The Deep End poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Jonathan Tucker, Raymond J. Barry, Josh Lucas ... see more see more... , Peter Donat , Jordon Dorrance , Margot Krindel , Tamara Hope , Heather Mathieson (II)

A mother is drawn into a sinister web of blackmail while trying to protect her son in this drama. Margaret Hall (Tilda Swinton) is a wife and mother of three living in Lake Tahoe, whose husband is a N... read more read more...aval officer stationed in the Atlantic ocean. Margaret's oldest son, teenaged Beau (Jonathan Tucker), is gay and has become involved with Darby (Josh Lucas), a disreputable older man whom Margaret does not trust. Margaret confronts Darby and tells him to stay away from her son, but Darby isn't easily dissuaded, and he comes by the house late one night, leading to a fight between Beau and Darby. The next morning, Margaret discovers Darby's body on the beach, with an anchor piercing his chest. Not sure what to do, Margaret hauls Darby's body out to sea, and dumps it where she hopes it will not be found. Margaret tries to get her life back to normal, until a man named Alek (Goran Visnjic) appears at her door. Alek appears to know something about Darby's death, and he definitely knows about Beau's relationship with him; in fact, he has a videotape of Beau and Darby having sex, and he's prepared to make it public unless she'll pay him $50,000. Margaret is in no position to pay the money, but is desperate to protect her son and attempts to reason with Alek. Surprisingly enough, in time it works, and Alek withdraws his request for blackmail money. However, Nagle (Raymond Barry), a local crime boss whom Alek works for, is not nearly so generous. The Deep End was adapted from a novel by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding, The Blank Wall, which was previously filmed by Max Ophuls as The Reckless Moment. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

58% liked it

5,304 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

115 critics

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Scott McGehee, David Siegel

Release Date: August 15, 2001

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 16, 2002

Get It:

Stats: 274 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Tilda Swinton in The Deep End The Deep End
Upload a Photo | View All The Deep End Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (274)

  • neverteaseaweasel
    December 11, 2009
    neverteaseaweasel
    Tack up another winner for Tilda Swinton! She is an actress that never ceases to astound me. She is such a dominating force onscreen, but she never over acts or overdoes it. The story is really anything new, but amazingly enough its actually pretty confincing. The whole end with ... read moreGoran Visnjic's character was a bit far-fetched, but everything else seem completely plausible. That is not something that happens very often in Thrillers. Its tense and desperate, Swinton's role almost reminded me of Mellisa Leo's in Frozen River. It pretty visual, and there are some noir touches. I would not say that "The Deep End" and extraordinary or amazing, but it is really good. I was held captive through just about the whole thing, and that does not happen all that often- even with movies I like.
  • RCCLBC
    June 8, 2009
    RCCLBC
    Beautifully shot film.
    A fairly predictable story, made interesting by a great cast and solid performances.
    In an attempt to save her son from an "unsavory" relationship, Margaret (Swinton) unknowingly sets in motion a chain of events that slowly puts her entire family at risk.... read more And perhaps more interestingly puts her in a positon to better understand how we are sometimes attracted to people who we know are bad for us.
    Swinton is (as usual) amazing!
  • mrbungle7821
    February 24, 2006
    mrbungle7821
    [font=Arial][color=darkred]In the vast wasteland the summer has become of mediocrity and sub-mediocrity go to your local art house. There you may very well see ?The Deep End?, a dramatic thriller that burrows itself into the audience?s mind. The film is an absolute breath of fres... read moreh air in the stagnant summer finally winding down.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Tilda Swinton plays a normal mother living on the banks of Lake Tahoe. Her days usually consist of trying to ship her kids to school on time and handle the duties of the home in the long stretches her Naval officer husband is gone. She?s juggling responsibilities and chores when her first strike of maternal protection occurs. Her 17 year-old son is, to her great surprise, in a relationship with a sleazy man in his 30s. She discovered this when her son got into a serious car accident while this paramour was traveling with. The scene of the crash is replayed in flashbacks for Swinton as a motivational jump-start for her protection and love.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Swinton tells the man she doesn?t want him seeing her son any longer, but of course he refuses to desist? unless the price is right. This revelation sends her son to a late night confrontation at home that ends in the accidental death of the sleaze. Mom sees her son rush back into the house in the middle of the night and decides to go out and investigate. On her stroll to her horror she finds the dead body of her son?s lover. From that moment on something in her clicks and Swinton clumsily tries to hide the body and any evidence that could incriminate her own brood.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Just when Swinton believes her headaches are over a dark and handsome stranger (Goran Visnjic) visits her one day. He has within his possession a videotape of her son having explicit sex with the dead lover. He threatens to turn the tape into the police and thus destroy the peace Swinton has created. The video can be hers, but she must pay him and his unseen partner the sum of $50,000.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Swinton is best known as the gender-swapping title figure in ?Orlando? based upon Virginia?s Woolfe?s story. The Scottish actress has a wonderfully pallid face and soulful eyes that express every moment the determination and fear she wrestles with. Swinton gives a remarkable performance of pure emotion. She is a mother determined to protect her son and family at every cost, no matter the means. She is constantly in over her head but refuses to relent. Swinton?s portrayal is a woman running on maternal instinct and she herself is the very gravity that makes ?The Deep End? as great as it is.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Visnjic currently plays a Croatian doc on ?ER? but has a provocative presence in this flick. He?s got the smoldering good looks and his character opens up more and more as the tale progresses to strip away pretensions layer by layer.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]?The Deep End? is directed, writen, and produced by David Siegel and Scott McGehee, with only one other film to their credit all the way back in 1993. They inject their story with great moments of character and suspense but also have a terrific visual eye to create mood. The cinematography is lush and hypnotic with certain moments of exquisite beauty. Even the music adds to the feeling of the film unlike so many other accompanying scores. Every component of ?The Deep End? is just clicking.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]?The Deep End? is a luminously tight thriller with remarkable performances. They story has a few implausible moments but outweighs them with heapings of great dramatic depth. Swinton better be the first choice on everyone?s lips when the name of Oscar rolls about, because I doubt I?ll see a performance more elegant and wonderful as hers this year.[/color][/font]

