Adrift is about a bunch of high school friends who meet up on a yacht after five years apart, along with their significant (and not so significant) others, to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of their friends. While the yacht is drifting some distance from the land they get stuck in the sea, trying to figure out how to get back onboard.

It's a similar set-up to 2003's Open Water, but rather than being a rip-off, this is actually a sequel, known in other parts of the world as Open Water 2. Like it's predecessor it's based on true events, though not featuring the same characters.

There are no big name actors in this, although you may know them from elsewhere. The main character (we know she's the main character because she has a baby on the boat, which in movie-land increases her chances of survival. The baby's father – well, I make no promises) has a fear of water that she got from one of those traumatic childhood events that make life so difficult for so many movie characters. I don't think I'm spoiling the experience for anyone if I say she learns to overcome that fear over the course of the film. Although by the end she may be more traumatised than ever. But at least she can swim.

Some of the problems they have – like the one that leads to them all being stranded in the water – just come from stupidity, which might make it hard to completely root for them. And sometimes the failure of their plan to save themselves isn't a sufficient reason to give up on the plan the way they do. On the other hand, I quite liked the teeth-gritted optimism the characters display whenever they're not turning on each other or crying. Whatever the American version of 'stiff upper lip' is, it's very appealing.

It's not a bad movie, but I kind of couldn't wait for it to end-and actually, it probably could have stood to end a little earlier. It's quite uncomfortable to watch, but that's really the point with this kind of movie. It's tense and dramatic throughout, and is generally well made. In short, it does the job.

Tim Hanan

Rated PG (see IFCO website for details)
Adrift is released on 1st September 2006