The Deep End (2001) (Film Review)

The Deep End (2001) I recently saw a film with Goran Visnjic – Close your eyes (2002) – and a film with Tilda Swinton – The Killer (2023) – and I thought why not watch a film with both of them! 😀 That’s how I came across this film. Tilda Swinton in the lead role of a not too bad film. Or is it? In fact, the film is OK on the whole, the actors are good, but not necessarily in every scene, the plot is interesting. But too many scenes drag on and make the pace of the film rather sluggish.

The Deep End gets off to a pretty good start and the first half of the film proves very enjoyable to follow, the premise being fairly classic, but effective, just like the mise-en-scène. Then, as soon as Goran Visnjic’s character enters the equation, the story completely falls apart, as if the directors, David Siegel & Scott Mcgehee, had to wrap it all up in 24 hours, the plot becomes far-fetched and the narrative chaotic. This pseudo-thriller, at times grotesque and not at all tense, ends up freewheeling on a vulgar, pointless blackmail mechanism.

The Deep End is an intriguing thriller that starts out very cold and sober, with the director playing up the blue colours. Unfortunately, the screenplay is not very gripping. Tilda Swinton is touching as a courageous mother who exudes an unusual tenderness. She struggles to save her son, but quite badly, to tell the truth. She complicates a situation to cover up an accident that could have compromised her offspring, Jonathan Tucker, who, by the way, is relatively insignificant. The film is a little dated and homosexuality is no longer so much of a taboo, fortunately. To watch if you’ve got nothing else to get your teeth into. But it’s far from essential.

My Rating