All Is Lost

J.C. Chandor's 2013 film follows a lone sailor whose boat is holed in the Indian Ocean. The radio does not work. The water keeps rising. The film uses almost no dialogue; the narrative reduces survival to a step by step technical process. Robert Redford is the only actor. The sound design was nominated for an Academy Award. The character's past is never given. Who it's for: those who like wordless, tense survival films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting dialogue and backstory; the film provides neither.