Titanic, wait’ll you see him here! — and the crackling script (based on a novel by Charles Williams, which Orson Welles spent years trying and failing to adapt) can’t help but pull you deep into its web of high-toned mystery. This “spare, smart, seductive piece of moviemaking with enough tension to keep us all hyperventilating for hours” (Los Angeles Times) is going to kill with a crowd. Now, watch out for that harpoon!

This film is screening as part of Arkadin’s March-long series, Disruptive Guests, featuring films where visitors from other countries, other worlds, and other socioeconomic statuses upend domestic normalcy.

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.