The Block Island Sound
A grieving island family confronts a silent offshore force that turns fishing routines, memory, and human behavior into sources of cosmic dread.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- paranoid
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- stormy evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an atmospheric, inventive slow-burn science fiction horror story, while noting that viewers seeking graphic monster horror may find it restrained.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The islanders confront an unexplained offshore influence whose scale and motives remain unknowable.
Block Island's physical separation and surrounding sea intensify the family's vulnerability and uncertainty.
Tom's violent outbursts, blackouts, hallucinations, and memory loss invite competing explanations.
The fishing anomalies, blackouts, conspiracy theories, and reports of strange behavior encourage an escalating search for connections.
Films like The Block Island Sound, and why
The Lighthouse
shared slow burn cosmic horror, isolated coastal setting, and mounting ambiguity about an unseen influence
The Vast of Night
shared atmospheric science fiction horror, family danger, and unsettling contact with an unknowable force
The Mothman Prophecies
shared grief-stricken protagonists, paranoid investigation, and psychological dread surrounding possible extraterrestrial phenomena
The Beach House
shared Lovecraftian unease, remote community setting, and gradually escalating supernatural threat
Movie Details
- Directors
- Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus
- Release Date
- 2021-03-11
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (274)
Cast
- Chris Sheffield
- Michaela McManus
- Neville Archambault
- Matilda Lawler
- Ryan O'Flanagan
- Jim Cummings
- Heidi Niedermeyer
- Jeremy Holm
- Willie C. Carpenter
- Matthew Lawler
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Block Island Sound about?
- A grieving island family confronts a silent offshore force that turns fishing routines, memory, and human behavior into sources of cosmic dread.
- What is The Block Island Sound like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Block Island Sound as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Block Island Sound violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Block Island Sound as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Block Island Sound?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an atmospheric, inventive slow-burn science fiction horror story, while noting that viewers seeking graphic monster horror may find it restrained.
- Which films are like The Block Island Sound?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lighthouse, The Vast of Night, The Mothman Prophecies, and The Beach House.
- How long is The Block Island Sound?
- The Block Island Sound runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Block Island Sound?
- In United States, The Block Island Sound is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
