This Australian thriller delivers some real scares while cranking up the tension. A couple (Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman) seeking solitude on their yacht picks up a stranger (Billy Zane) who is the only survivor of a damaged boat. While Neill goes to the slowly sinking boat in hopes of repairing it, the stranger sails off with Kidman, leaving her to deal with him as he becomes increasingly violent. Their solitude becomes a nightmare as they are unable to call for help, and unable to escape. The movie cuts between their predicaments as the tension becomes almost unbearable.
Dead Calm
***published September 4, 2000