Wade In The Water Review

By Curt Wiser

Indie films have a way of surprising us don’t they! It could be stylistic flourishes, or boldly telling a story that a studio would find too controversial to tell. In the case of Wade In The Water, a very unique protagonist is what garnered my attention.

Tom E. Nicholson (“Taken Heart”, “Swing State”) plays an unnamed character they credit simply as “our man”. This man is solitary, he works from home as a bill collector for a medical insurance company. He has to go to a counselor and does not feel like sharing.

Our Man has a troubled past and he is obese. Nicholson gives a dynamic performance. This added presence makes this story something new. It collides with the narrative, as we see him struggle to get off the couch, or fill his refrigerator with veggies when he decides to turn over a new leaf. Upon seeing Nicholson on screen, it makes sense that he played varsity football and rugby in his youth.

Wade In The Water is about a man (Nicholson), who gets the wrong package in his post office box which holds a dark secret. This sends him on a mission to find the truth behind it and unintentionally earn a friend along the way.

I have to tread lightly here because I will not spoil this movie for you. The friend our man meets is Tilly, played with a natural grace by Danika Golombek (“7 Witche”s). Tilly is indirectly connected to this mysterious package our man receives, which is what brings them together. Golombek’s performance as Tilly reminds me of Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, in the best possible way. All of the acting in this movie was noteworthy.

This movie marks a strong beginning for writer Chris Retts and Director Mark Wilson. Both Retts and Wilson also produced Wade In The Water. While it is branded as a Drama, I can best describe this movie as a dark comedy with strong indie roots.

Wade In The Water is well made, and not flashy. It tells this story in a blunt and at times, darkly comedic way. Like the way our man reacts when his favorite burger place gets his order wrong. Or how he gets winded by briskly walking away from a heated argument. The ending is a perfect example of this, it gave me a much needed laugh in contrast to the heavy subject matter this story delivers.

Even the title is an inspired choice. Wade In The Water refers to an old spiritual song of the same name, which can be heard during the end credits. The song relates to the movie and our protagonist in a big bad way. I hope you to will be surprised with Wade In The Water. The movie will screen at the 2019 Dances With Films Festival on June 19th at 7:15pm.

Cur t Wiser is the Writer/Director of the suspense feature Cam-Girl. As a filmmaker he is happy to dive into other films and share them with the rest of the world.

Originally published at https://www.ocmoviereviews.com on June 4, 2019.