Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley’s new survival thriller captivates critics with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score.
The former first gained mainstream recognition with Erin Brockovich (2000) and received acclaim for his sharp and satirical role in Thank You for Smoking (2006). However, Eckhart is indelibly associated with pop culture as Harvey Dent/Two-Face from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008). Sir Ben Kingsley, on the other hand, has long secured legendary status, highlighted by his towering Oscar-winning performance in Gandhi (1982), along with additional nominations for Bugsy (1991), Sexy Beast (2000), and House of Sand and Fog (2003). Now, the two stars have joined forces for a new survival thriller.
The 12 Best Wilderness Survival Movies, Including Cast Away & The Martian
The best wilderness survival movies depict the fear, desperation, and triumph that come from deciding to live in the face of uncaring nature.
With just a few days remaining before its release, <em>Deep Water</em> has premiered with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score. Directed by Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger), the upcoming survival thriller features Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley among those on an international flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai who are forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
Ahead of its theatrical release on May 1, Deep Water has achieved an 80% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The film currently has 15 reviews at the time of writing, so its score may fluctuate as more reviews are published. It does not yet have an audience score, which will begin to develop once it releases in theaters.
Aaron Eckhart previously portrayed a real-life pilot, Jeff Skiles, in Sully (2016).
In addition to Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley, the cast includes Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, Madeleine West, Molly Belle Wright, Kate Fitzpatrick, Mark Hadlow, Ryan Bown, Jacqueline Lee Geurts, Lakota Johnson, Michael Cardelle, John De Luca, Priya Jain, Rob Kipa-Williams, Lucy Barrett, Richard Crouchley, and Rarmian Newton.
The reviews suggest that Deep Water is a wildly uneven but entertaining shark movie. Some critics criticize its logic that “more sharks equals more fun“, labeling it over-the-top and ridiculous while even finding it unintentionally humorous at times. Yet others acknowledge it’s a guilty pleasure that’s better than expected and embraces B-movie chaos. Somewhere between bad and kind-of-good, Deep Water primarily relies on spectacle.
A surprising split in tone exists – some view it as shallow, forgettable, or structurally silly – while others commend its throwback energy and brisk popcorn-movie pacing. A few even highlight moments of genuine tension and charm, especially for fans of classic disaster films. It’s not Jaws, not even close, but it doesn’t completely sink either; that messy balance is precisely what allows Deep Water to float.
Deep Water premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival on April 10.
- Release Date
-
May 1, 2026
- Runtime
-
106 minutes
- Director
-
Renny Harlin
