Watch Deep Water

Deep Water is a 2006 documentary-style drama film documenting the events of the disastrous 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. The movie is directed by Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell and stars Tilda Swinton, Donald Crowhurst, and Ted Hynds. The film depicts the story of Donald Crowhurst, a British businessman and amateur sailor who decided to enter the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a non-stop, single-handed, round-the-world yacht race. Despite having little experience sailing, Crowhurst was enthusiastic about the race and saw it as an opportunity to leave behind his mundane life and provide a better future for his family.

Crowhurst invested all his savings into building an innovative trimaran boat, the Teignmouth Electron, which he believed would give him the edge against his rivals. He spent months preparing for the race, but as his departure date drew near, Crowhurst realized that he wasn't ready to face the harsh conditions of such a grueling challenge.

In a desperate attempt to avoid humiliation, Crowhurst came up with a dangerous plan – he would fake his progress and pretend to be circumnavigating the globe. By doing so, he hoped to buy himself enough time to gain more sailing experience and return to England as a hero.

As the other competitors sailed into the open sea, Crowhurst held back for a few days, pretending to have problems with his boat. When he finally set sail, he found himself in trouble almost immediately. The complex design of his yacht made it difficult to control, and Crowhurst struggled to make progress. He experienced multiple technical difficulties, including a broken sail track, a faulty generator, and unreliable radios.

Despite his troubles, Crowhurst continued to send false logs to the race organizers, claiming that he was making good progress and surpassing his rivals. However, as the race progressed, his lies became increasingly absurd, and he started to realize the enormity of the deception he had created.

Crowhurst's mental state began to deteriorate as he sailed further into the Atlantic. Increasingly isolated and alone, he started to experience severe delusions and hallucinations. He became convinced that he was in contact with extraterrestrial beings and that he was on a mystical journey to save the world.

The film portrays Crowhurst's tragic decline and the mounting pressure he faced as he neared the finish line. The suspense continues to build throughout the movie, as we see the lengths Crowhurst goes to in his attempt to cover up his lies.

The story is a poignant reminder of the perils of ambition and the dangers of living a lie. Deep Water does an excellent job of capturing the mood and atmosphere of the 1960s, with its vintage footage and excellent soundtrack.

Overall, Deep Water is a must-watch for anyone who loves compelling stories of human endeavor and the dangers of isolation and despair. The film is a touching tribute to Crowhurst's courage and his ultimate sacrifice. It raises important questions about the motivations behind extreme acts of courage and the impact of deception and self-delusion on the human psyche.

Deep Water is a 2006 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8 and a MetaScore of 80.