Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- earnest
- sweeping
- historical film night
- reflective evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found Russell Crowe’s lead performance compelling but judged his directorial debut uneven and historically incomplete.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joshua Connor travels to Turkey to locate his three sons after they are reported missing at Gallipoli.
Joshua forms an alliance with Turkish officer Major Hasan while searching across the postwar landscape.
The film’s portrayal of Turks as victims drew criticism for omitting the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocides.
Joshua’s search moves through the devastated terrain of postwar Turkey and former battle sites.
Films like The Water Diviner, and why
Testament of Youth
shared post World War I setting, grief-driven journey, and historically grounded drama
The Ottoman Lieutenant
shared wartime aftermath, cross-cultural reconciliation, and emotionally earnest historical drama
The Railway Man
shared fatherly grief, battlefield memory, and a search through the consequences of war
Gallipoli
shared Gallipoli context, Australian national memory, and intimate human consequences of military conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Russell Crowe
- Release Date
- 2014-12-25
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1364)
Cast
- Russell Crowe
- Olga Kurylenko
- Yılmaz Erdoğan
- Cem Yılmaz
- Jai Courtney
- Ryan Corr
- James Fraser
- Ben O'Toole
- Steve Bastoni
- Salih Kalyon
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Water Diviner about?
- A grieving Australian farmer crosses postwar Turkey to recover the truth about his missing sons and finds fragile bonds with former enemies.
- What is The Water Diviner like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Water Diviner as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Water Diviner violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Water Diviner as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Water Diviner?
- Critics broadly found Russell Crowe’s lead performance compelling but judged his directorial debut uneven and historically incomplete.
- Which films are like The Water Diviner?
- Films with a similar feel include Testament of Youth, The Ottoman Lieutenant, The Railway Man, and Gallipoli.
- How long is The Water Diviner?
- The Water Diviner runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Water Diviner?
- In United States, The Water Diviner is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
