Synopsis
Bill Baker, an American oil-rig roughneck from Oklahoma, travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, Allison, who is in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. Confronted with language barriers, cultural differences, and a complicated legal system, Bill builds a new life for himself in France as he makes it his personal mission to exonerate his daughter.
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Cast
- Matt DamonBill Baker
- Camille CottinVirginie
- Abigail BreslinAllison
- Lilou SiauvaudMaya
- Deanna DunaganSharon
- Moussa MaaskriDirosa
- Anne Le NyLeparq
- Idir AzougliAkim
- Naidra AyadiNedjma
- Gilbert TraïnaBald Man
Recommendations
- 80
Variety
The movie’s more interesting for being less obvious. - 75
TheWrap
Bracketed by genre on both ends, the middle third of this 140-minute film becomes a gentle tale about a misfit finding in a platonic relationship a kind of second chance in life. In other words, it becomes a certain kind of Tom McCarthy film — and then gets back to the overarching story. - 70
Los Angeles Times
McCarthy pushes the thriller narrative in directions more extreme and harrowing than plausible, bringing Bill and Allison’s story to an unexpected point of reckoning. - 67
IndieWire
A strained but strangely affecting turducken of a movie. - 60
Screen Daily
There’s real feeling in this story — and a genuine desire to challenge audience expectations — which is laudable but only takes Stillwater so far. - 60
Empire
Stillwater mashes up quest-for-justice, father-daughter dramatics, fortysomething romance and mid-life introspection for a refreshingly adult drama. It doesn’t coalesce completely, but Damon and Cottin keep it engaging. - 60
Total Film
Damon’s sturdy presence just about holds it together, while Breslin shows some impressive chops as the daughter who is too aware of his failings to see him as her saviour. By the end, though, the still waters McCarthy seeks to navigate don’t run deep so much as dry – a consequence, you suspect, of trying to cram too many genres into one star vehicle. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
Unfurling over a sluggish two hours plus, Stillwater is least convincing when McCarthy attempts to build suspense, with most of that work being done by Mychael Danna’s score. The late plot twists become almost risible, once Akim (Idir Azougli) enters the picture.
