MovieChat Forums > Dead in the Water (2002) Discussion > Questions...Spoilers

Questions...Spoilers

posted 12 years ago by lamont-hard
8 replies | jump to latest

Just what was behind her wanting to kill the boyfriend and his buddy?

I was not sure but the film seemed to indicate she drowned after the chopper did not see her, The woman at the end with him had black hair and did not look quite the same.

If that was her it seemed a long way to go to get rid of the two guys she killed.

Was marcos the one who thought of the plot.

[–] transmentalist 12 years ago

My take on it:

They wanted to kill the boyfriend because he was a loose cannon and would spoil their cover-up

She wanted to kill Henry Thomas to hide her involvement in the plot to kill the boyfriend

The dead body at the start of the film is supposed to be Swain - she died.

The woman at the end was the girl Marcos was making eyes at (and she at him) on the other boat passing by earlier

We're meant to assume that boat and girl picked him up while he was drifting in the life-ring

There was no "plot" with Marcos - he got picked up and didn't report back to Swain & co. - he wanted them to sweat over his disappearance

[–] branenj001 11 years ago

Wasnt she looking out her window at the beginning watching the helicopter bring the body to the beach as the crowds gathered though?

[–] transmentalist 11 years ago

Wasnt she looking out her window at the beginning watching the helicopter bring the body to the beach as the crowds gathered though?

She was looking out her window at the beginning watching the helicopter bring SOME body to the beach as the crowds gathered.

It wasn't HER body (obviously, since she was watching it), and it wasn't the body shown floating at the beginning (because that WAS her body).

In other words, it's a fake-out.

[–] olliemankz 10 years ago

You're good, transmentalist. Yeah, I totally forgot about that other boat, just as the three friends apparently did.

Riddle me this: why did Marcos hide the fact that, a), he could speak English and, b), he could swim! I'm wondering if the other boat was in on something all the time and planned to come back for him, and that that is why he was so unconcerned when he was in the water.

One could almost guess that they were part of a plot to bring down Swain's father in some way, except that there would have been no telling that it would work. About Swain's ability to kill her friends, she had proved herself to be capable of deception when she accused Marcos of having jumped her for the benefit of her boyfriend, even though she seemed to have been a willing participant; I wonder why Marcos didn't object. Again ... because he already had plans for them?

[–] catlvr29 9 years ago

I was thinking the same thing , that was a huge plot hole why marcos hid the fact that he couldn't swim ! I still don't get that part .

[–] olliemankz 10 years ago

Oh, and why would the girl jump into the water with no means of survival really? Was she expecting to cling to a part of the boat once it had blown up and it sank instead? Although she was paddling away so she apparently wanted to live. Did she expect that the explosion would bring the coast guard, only it was a little too dark by that time for her to be seen?

[–] transmentalist 10 years ago

why did Marcos hide the fact that, a), he could speak English and, b), he could swim! I'm wondering if the other boat was in on something all the time and planned to come back for him, and that that is why he was so unconcerned when he was in the water

I don't think the other boat was part of any plan. The other boat in the area, and the girl on the bow had already shown interest in Marcos, so it's not a stretch to accept the possibility that the boat (at the girl's request) might come back the same way later.

(BTW, we don't know that he was unconcerned in the water - they rush off and leave him before we can see how he's reacting. That said, it wouldn't shock me if he was, in fact, unconcerned - he had that blasé, laid back confidence one sees in the offspring of the very-wealthy).

As for Marcos pretending to be ignorant and unable to swim, he likes playing games. That's why he's playing "dead" at the end, not knowing that the victims of his "joke" are busily blaming and killing each other.

Besides, you can learn so much when others think you're helpless (e.g., unable to swim on a boat in the ocean) and can't understand them. You get to see so much more of someone's character when they think they've got all the power.

why would the girl jump into the water with no means of survival really? Was she expecting to cling to a part of the boat once it had blown up and it sank instead? Although she was paddling away so she apparently wanted to live. Did she expect that the explosion would bring the coast guard, only it was a little too dark by that time for her to be seen?

'Cause she's a dimwit.

The movie centered on her spoiled-brat mentality; she considers herself to be "prime real estate" and requires her future husband to be a good provider (which is why Danny gets all whiny when Jeff tells him he can't have a sexy "trader" job). She later tasks Jeff with killing Danny, as if it's all his fault (she even says, "you got me into this"); in fact, Jeff's the least culpable of the three. He's still a scumbag - he just went along with Danny and Gloria. So he's a weak scumbag.

Point being, Gloria doesn't plan that far ahead. She sees Danny and Jeff as loose ends that need to be tied up, so she takes care of them without considering how she'll save herself afterwards. Gloria, and people like her, are accustomed to other people bailing them out of trouble.

y'know, the more I revisit this movie, the more I like it. Probably for exactly the same reason one of the IMDB reviewers hated it: "stupid people do stupid things and make me feel much better about myself"

[–] olliemankz 10 years ago

Thanks for the deep analysis. You really got a lot out of the movie!

I had not gotten that the girl was so spoiled-selfish at least at first; it seemed she wanted to do the right thing, partly out of genuine love for her father. Her transformation to killer seemed sudden and surprising to me. Perhaps I need to watch it again.