The Flood: Nature Does the Dirty Work

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you’re into the kind of old-school cinema where people stare longingly at doorways and the emotional stakes are cranked up to eleven, you’ll dig The Flood. It’s got that specific, creaky charm that you only get from films of this era. But if you need snappy dialogue or, you know, a modern pace, you’re gonna hate this. It moves like molasses during a heatwave.

It’s a movie that feels like a dusty book you pulled off a shelf in the back of a library. You aren't sure why you picked it up, but you keep reading because the ink is fading in such a weirdly pretty way.

Love, lies, and a lot of water

The plot is basically a classic love triangle that’s gone sour. You’ve got people making terrible life choices while a giant, looming dam sits in the background like a ticking clock. It’s almost funny how obvious the foreshadowing is. You know that wall of concrete isn't going to hold, but you watch anyway to see who gets caught in the splash.

The acting is very… expressive. Lots of hand-wringing and eyes wide enough to swallow the camera lens. It reminded me a bit of the intensity found in Rain, where the environment is just as much a character as the humans sweating through their clothes.

• That one scene in the kitchen is way too long.
• The dam shots are surprisingly tense for something made decades ago.
• I’m still not sure if the lead character is a villain or just very confused.

There’s this one moment where the characters are arguing about their feelings while the sky outside is looking particularly ominous. It’s almost like the movie is saying, "Shut up, nobody cares about your affair, the town is about to drown." I loved that. It’s petty and grand all at once.

It’s not exactly Wild Waters when it comes to the scale of the disaster, but it manages to make the personal feel as heavy as the incoming tide. The pacing is hit or miss, though. Sometimes it lingers on a look for way too long, like the director forgot to yell cut.

Honestly, the ending is a bit of a wash—pun intended. But there's something satisfying about seeing the whole mess literally scrubbed clean by the river. It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s certainly not subtle, but it stuck with me for the rest of the night. If you’ve got a rainy afternoon and a high tolerance for vintage drama, give it a shot. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🌊