All Is Lost

2013 • 105 minutes

About this movie

Academy Award winner Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water thriller about one man's battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea. Using only a sextant and nautical maps to chart his progress, he is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a shipping lane in hopes of hailing a passing vessel. But with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.

Ratings and reviews

The less you know or the longer you can suspend disbelief the more you will like this movie. The attempt to cultivate an emotional response from the viewer was as shallow the authors/director's understanding of maritime survival and sailing. Any of a number of true stories could have been used as a template for this movie... My wife was right... Pretentious and arrogant snooze fest.

This high concept film crafted around the basic, compelling premise of man against nature is just as much a showcase for the director's fine storyteller talents as it is for Robert Redford's spot on performance. For those who want spoon fed distractions or an easy narrative, look elsewhere. If the haunting finale doesn't grab you in a deep and profound way, you simply weren't paying attention.

This ain't your typical Redford film. Mechanical and desperate at times to make drama from nothing, it fails at even the simplest tasks. The character's unrealistic bad luck and his sometimes melodramatic reactions to said bizarre bad luck left me wondering how he got into this mess. No, not that mess... this mess of a movie. I hope this great writer, director and actor redeems himself with something at least palatable soon.