    [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: A [/color][/font]
  • Nutterjr
    July 4, 2011
    Nutterjr
    A pleasant surprise. A thriller with more than one twists. Tilda Swinton is a delight to watch.
  • mvieaddict
    September 14, 2009
    mvieaddict
    Image and video hosting by TinyPicfor language, violence and some sex scenes.

    The Deep End was a marvelous thriller drama of a mother, played by Tilda Swinton, doing ... read moreanything to protect his son. And a blackmailer, played by Goran Visnjic. It's the relationship between the two that drives this movie, as Visnjic's character begins to change because of the decency and honesty he found in Swinton's character.The movie was interesting and well-acted. Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic they were all brilliant. Just love this movie.
  • SunilJawahir
    April 12, 2009
    SunilJawahir
    My favorite of Tilda Swinton's roles. It's dark but she's strong and I prefer it when she plays regular people.
  • jusstpete
    May 13, 2012
    jusstpete
    For the most part ... the filmmakers and performers invest a high level of intelligence and sympathy into The Deep End.
  • fb17026099
    November 12, 2011
    fb17026099
    As a thriller, it isn't that great. But as a sheer character study and an acting showcase, "The Deep End" is good stuff. Swinton gives a gripping performance as a mother trying to do what she can to keep her family together. This would include hiding the dead body of a man she su... read morespects was killed by her eldest son. This is where a lot of the suspense lies. McGehee and Siegel don't do a whole lot with it in terms of plot twists, but it does set up for a nice relationship between Swinton and Visnijic. Their interaction keeps the movie interesting even if the plot slowly loses its edge. "The Deep End" works thanks to its compelling characters. It just would have been nice if the storyline was better developed.
  • dredzag
    September 8, 2008
    dredzag
    Tilda Swinton does whatever it takes to protect her gay son after he accidently kills his boyfriend. A good thriller.
  • ben46975
    August 11, 2008
    ben46975
    The story of what a mother will go through to protect her son. Tilda Swinton is amazng in this movie!

View All The Deep End Reviews

Critic Reviews

Mark Caro
June 18, 2002
Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune

For the most part ... the filmmakers and performers invest a high level of intelligence and sympathy into The Deep End. Full Review

Steven Rosen
August 29, 2001
Steven Rosen, Denver Post

The Deep End is the year's best movie since Memento. Full Review

Tom Long
August 27, 2001
Tom Long, Detroit News

The Deep End does what too few films even attempt -- it takes an ordinary life and places it in an extraordinary situation just believable enough to be terrifying. Full Review

August 27, 2001
Houston Chronicle

The film ultimately fails, either because the premise is too absurd, or the execution isn't absurd enough. Full Review

Joe Baltake
August 24, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Takes the quiet, nonviolent approach to conjuring up thrills. Full Review

Jane Sumner
August 23, 2001
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News

Swinton mesmerizes as the desperate mother of three under siege. Full Review

James Berardinelli
August 23, 2001
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

An exceptionally involving and intelligent thriller. Full Review

David Edelstein
August 20, 2001
David Edelstein, Slate

Has a cool, glassy appeal -- but then, so does a fish tank. Full Review

Desson Thomson
August 17, 2001
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

An extraordinarily riveting drama.

Rita Kempley
August 17, 2001
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Superbly acted, strangely moving.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Young Adam
    Young Adam (67%)
  • Doubt
    Doubt (0%)
  • Perfect Strangers
    Perfect Strangers (0%)

More Movies like The Deep End

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Deep End : Watch Free on TV

The Deep End Trivia

  • How many people had survived at the end of 'Deep Blue Sea'?  Answer »
  • who was in batman returns,the deep end of the ocean,and up close and personal  Answer »
  • Which actress was in The Deep End, Vanilla Sky, Constantine, and The Beach ?  Answer »
  • in the movie, deep end of the ocean, how did the mom find her son?  Answer »
More The Deep End Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Deep End. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Deep End to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

debmm Skin by debmm
22 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins