The King Tide

A small island village. A boat washes ashore with a baby in it. The village mayor takes the child in. Before long it becomes clear: the child heals those it touches. The village tells nobody. Years pass. Nobody on the island falls ill, nobody dies, and the link to the outside is nearly cut. The child has grown now and the village has built an order around him: where he lives, whom he touches and when he rests are all set by rules. Then there is an accident and the order cracks. Christian Sparkes directs. Frances Fisher, Clayne Crawford and Lara Jean Chorostecki are in the cast. It is a Canadian production. The matter the film builds is the administration of a miracle; the narrative takes not the child's power but how the community shares it. The narrative is close to horror and there is no supernatural threat; the danger comes entirely from people. The island is used in detail: one road, one jetty and no way out are part of the narrative. Its best sections are the community meetings; decisions are taken by vote and the vote goes the same way every time. Its limit is the resolution; the last section speeds up and some strands end without closing. The photography is cold and grey; the shore and the sea are always in view. Who it is for: viewers who like thrillers built on the psychology of a community. Who it is not for: the pace is slow, some characters are thinly written, and the ending is hurried.