Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- thoughtful
- tense
- serious movie night
- reflective weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film thoughtful and emotionally stirring, with Matt Damon's performance and its human focus praised despite concerns about its length, sprawling structure, and late thriller development.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bill's Oklahoma background collides with French language, institutions, customs, and family life in Marseille.
Bill travels to France and takes increasingly direct action after efforts to reopen Allison's case fail.
Bill's attempt to exonerate Allison is intertwined with his effort to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
The film centers grief, guilt, trauma, and imperfect attempts at repair alongside the murder case.
Films like Stillwater, and why
The Visitor
shared father daughter relationship, cross-cultural displacement, moral ambiguity, and grounded crime drama
The Next Three Days
shared themes of parental devotion, wrongful conviction, grief, and an ordinary person navigating unfamiliar institutions
The Secret in Their Eyes
shared international setting, family trauma, legal uncertainty, and a restrained character-focused thriller mode
Win Win
shared working-class protagonist, cross-cultural tension, and human drama intertwined with crime and social consequence
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom McCarthy
- Release Date
- 2021-07-29
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (1477)
Cast
- Matt Damon
- Camille Cottin
- Abigail Breslin
- Lilou Siauvaud
- Deanna Dunagan
- Moussa Maaskri
- Anne Le Ny
- Idir Azougli
- Naidra Ayadi
- Gilbert Traïna
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 Stillwater about?
- An unemployed Oklahoma father crosses a language and legal divide in Marseille to fight for his imprisoned daughter's innocence while trying to repair their broken bond.
- What is Stillwater like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Stillwater as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Stillwater violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Stillwater as mild.
- What did critics think of Stillwater?
- Critics generally found the film thoughtful and emotionally stirring, with Matt Damon's performance and its human focus praised despite concerns about its length, sprawling structure, and late thriller development.
- Which films are like Stillwater?
- Films with a similar feel include The Visitor, The Next Three Days, The Secret in Their Eyes, and Win Win.
- How long is Stillwater?
- Stillwater runs 139 minutes.
- Where can I watch Stillwater?
- In United States, Stillwater is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
