At the beginning of the film I thought Melinda and Vic were at a swingers party full of mature people and to make it even worse, Melinda was so happy when her young lover Joel Nash played by (Brendan Miller) showed up, I was convinced that this was a swingers get-together.

Though I couldn’t help but question why Vic seemed to not be participating with anyone else but instead walked around the house looking for his wife. Then “Bang” Melinda is seen kissing Joel with her husband watching. She sees him and moves away from his site, probably feeling a bit of quilt or whatever’s going through her mind.

From the very beginning, this movie had me going through the emotions, I’m no-ones husband nor boyfriend but imagine seeing your wife kissing a younger man while you’re married and have a child together. Not only do they live together as well but I have to see my spouse every day and pretend everything’s okay when I know the things I know, it is ludicrous.

It’s not until they arrive at their home that you understand what the film’s all about. To put it short, Vic and Melinda are in a marriage that has lost all its spark and flame. There’s nothing left between them and both have found their way to finding what makes them happy. While Vic nurtures snails in his basement and I’ll explain this to you later. Melinda on the other hand has chosen to indulge herself in the pleasures of man.

Deep Water is based on a novel by “Patricia Highsmith“, though there have been some minor and major changes to the original story, including a new ending with a completely new meaning to it. The Original ending has Melinda and Lionel (named “Don” in the book) working together to concoct a strategy to catch Vic red-handed and have him arrested.

However, at the film’s ending, Melinda discovers Tony’s wallet in Vic’s snail basement which leads to her sudden realization that Vic killed Tony. On the other hand, Lionel is working on finding Vic as the killer on his own which ends up with Lionel finding the evidence however Vic while chasing Lionel on his bicycle has Lionel run off a cliff for his sudden discovery. Melinda then decides to pack her belongings in an attempt to leave, only for Trixie to intercede.

This ending can be misleading as it can be thought as if Melinda has always known about Vic killing her lovers, and in an attempt to bring back the spark in their relationship and has ignored all his past murders till now.

Vic on the other hand, turns out the snails are meant to be a metaphor for what the couple has been missing since the birth of their daughter Trixie. Vic keeps peering into a world that he desperately desires but can’t have which is, “Love and Fidelity”.

If you are a couple on the rocks I urge you to watch this film with your own discretion. This film addresses a lot of matters of the heart and marriage, like how while Melinda didn’t exactly want a child yet Vic insisted that they try, this not only broke them as a couple but also brought with it animosity and hatred from Melinda’s perspective.

I still can’t understand how Melinda thought it would ever be okay to start dating other men and inviting them around her husband’s friends. I’m trying to comprehend whether this is all to get a reaction from Vic or whether simply she enjoyed being seen in this kind of light.

A very dark look into a marriage that’s lost its spark, but still an interesting film to watch when you’ve got the time on your hands.

Thanks for reading.