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Coastlines

Coastlines

2002110 minRMidcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Director
Victor Nunez
Starring
Timothy Olyphant, Josh Brolin, Sarah Wynter, Scott Wilson

An ex-con returns to his Florida hometown after three years and becomes involved with the wife of his best friend, the local sheriff.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Coastlines?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Coastlines on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is Coastlines worth watching?

Coastlines' Midcredits score is the 35th percentile of all films, from 1.2K ratings across 5 sources. 36% 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

35th percentile among Crime34th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)39th
Approval (how many liked it)32nd

58 /100

39th percentile of all films

38th percentile among Crime39th percentile among 2000s

Critics 56 · Audience 59

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.9 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

36% liked it

32nd percentile of all films

32nd percentile among Crime29th percentile among 2000s
36% rated it 7–1064% rated it 1–6

Critics 48% · Audience 28%

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

Reach

How many have seen it

43rd percentile

1.2K ratings across platforms

33rd percentile among Crime35th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$736
Domestic gross$7.9K
Worldwide gross$7.9K

9th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn, character-driven drama about an ex-con's return to a small coastal town that tests friendships and marriages.

Fans praised

  • strong lead performances, especially Timothy Olyphant's nuanced portrayal
  • evocative sense of place and coastal atmosphere
  • thoughtful exploration of complex adult relationships and unconditional love

Detractors panned

  • unbelievable, saccharine ending that betrays realism
  • derivative story that recycles Nunez's earlier work
  • cluttered narrative and uneven tone between crime drama and soap opera

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

cast praised as uniformly strong, with Olyphant's star presence and Brolin's grounded work

AtmosphereDivisive72

effective evocation of Florida Panhandle's languid, coastal feel

CharactersDivisive50

well-drawn leads but stereotypical and poorly motivated female characters

PacingDivisive45

methodical and languid, but can feel dull and flat

Dialogue40

sometimes rings true, but often stilted and pulpy

Plot and storyDivisive35

melodramatic love triangle undercut by implausible resolution

OriginalityDivisive30

derivative of Nunez's own past work and genre clichés

EndingDivisive15

widely panned as unrealistic and unsatisfying, though a few fans defend it

Watch experience

What is Coastlines like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It takes its time and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is played straight with a naturalistic, grounded approach to its small-town drama and moral ambiguities, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe mood builds tension around the love triangle and crime elements, with a melancholic undertone and a climactic late-act resolution.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically, following Sonny's return, his entanglement with his friend's wife, and his revenge plot against the crime boss.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's quiet, unresolved moral landscape lingers, leaving a mix of unease and empathy.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · 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. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe ex-con protagonist seeks revenge against a local crime boss who killed his father, but the core of the film is the personal drama of a love triangle and betrayal.

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 filmsSelfLoyaltyBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • 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% (this title) · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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%

Bonds

Loyalty · 4% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsForgiveness · 1% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how loyalty between friends and spouses is tested by desire and violence.
StanceThe film questions whether loyalty can survive betrayal and desire, leaving moral judgments open.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Charles Engstrom
Settinga coastal Florida town with a crime boss and a local sheriff
MusicThe score underscores the brooding atmosphere of coastal Florida.

Content guide

Is Coastlines okay for kids?

R

Coastlines is rated R.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Coastlines have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Coastlines?

Cast

Timothy Olyphant
as Sonny Mann
Josh Brolin
as Dave Lockhart
Sarah Wynter
as Ann Lockhart
Scott Wilson
as Pa Mann
Angela Bettis
as Effie Bender
Josh Lucas
as Eddie Vance
Robert Wisdom
as Bob Johnson
Daniel von Bargen
as Sheriff Tate
Blake Lindsley
as Redhead in Bar
Robert Glaudini
as Henry

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Coastlines?

The closest match to Coastlines is Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001); both are revenge thrillers.

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

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Coastlines?

1.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: outlaw. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.