Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- sardonic
- grisly
- paranoid
- dark comedy night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an endearingly grisly black comedy weakened by thin writing, uneven tone, and unreliable chemistry among its leads.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nathalie and the other characters repeatedly hide and attempt to dispose of Kent's body, turning panic into grisly comic escalation.
Nathalie wakes after drinking to find Kent dead and must reconstruct the night's events while the truth remains uncertain.
The vacationing judge, his young wife, and their socially insulated circle respond to murder through panic, jealousy, and self-preservation.
The family's isolated summer home limits escape while the characters investigate and conceal the death.
Films like Head Above Water, and why
Very Bad Things
darkly comic murder mystery, marital suspicion, and escalating attempts to conceal a death
Ruthless People
black comedy built around accidental death, panic, and increasingly chaotic cover-up schemes
The Last Seduction
comic suspense driven by sexual secrets, deception, and unstable relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Jim Wilson
- Release Date
- 1996-11-07
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (169)
Cast
- Harvey Keitel
- Cameron Diaz
- Craig Sheffer
- Billy Zane
- Shay Duffin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Head Above Water about?
- A vacationing judge and his young wife scramble through an island murder cover-up when a dead former lover turns their getaway into a paranoid comic nightmare.
- What is Head Above Water like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Head Above Water as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Head Above Water violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Head Above Water as mild.
- What did critics think of Head Above Water?
- Critics broadly found the film an endearingly grisly black comedy weakened by thin writing, uneven tone, and unreliable chemistry among its leads.
- Which films are like Head Above Water?
- Films with a similar feel include Very Bad Things, Ruthless People, and The Last Seduction.
- How long is Head Above Water?
- Head Above Water runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Head Above Water?
- In United States, Head Above Water streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
