Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- paranoid
- stylized
- late night
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film slick and stylish, with Val Kilmer's performance praised, but considered its Tarantino-influenced genre flourishes derivative and overworked.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tom Van Allen and Danny Parker represent the protagonist's divided public identities as he navigates the drug underworld and pursues answers about his wife's murder.
The film combines methamphetamine culture, eccentric criminals, disorienting identity shifts, and heightened visual polish within a neo-noir crime structure.
Undercover narcotics agents antagonize Danny while dealer Pooh-Bear and the surrounding drug scene expose intertwined criminal and police abuses.
After his wife's murder, Danny uses methamphetamine users and an assumed identity to numb grief and pursue a dangerous private investigation.
Films like The Salton Sea, and why
Memento
Shares a slick neo-noir crime framework, identity games, drug-world corruption, and morally compromised characters.
The Machinist
Combines nonlinear mystery, fractured identity, stylized criminal underworlds, and psychologically unstable protagonists.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Offers a Tarantino-influenced crime atmosphere, violent eccentricity, drug culture, and darkly comic noir sensibility.
Narc
Shares paranoid neo-noir plotting, undercover identities, police corruption, and a grim psychological thriller tone.
Movie Details
- Director
- D.J. Caruso
- Release Date
- 2002-02-12
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (382)
Cast
- Val Kilmer
- Vincent D'Onofrio
- Adam Goldberg
- Luis Guzmán
- Doug Hutchison
- Anthony LaPaglia
- Glenn Plummer
- Peter Sarsgaard
- Deborah Kara Unger
- Chandra West
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 Salton Sea about?
- A grieving trumpet player adopts a dangerous second identity while infiltrating a corrupt California drug underworld to uncover the truth behind his wife's murder.
- What is The Salton Sea like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Salton Sea as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Salton Sea violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Salton Sea as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Salton Sea?
- Critics broadly found the film slick and stylish, with Val Kilmer's performance praised, but considered its Tarantino-influenced genre flourishes derivative and overworked.
- Which films are like The Salton Sea?
- Films with a similar feel include Memento, The Machinist, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Narc.
- How long is The Salton Sea?
- The Salton Sea runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Salton Sea?
- In United States, The Salton Sea streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
