Dead Calm (1989): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Dead Calm is a 1989 horror thriller directed by Phillip Noyce, starring Billy Zane, Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman. It is partly based on Dead Calm by Charles Williams. It runs 1 hour 36 minutes and earned $7.8 million worldwide. Critics gave it 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and 70 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 36m (96 min)
- Director
- Phillip Noyce
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros.
- Based on
- Dead Calm by Charles Williams
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Dead Calm About?
The premise of Dead Calm without spoilers, adapted from Dead Calm by Charles Williams. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A couple, Rae and John, embark on a sailing trip to cope with a tragic loss. Their escape is disrupted when they encounter Hughie Warriner, a peculiar survivor adrift at sea. As the trio spends time together, Warriner's unsettling behavior and cryptic remarks create a tense atmosphere, revealing hidden truths and testing the couple’s relationship. Paranoia and mistrust escalate, threatening to destroy their fragile stability and leading to a dangerous confrontation.
Dead Calm Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- female frontal nudity
- female nudity
- psychological thriller
- sex without love
- sea
- sailboat
- maniac
- psychological
- forced sex
- unwanted sex
- forced orgasm
- female star appears nude
+38 more Show fewer
- ship
- yacht
- stranger
- kidnapping
- sailing
- male rear nudity
- hostage
- sex
- nudity
- psychological torture
- rape
- married couple
- crime victim
- woman driver
- villain
- murder of a nude woman
- serial murder
- survival
- water
- criminal
- city
- ship sinking
- good versus evil
- husband wife reunion
- death of a murderer
- man punches a woman
- psycho killer
- yachting
- seafaring
- whitsunday islands queensland australia
- navy
- sailor
- cult favorite
- missionary position
- missionary sex position
- nude man and woman
- sex on the floor
- sex without condom
Dead Calm Cast
Billy Zane leads the cast, with Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman. Directed by Phillip Noyce.
-
Director Phillip Noyce
Dead Calm Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Dead Calm 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and 70 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 84% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 63%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 70 Metascore
User score 7.1
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 66% User score
See on TMDB
Dead Calm Plot Summary
What happens in Dead Calm from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A couple grappling with heart-wrenching grief, Australian naval officer John Ingram and his wife Rae, decide to escape to the vastness of the Pacific on their yacht, hoping that this retreat will facilitate Rae’s healing following a tragic automobile accident that took the life of their young son while she was behind the wheel. Their intentions are pure, and they aim for solace in the serenity of the sea, yet fate has darker plans in store.
Full summary
The whole story of Dead Calm, scene by scene
Dead Calm Box Office
Dead Calm grossed $7.8 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$7.8M
- US & Canada
- $7.8M
Dead Calm Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Dead Calm.
How Well Do You Know Dead Calm?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What tragic event leads John and Rae to take a yachting trip?
Cars in Dead Calm
4 cars on screen, including the 1969 Jaguar XJ6 Series I and the 1971 Chrysler Valiant.
-
1969 Jaguar XJ6 Series I Important role -
1971 Chrysler Valiant Minor role -
1972 Ford Fairlane Minor role -
1983 Subaru L-Series Background role
Dead Calm Also Known As
27 alternative titles, including “Halálos nyugalom” and “Dead Calm - OZ”.
- Also known as
-
- Halálos nyugalom
- Dead Calm - OZ
- Terror a Bordo
- Úplné bezvětří
- Martwa Cisza
- Todesstille
- Ore 10: Calma piatta
- Ölüm Sessizliği
- Calma de Morte
- Мертвый штиль
- Calme Blanc
- Calma total
+15 more Show fewer
- 航越地平线
- Døden ombord
- סיכון רטוב
- 죽음의 항해
- Lugnt vatten
- 航越地平線
- Мъртво вълнение
- デッド・カーム/戦慄の航海
- Biển Lặng
- Dead Calm - rasvatyyni
- Opasno more
- Mirtina Tyla
- Haudvaikne
- Мертвий штиль
- ตามมา สยอง
Seen Dead Calm?
Movies Like Dead Calm
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Dead Sea, Sex and Violence and Blood Voyage.
Dead Calm FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of Dead Calm, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Dead Calm?
Dead Calm runs 1 hour 36 minutes (96 minutes).
When was Dead Calm released?
Dead Calm was released on April 7, 1989.
Who directed Dead Calm?
Dead Calm was directed by Phillip Noyce.
More films by Phillip Noyce Who is in the cast of Dead Calm?
Dead Calm stars Billy Zane, Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman.
How much did Dead Calm make at the box office?
Dead Calm grossed $7.8 million worldwide.
How is Dead Calm rated?
Dead Calm has 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 70 on Metacritic and 66% on TMDB.
Is Dead Calm based on a book?
Yes. Dead Calm is partly adapted from Dead Calm by Charles Williams.
Does Dead Calm have a post-credit scene?
No. Dead Calm has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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