Overview
Amidst the turbulent waters of tradition, a young widow seeks freedom and love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- lyrical
- harrowing
- compassionate
- reflective evening
- world cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a compassionate, beautifully photographed, lyrical work of social criticism with strong performances and complex storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story unfolds in British colonial India in 1938, alongside Gandhi's political influence.
The widows' ashram confines women through tradition, religious teaching, and economic exploitation.
The sacred Ganges, monsoon water, and idyllic surroundings contrast with the widows' impoverished existence.
Chuyia, Kalyani, and Shakuntala each confront exclusion and constrained choices within the ashram system.
Films like Water, and why
The Color Purple
socially engaged historical drama centered on women resisting oppressive religious and patriarchal customs
The House of Spirits
lyrical period drama combining feminist social criticism with intimate emotional storytelling
Earth
compassionate South Asian drama about gender, tradition, and marginalized women
The Piano
beautifully composed historical drama exposing institutionalized gender inequality
Movie Details
- Director
- Deepa Mehta
- Release Date
- 2005-11-04
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (128)
Cast
- Seema Biswas
- Lisa Ray
- John Abraham
- Sarala
- Manorama
- Vidula Javalgekar
- Raghubir Yadav
- Kulbhushan Kharbanda
- Vinay Pathak
- Gerson Da Cunha
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Water about?
- A luminous and harrowing period drama follows three women confronting the cruelty of widowhood and inherited religious tradition in colonial India.
- What is Water like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Water as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Water violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Water as mild.
- What did critics think of Water?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a compassionate, beautifully photographed, lyrical work of social criticism with strong performances and complex storytelling.
- Which films are like Water?
- Films with a similar feel include The Color Purple, The House of Spirits, Earth, and The Piano.
- How long is Water?
- Water runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Water?
- In United States, Water is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple TV Store.
