In Theaters and Digital

There are some great atmospherics throughout The Drowned, a crime-centered mystery thriller which combines horror elements with - wait for it - a sprinkling of Greek mythology, but these ingredients might not be enough to win over the audience with some of the film’s more egregious flaws. 

To put it bluntly, this hybrid story isn’t sure of what it wants to be.  The tropes the film delivers damn near trips The Drowned up, but - almost by accident - you will do more thinking about what the film is trying to say than what it actually is saying.  It’s almost as if you want the film to pick a lane and stay in it because, when you consider the mood and the macabre mayhem involved, there are certainly some cool elements caught in the mix.

Which is something. 

Woven with references to Greek mythology, The Drowned follows three thieves who have just stolen a priceless painting and arrive at a secluded safe house by the sea, only to discover their fourth accomplice is missing. They must question whether one of them was responsible for her disappearance, or if the blame lies with a more sinister presence lurking in the deep water below.

But there is a serious tension at play here as three female guests and their headgames allow for some deeper connectivity tissue for these thieves - although the answers are completely up to the audience. 

Samuel Clemens’ debut feature - starring Alan Calton (Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning), Lara Lemon (War Of The Worlds: The Attack) and Lily Catalifo (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), alongside Dominic Vulliamy (BBC One’s Rules Of The Game), Corrinne Wicks, Michelangelo Fortuzzi,  and Sandrine Salyères - comes across like a stage play and, with a single setting, it could work and be a potboiler of horror and intrigue, but as a film audiences get a bit more . . . and that’s where the fun truly begins. 

The film, formerly known as The Waterhouse, premiered in London at FrightFest Halloween and will release via Sunrise Films on major digital platforms in North America on 7th October and in Australia and New Zealand on 8th October. Sister company Vertigo Releasing will release digitally on 6th October in the UK and Ireland.

Bring your beast to the beach!  The Drowned is now streaming.

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Samuel Clemens
Writer: Samuel Clemens
Cast: Corrinne Wicks; Alan Calton; Lara Lemon
Genre: Horror
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm just wondering why I was in the bedroom one minute and out there the next."
Distributor: Sunrise Films
Official Site:
Release Date: October 6, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: After pulling off an art heist, three men arrive at a secluded coastal safe house to discover their fourth accomplice missing. Was one of them responsible, or is there a malevolent ancient myth lurking at the water's edge?