• Release year: 2025
• Director: Matthew Losasso.
• Producer: Nick Skaugen.
• Screenplay by: Matthew Losasso and Nick Skaugen.
• Cinematography by: Zoran Veljkovic.
• Music by: Kyle Kirkpatrick.

Shotgun Commentary: smothering masterpiece.

Review

Row is a flashback thriller that tells the story of a woman who survives a fateful attempt at breaking a world record. Waking up in an unknown bed in an unfamiliar room is Megan’s first experience after the traumatic event. Megan (Bella Dayne) will try to piece what happened together while a very unhelpful policeman bluntly asks her questions.

Now and then

The film begins with a pretty harsh scene. One with two corpses and Megan shaking in shock with a knife in her hand. This automatically hooks you, and you become desperate to know what happened to this poor woman. Let me tell you now, you will never see that scene ever again. In fact, it remains a mystery to me to this day. Right after this shocking image, you are formally introduced to Megan, now clean and laying down on a bed, unconscious.

When she finally wakes up, the first thing she hears is a stranger asking her if she remembers what happened at sea. Now, yours truly isn’t a detective nor a doctor. But is it too farfetched to assume that maybe the man should’ve started with a good morning? Maybe not, but asking about the patient’s emotional state seems like the right thing to do before you begin to prod into a series of events so traumatic that they’ve left her catatonic.

After that rocky beginning, the film is divided in past and present, which it alternates for the sake of drama. The present narrative showcases her isolation, the inhumanity and incompetence of the Irish policeman in charge of her case, and the final revelation at the very end.

Tense setting

Meanwhile, the narrative that takes place through Megan’s memories is where the real tea lies. This part of the movie covers from the moment they are preparing to set sail, until she is washed ashore nearly dead. In between those two moments, the story is full of betrayal, lies, violence and generally everyone going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

In a tale where you never know who is about to snap and kill everybody around them, the tensions are high both on screen and outside of it. The thriller keeps you guessing at every turn, with tons of unknowns that eventually unravel, some more predictably than others. At the end of the day, it is about how a group of people locked in a very small space for over a month are able (or unable, in this case), to deal with each other’s egos and traumas. To this, one must add a challenging environment that constantly threatens their lives, and you get a fantastic thriller.

The vibes

As expected from a movie that follows a trans-Atlantic rowing trip, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, albeit terrifying at times. Few things are as scary as the open sea, especially during a storm. It is chilling enough to see a big ship in that situation, but a tiny raft-size boat with four people and barely nowhere to take cover? That’s a whole other level of horror, one that not even the creepiest ghostly hallucinations (also featured) can reach.

All in all, Row is a haunting story that offers no respite or hope. You guessed it, it is absolutely delightful. The film draws the horror from reality, from the human condition and how everyone can surprise themselves when put under enough pressure. It doesn’t depend on jump scares or a soundtrack with sudden, loud noises. An absolute gem of horror that every horror fan should definitely check out.

You can watch Row now in London thanks to Raindance Film Festival. Screeners the 21st of June at 18:30 and the 22nd of June at 15:15. Find all the info and tickets here!

Advice to take from this movie:

• In the event of an accident, coming clean is usually best.
• Sometimes there is no justice.
• Life has a way of being annoyingly ironic.

What’s your take? Have you watched Row? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