ADRIFT (2018) – Review

We know it’s inching toward Summer, but one studio wants filmgoers to get serious. Deadly serious (accent on first word, first syllable). That’s because they’ve a got a new release that’s “inspired by true events”. Uh oh. But what about the gorgeous young couple cavorting on golden beaches in all the TV spots and trailers? Ah, but there’s a big price to part for all that pristine sand and surf. The price is a battle for survival orchestrated by that mean mother (an even tougher mother than Ms. Union of BREAKING IN), Mother Nature. It’s quite the tangy twisty cocktail, minus the teeny umbrella, when a true tale of desperation at sea is blended with a “meet cute” romance. This movie’s equation: boy plus girl plus storm equals ADRIFT.

The first images we see are the aftermath, the wreckage mostly, of a ship’s encounter with Hurricane Raymond in the Pacific circa 1983. On what’s left of the boat, a young woman finally wakes up from what appears to be a concussion, one’s that’s left a nasty forehead gash. It’s Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley), an American of twenty or so, facing an endless expanse of ocean on all sides. The story flashes back and forth from her present peril to the events that brought her there. We see her arrive in Tahiti five months ago. Tami’s literally adrift as we learn from her interview with the customs agent. She’s traveling alone, no family or friends, grabbing whatever job will provide her with enough funds to continue her aimless trek, going anywhere but back to her home in San Diego. Luckily Tami gets a job on that dock, fixing up some of the battered old fishing vessels. One day she looks up from her paint brush to see a handsome sailboat cruise up to the port. Oh, and behind the wheel is it’s equally handsome owner, a slightly older Brit named Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin). After some flirtatious banter, the two spend most days exploring the island. Things heat up when Richard suggests that she join him as he sails around the globe. Tami naturally agrees, but the couple is thrown a curve when they bump into some friends of Richard, an older couple from the old sod. These folks have a problem. They need to fly back quickly to England (the lady’s father is gravely ill), so they were looking for someone to get their plush yacht back to the US (San Diego, to Tami’s chagrin). They offer Richard ten grand and one, no two, one-way plane tickets back to Tahiti. After much discussion, he agrees (they’ll put their globe-trotting on hold). This leads to the current situation. Tami finally spots Richard adrift, clinging to a tiny lifeboat. He’s in much worse shape than she. With a mangled leg and crushed ribs, Richard is fairly immobile. It’s up to Tami to steer them to safety. Using maps and a sextant, she plots a course, not to San Diego but Hawaii. But can she guide the yacht’s beaten-up hull and get them to land before they waste away?

So, we’ve got your basic duet cast for this flick, in the tradition of SLEUTH and MY DINNER WITH ANDRE (unless you think Raymond is a third character, the villain). With the majority of screen time, the story rests on the sturdy shoulders of Ms. Woodley who’s quite believable as a free spirit that truly “goes with the flow” (her unique off-screen life and interviews have established her as “1960’s style” Earth activist). Though the script doesn’t offer much insight into the reasons for Tami’s untethered life, other than a nasty parental bust-up, Woodley’s halting delivery and reflective eyes give us nearly all we need to know of her . In the moment after disaster, while many would wallow in despair, Tami’s in full survival mode. Woodley handles that physicality with great energy and focus. As the sea slowly saps that strength, Woodley portrays that draining of inner reserves, while in a constant battle to never succumb to doom and defeat. Someone she makes us believe in Tami even as she falters and fades . Woodley’s sailing partner on the waves and romantic partner on land is the charming Claflin as Richard. Like Tami, we get the barest peek at his past via dinner chatter, losing his Mum very early, but his actions and reactions to her tells us all that’s needed. In other stories, Richard may be Tami’s “Prince Charming”, but in this one he’s more a kindred spirit, the one “right piece” that completes her life’s puzzle. When the storm forces Tami into swift action, he’s sidelined, his body unable to assist. It’s then that Claflin dials everything “down” to be Woodley’s confidant, confessor, and cheerleader, though incapable of any chants or cheers. He’s flowing in and out of a listless haze, but still gives Tami much-needed comfort thanks to the quiet chemistry between the two accomplished actors.

Director Baltasar Kormakur (EVEREST, 2 GUNS) balances the film between the calm, peaceful paradise-like settings (the horizon at sea, the idyllic untouched beaches) and the hellish fury of being in the path of a “category four”. His choice to bounce about the timeline does cause the story to lose some momentum. Just as she’s “jury-rigging” a sail, we’re suddenly back in Tahiti again. This may be  a problem of the script from David Branson Smith along with Aaron and Jordan Kandell adapting the memoir from Tami Oldham (Ashcraft). This confounding structure forces the romance subplot into “falling for each other” clichéd montages set to bland pop tunes. The post disaster sequences are compelling for a time, but the soon remind viewers of more powerful scenes in ALL IS LOST, CASTAWAY, and LIFE OF PI. But for fans of Wooley this flick is a must see (Claflin offer good support, but his real breakthrough is still ahead), and the locales provide a welcome travelogue “vacation fodder”. Thanks to the cast, ADRIFT is often smooth sailing.

3 Out of 5