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The Dry

The Dry

Crime · Thriller · Mystery · 2021

Aaron Falk returns to his drought-stricken hometown to attend a tragic funeral. But his return opens a decades-old wound - the unsolved death of a teenage girl.

Movie details

The Dry

“Where the truth lies.”

2021 Crime · Thriller · Mystery 1h 57m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

Aaron Falk returns to his drought-stricken hometown to attend a tragic funeral. But his return opens a decades-old wound - the unsolved death of a teenage girl.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Dry?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Reminiscence

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Nicolas Bannister, a rugged and solitary veteran living in a near-future Miami flooded by rising seas, is an expert in a dangerous occupation: he offers clients the chance to relive any memory they desire. His life changes when he meets a mysterious young woman named Mae. What begins as a simple matter of lost and found becomes a passionate love affair. But when a different client's memories implicate Mae in a series of violent crimes, Bannister must delve through the dark world of the past to uncover the truth about the woman he fell for.

Sinister

Sinister

Horror · 2012

True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.

Miss Marple: 4.50 from Paddington

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Dead Sea

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Hangman

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Mystery · 2017

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Jasper Jones

Jasper Jones

Drama · 2017

Fourteen-year-old Charlie's life changes when Jasper takes his help to dispose of the body of his girlfriend, Laura. He decides to look for the murderer and falls in love with Laura's younger sister.

Nitram

Nitram

Thriller · 2021

Based on true events, "Nitram" lives with his parents in suburban Australia in the mid-90s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never fitting in. As his anger grows, he begins a slow descent into a nightmare that culminates in the most heinous of acts.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Connolly

Written by

Robert Connolly · Harry Cripps

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

Aaron Falk

Genevieve O'Reilly

Genevieve O'Reilly

Gretchen Schoner

Keir O'Donnell

Keir O'Donnell

Greg Raco

John Polson

John Polson

Scott Whitlam

Matt Nable

Matt Nable

Grant Dow

Eddie Baroo

Eddie Baroo

McMurdo

Martin Dingle Wall

Martin Dingle Wall

Luke Hadler

Court is in session

Put The Dry on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.