You ever watch a movie that feels like a fever dream you had in the mid-90s? That's basically the vibe of the head above water movie. It’s this weird, darkly comedic thriller that somehow managed to cram Cameron Diaz, Harvey Keitel, and Billy Zane into a single house on a tiny island. It’s messy. It’s chaotic. Honestly, it’s one of those films that people either completely forgot existed or they remember every single absurd beat of the plot with startling clarity.
Back in 1996, Hollywood was in a weird place. We were transitioning from the high-octane blockbusters of the early 90s into something a bit more cynical and indie-feeling. This movie, directed by Jim Wilson, was actually a remake of a Norwegian film called Hode over vannet. It’s a "bottle movie," mostly. It takes place in one location, which usually means the tension has to be high enough to stop you from noticing you haven't seen a scene change in forty minutes. Does it work? Mostly. It’s definitely a ride.
The Plot That Spirals Out of Control
The setup is pretty simple, at least at first. Nathalie (Cameron Diaz) is married to George (Harvey Keitel), who is a prominent judge. He’s older, he’s a bit stiff, and they’re vacationing at her family’s beach house. Everything is fine until Nathalie’s old flame, Kent (played by Billy Zane), shows up out of nowhere while George is out on a fishing trip with their neighbor, Lance (Craig Sheffer).
Things go south fast.
Kent dies. Like, immediately. It’s not even a spoiler because it happens so early and sets the entire frantic tone for the rest of the film. Now, if you’re a normal person, you call the police. But this is a 90s thriller. Nathalie panics. She’s terrified of how her judge husband will react, especially since Kent died in their bed after a night of drinking. When George gets back, the "logic" of the characters takes a nosedive into pure insanity. Instead of being the rational voice of the law, George decides the best course of action is to hide the body.
It’s dark.
What starts as a stressful situation turns into a literal game of hide-the-corpse. The movie relies heavily on the chemistry—or lack thereof—between Keitel and Diaz. Keitel plays George with this simmering, controlling intensity that makes you wonder if he’s actually the hero or the villain. Meanwhile, Diaz was still early in her career, fresh off The Mask, and she brings this wide-eyed, frantic energy that perfectly mirrors the audience's "what is happening?" sentiment.
Why the Critics Were So Divided
When this hit theaters, critics didn't really know what to do with it. Roger Ebert famously gave it a lukewarm review, noting that the movie felt like it was trying to be too many things at once. Is it a farce? Is it a noir? Is it a psychological study of a crumbling marriage?
The answer is yes. All of them.
- The Tone Shift: It starts like a sunny romance and ends like a Coen Brothers fever dream. That’s jarring for a lot of people.
- The Casting: Seeing Harvey Keitel, the guy from Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, doing slapstick-adjacent physical comedy while moving a body is... a choice.
- The Logic: You have to suspend a lot of belief. Like, a lot.
Some people loved the absurdity. Others found it frustrating. But looking back at it now, through the lens of modern cinema where everything is so polished and "safe," the head above water movie feels refreshingly brave. It wasn't afraid to be deeply uncomfortable. It’s a movie about bad decisions leading to worse decisions, and there's something very human about that, even if the circumstances are extreme.
The Production Design and Maine Vibes
One thing nobody can argue with is how the movie looks. It was filmed on Casco Bay in Maine. The location is practically a character itself. The house is isolated. The water is cold. The fog rolls in at just the right moments to make the island feel like a prison.
Jim Wilson, who is perhaps better known for producing Dances with Wolves, leans hard into the nautical aesthetic. The bright whites of the beach house clashing with the dark, murky secrets of the characters creates a visual tension that carries the movie when the script occasionally falters. You can almost smell the salt air and the desperation.
The Legacy of the "Lost" 90s Thriller
Why don't we talk about this movie more? Probably because it got buried under the massive weight of other 1996 releases like Independence Day or Scream. It didn't fit into a neat box. It wasn't "horror" enough for the slasher fans and it wasn't "prestige" enough for the Oscar crowd.
But for those who catch it on streaming or find an old DVD, it holds up as a fascinating time capsule. It captures Cameron Diaz right before she became the biggest star on the planet. It shows a side of Harvey Keitel that is rarely seen. And Billy Zane? He’s doing what Billy Zane does best: being incredibly charismatic for the short amount of time he's on screen.
The movie explores themes that are still relevant. Trust in a relationship. The fear of judgment (literally, since her husband is a judge). How easily a "good" person can turn into a criminal when they're scared. It’s a cynical look at human nature wrapped in a beautiful Maine sunset.
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Technical Execution and Direction
Jim Wilson’s direction is steady, but the real star of the technical side is the pacing. Once the body is discovered, the movie doesn't really let you breathe. The editing is frantic. You feel Nathalie's heart rate climbing.
There’s a specific scene involving a staircase and a cellar that is a masterclass in building tension through simple physical obstacles. It’s not about jump scares. It’s about the grinding, slow-motion car crash of a situation you can’t look away from. The cinematography by Richard Greatrex manages to make the beautiful island look increasingly menacing as the sun goes down.
What to Take Away From the Film
If you're going to watch the head above water movie for the first time, or if you're revisiting it after twenty years, go in expecting a dark comedy. If you try to watch it as a straight-faced thriller, you’re going to be annoyed by the characters' choices. But if you watch it as a satire of suburban panic and the fragility of "respectable" lives, it’s brilliant.
The film serves as a reminder that the 90s were a golden age for experimental mid-budget movies. Studios were willing to take risks on weird scripts with big stars. We don't get many movies like this anymore—movies that are willing to be genuinely unpleasant and hilarious at the exact same time.
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Practical Steps for Fans of This Genre
- Watch the Original: If you can find it, check out the 1993 Norwegian version, Hode over vannet. It’s even darker and arguably tighter in its execution.
- Analyze the Dialogue: Pay attention to how George uses his "judge voice" to manipulate Nathalie. It’s a subtle bit of character work that Keitel nails.
- Look at the Color Palette: Notice how the colors shift from bright and airy to dark and claustrophobic as the "crime" becomes harder to hide.
- Compare with Modern Thrillers: Watch this alongside something like A Simple Favor to see how the "domestic thriller with a dark twist" genre has evolved over thirty years.
The head above water movie isn't a perfect film, but it's a memorable one. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes, the most interesting stories are the ones where everything goes wrong in the most ridiculous way possible. It’s about the lengths we go to to keep our lives looking "normal" on the outside, even when there's a literal body under the floorboards.
Next time you’re scrolling through a streaming service and see that 90s-era poster with Diaz and Keitel, give it a shot. It’s a wild, weird, and surprisingly deep look at the human psyche under pressure. Just don't expect a happy ending where everyone learns a lesson and goes home. That's not the kind of movie this is.
To truly appreciate the film's nuance, pay close attention to the background props in the beach house; many of them foreshadow the specific ways the cover-up will inevitably fail. Note the recurring motif of the "missing" items that slowly build a paper trail of guilt. If you're looking for a double feature, pair this with Shallow Grave (1994) to see how different directors handle the "accidentally dead body" trope with varying levels of cynicism.