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The Water Man Videos

The Water Man: Trailer 1

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The Water Man Photos

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Movie Info

Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Amiah Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest -- but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner's father (David Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is.

Rating:

PG (Thematic Content|Peril|Some Language|Scary Images)
Genre:

adventure, drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

David Oyelowo
Producer:

Carla Gardini, Monica Levinson, David Oyelowo, Shivani Rawat
Writer:

Emma Needell
Release Date (Theaters):

May 7, 2021 limited
Box Office (Gross USA):

$290.3K
Runtime:

1h 32m
Production Co:

Harpo Films, Yoruba Saxon Productions, ShivHans Pictures

Cast & Crew

David Oyelowo

Rosario Dawson

David Oyelowo
Director

Emma Needell
Screenwriter

Carla Gardini
Producer

Monica Levinson
Producer

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Water Man

All Critics (71) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (16)

Heartfelt, but overwrought and overplayed throughout.

May 13, 2021 | Full Review…

Tim Cogshell
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
There's such a winning earnestness to it that I think [director David Oyelowo] comes by honestly.

May 13, 2021 | Full Review…

Christy Lemire
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
The Water Man feels a little watered-down even by the standards of its genre, with somewhat less heft than the old Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, which created a classy environment to sell greeting cards woven into the drama.

May 10, 2021 | Full Review…

Brian Lowry
CNN.com
The well-executed components support the fairy tale when the tale itself runs short.

May 8, 2021 | Full Review…

Robert Daniels
Polygon
"The Water Man" is a sensitive coming of age story about loss, friendship and the need to believe in magic, and Oyelowo proves himself to be a gifted storyteller with a big imagination.

May 8, 2021 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Adam Graham
Detroit News
The end result, "The Water Man," while not altogether graceless, registers as tonally disjointed and ultimately inconsequential in spite of its star-fronted cast.

May 8, 2021 | Full Review…

Carlos Aguilar
Los Angeles Times
Plays like 90 straight minutes of déjà vu.

May 24, 2021 | Full Review…

Ciara Wardlow
Pajiba
Lots of family films focus on silly, easy laughs, but this one is like a thoughtful middle-grade novel come to life.

May 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media
It's easy to like and appreciate The Water Man even if those feelings never truly flow to love.

May 14, 2021 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Jeffrey Lyles
Lyles' Movie Files
Lonnie Chavis and Amiah Miller are the film's biggest assets with convincing performances as their characters deal with real-life issues of loss and abuse. A wonderful adventure for the whole family.

May 11, 2021 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Joe Friar
The Victoria Advocate
The Water Man is an engaging, creative family drama with flashes of fantasy.

May 11, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
The Water Man is a safe little adventure. It doesn't take massive risks, and audiences can follow along like a gentle river ride at a theme park. I take issue with the conclusion, but the rest of the film is fine.

May 10, 2021 | Full Review…

Courtney Lanning
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette