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Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Tim Roth, Dougray Scott, Pete Postlethwaite ... see more see more... , Camryn Manheim , Ariel Gade , Perla Haney-Jardine , Bill Buell , Elina Löwensohn , Debra Monk , Simon Reynolds , J.R. Horne , Alison Sealy-Smith , Diego Fuentes , Jennifer Baxter , Linda Emond , Warren Belle , Mums , Matt Lemcke , Kate Hewlett , Zoe Heath , Edward Kennington

Directed by Walter Salles Jr., this remake of Hideo Nakata's supernatural psychological drama Honogurai Mizuno Soko Kara revolves around the plight of a single mother (Jennifer Connelly) whose messy d... read more read more...ivorce and subsequent battle for the custody of her five-year-old daughter is taking a heavy toll on her emotional well-being. Ultimately, the mother and daughter are able to relocate to an apartment, which, despite its excessively dilapidated interior, seems to be an adequate location for beginning a new life. Before long, however, what appears to be the spirit of a young girl begins to haunt them. No stranger to mental illness, the wary young woman brushes the visions aside as part of the inherent stress of making the transition from housewife to working, single mom. As time goes by and the apparent haunting does not subside, the apartment's new residents are forced to examine the history of its former tenants. Dark Water also features performances from John C. Reilly, Tim Roth, and Dougray Scott. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Flixster Users

37% liked it

150,218 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

149 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Walter Salles

Release Date: July 8, 2005

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DVD Release Date: December 26, 2005

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Stats: 4,713 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,713)

  • spielberg00
    August 12, 2011
    spielberg00
    DARK WATER is a bit formulaic, but it's a great, intense, complex horror/thriller cross (something we clearly see a lot of nowadays) with a mutual connection to THE RING as well as just enough scares to leave you satisfied by the end of the picture.
  • thmtsang
    July 9, 2011
    thmtsang
    Psychological thriller starring Jennifer Connolly. After a nasty divorce and custody battle of her daughter, they move to an old apartment which is haunted.
  • fb1463751009
    September 18, 2010
    fb1463751009
    DUN DUN, DUN DUN, DUN DUN.... the end.
  • EightThirty
    July 14, 2010
    EightThirty
    15/07/2010 (DVD)

    This is not your typical "BOO!!" type of horror but more of a psychological "mess with your head" flick.

    I personally enjoyed the original Japanese version more than this but it was cool to see the westernized serving of this dish.

    A story of struggle, confusi... read moreon and madness. Not bad.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    May 28, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    i sort of liked this movie i liked its twists and turns and is an alrght movie!
  • deano
    May 16, 2010
    deano
    This US film of 2002 Japanese version remake does strike the right chords more often than not, and provides a lot of touching, sad moments. The acting is wonderful and three dimensional. All of the cast does an excellent job, but especially Jennifer Connelly, who proves once more... read more she is the best American actress working today. The cinematography and the art design are beautiful, with a lot of attention to atmosphere. Also, Walter Salles shows some neat directing techniques in playing with the viewer's minds, making us doubt what's real and what's imaginary, and giving visual expression to the heroine's ever deteriorating state of mind.
    Horror remake of Japanese 2002's Honogurai mizu no soko kara (aka Dark Water).
  • lewiskendell
    November 23, 2009
    lewiskendell
    Dark Water isn't very frightening, but its main focus is never really on trying to scare the viewer. It tries to be more of a psychological movie, by tackling issues like parental neglect and abandonment. Does it succesfully explore those themes? Not entirely, but I give the movi... read moree credit for trying. Plus, it's nice to see an actress like Jennifer Connelly doing this kind of film.
  • middleeasternfilms
    August 21, 2009
    middleeasternfilms
    Even the awesome cast (Reilly, Roth, Postelwaite, Connelly, Scott) can't save this thing. A bit confusing and not even interesting enough to keep my attention. Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but definitely not onw of the best.
  • kiriyamakazou
    July 13, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    I guess I've put off watching this for so long because of all the pointless remakes that are churned out. I only watch them if I am in a hateful mood, something to direct my anger at. It's a stress reliever. Dark Water is very different though. Although it follows the same path S... read morealles has done an extraordinary thing in his translation. He has removed all the horror and simply gone with a drama. This is Kramer vs. Kramer with a ghost girl as a subplot. He merges the strands well, having the haunting gradually destroy Connelly's chances of custody of her daughter. It makes for excellent viewing even if it will let down those expecting a horror. Nakata went for a bit of emotion and a lot of horror. Salles has beefed up a lot of supporting roles and managed to explore them in the most simple of ways. He certainly understands the idea of telling a story through pictures. Roth is brilliant and is handed such little nuggets as working from his car and lying about being married before sitting down in an empty cinema. If there was a version with the emotion of this and the horror of the original, it would be a perfect film. Both current versions are excellent films that show how a different interpretation doesn't need to result in a carbon copy remake.
  • flixsterman
    May 16, 2009
    flixsterman
    ...proving once again that Hollywood can take a really good Japanese movie and screw it all up.

View All Dark Water Reviews

Critic Reviews

Ed Halter
July 12, 2005
Ed Halter, Village Voice

It fails to deliver the narrative thrill twists its origins would promise. Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
July 8, 2005
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Like so many recent thrillers of this ilk, many of them in some way exploiting the 'innocence' of childhood -- the dumb and unpleasant Hide and Seek springs to mind -- Dark Water falls apart in the wi... Full Review

Ann Hornaday
July 8, 2005
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

A tasteful but unremitting bummer and yet one more case of an Oscar-winning actress proving that she can still do the kinds of disposable movies big awards are supposedly meant to banish from your rés... Full Review

Claudia Puig
July 8, 2005
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Dark Water has more substance and a more interesting look than many horror films, but the familiar elements of the story disappoint. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
July 8, 2005
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Working from a premise that's not only thin but transparent, Salles struggles mightily to generate tension in any other way possible. Full Review

David Edelstein
July 8, 2005
David Edelstein, Slate

This is an eerie, relentlessly grim, invasive little movie -- a tone poem of despair that seeps into you like the damp. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
July 8, 2005
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It's not bad, horrible or embarrassing; it just doesn't completely add up or send people out feeling like they've seen something special. Full Review

Roger Moore
July 8, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's so lacking in heartfelt frights or cheap scares that the few real hair-raising moments, in the finale, don't pay off. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
July 8, 2005
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

It's good to see [Salles] getting a chance to direct in Hollywood, and pleasant to have a scary movie that features adults and a fine, vulnerable actress. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
July 8, 2005
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Walter Salles' haunted-apartment thriller Dark Water doesn't sink like a stone, but for a movie with such a pedigreed director and a cast headed by Jennifer Connelly, it doesn't exactly float much abo...

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Dark Water Trivia

  • which actress has been in all of the following movies: The Labyrinth, Dark water, Requiem for a Dream, and A Beautiful Mind?  Answer »
  • What missing word connects the following films? ____ Water Dancer In The ____ ____ City ____ Crystal ????  Answer »
  • Which three movies are based on previous Japanese productions?  Answer »
  • What kind of ghost haunts Jennifer Connely in Dark Water?  Answer »
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