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Black Water

Black Water

What you can't see can hurt you.

200790 minRMidcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Directors
David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki
Starring
Maeve Dermody, Diana Glenn, Andy Rodoreda, Ben Oxenbould

Based on true events, Grace, her boyfriend Adam, and her younger sister, Lee, are on holiday in Northern Australia when they decide to take a tour down a river. As they drift into a swamp, their boat suddenly capsizes. Stranded in the flooded swamp, the three tourists must figure out what to do to survive as they realize they are being watched through the black water.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Black Water?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Black Water streaming on STARZ and Tubi (free).

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Highlights

What stands out about Black Water?

Black Water earns 4 badges, led by Award Winner and Box Office Flop.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Black Water worth watching?

Black Water's Midcredits score is the 35th percentile of all films, from 29K ratings across 4 sources. 39% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

35th percentile

Better received than 35% of films

42nd percentile among Adventure34th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)35th
Approval (how many liked it)36th

57 /100

35th percentile of all films

40th percentile among Adventure35th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.0 — solid but not unanimous.

39% liked it

36th percentile of all films

44th percentile among Adventure34th percentile among 2000s
39% rated it 7–1061% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 40%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 7 noms overall

87th percentile

29K ratings across platforms

81st percentile among Adventure80th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$17M
Worldwide gross$1.3M

Returned 0.1× its budget — 36th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-budget Australian survival thriller that keeps its crocodile mostly hidden, focusing on three terrified people trapped in a tree.

Fans praised

  • palpable tension and psychological dread from unseen threat
  • realism from practical effects, live crocodiles, and on-location swamp setting
  • strong performances that sell the characters' fear and desperation

Detractors panned

  • excessive slow stretches with characters inactive in a tree
  • unconvincing croc behavior and illogical survival logic
  • annoying, repetitive dialogue and thin character writing

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive78

claustrophobic, eerie mangrove setting

Effects and spectacleDivisive75

real crocodile footage and minimal, effective CGI

ActingDivisive72

convincing fear and realism from unknowns

TensionDivisive70

effective suspense despite slow pacing

CinematographyDivisive70

gritty, immersive swamp visuals

Plot and storyDivisive45

simple survival story that feels repetitive

CharactersDivisive40

thin, unlikable, with inconsistent behavior

PacingDivisive38

long stretches of inaction in the tree

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is Black Water like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you wrung out and released. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDread
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its life-or-death situation with earnest seriousness, never undercutting the danger.
The rideThe film maintains a high level of tension and dread from the initial attack to the resolution.
StructureThe story unfolds linearly from the tour, to the attack, and the struggle for survival.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wrung out and released.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a sense of relief with the survivors overcoming the threat, but the lingering fear of the predator lingers.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThree tourists are attacked by a crocodile in a remote mangrove swamp and must survive while trapped from help, a classic predator hunt.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalFamily bonds
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a family's fight to survive a crocodile attack in a remote mangrove swamp.
StanceThe film presents the struggle for survival without moral commentary, focusing on the immediate threat.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Rafael May
SettingA remote Australian mangrove swamp
MusicThe score adds tension and atmosphere without overshadowing the action.

Content guide

Is Black Water okay for kids?

R

Black Water is rated R: “Rated R for terror/violence and language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (67/100), sexual content at mild (19/100), language at intense (63/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (5/100) and frightening material at intense (72/100). Overall it is heavier than 36% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR15+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 61% of all filmsHeavier than 36% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 45%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 12%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 43%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 67%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Black Water have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Black Water?

Cast

Maeve Dermody
as Lee
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Diana Glenn
as Grace
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Andy Rodoreda
as Adam
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ben Oxenbould
as Jim
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Fiona Press
as Pat
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Black Water?

Movies like Black Water include The Reef (2010), Black Water: Abyss (2020) and Rogue (2007). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by Andrew Traucki, and all are survival thrillers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its story type: creature feature. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Black Water?

578 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: animal. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.