The Water Man Movie Review: A sensitive film that explores the journey to find the last ray of hope

As Gunner and his family,which includes his mom Mary Boone (Rosario Dawson) and dad Amos Boone (David Oyelowo), are trying their best to adjust to a new countryside town, he wants to leave no stone unturned to help his severely ill mom to have another shot at life. Sensitive and extremely creative, the teen is working on his first graphic novel on a topic that’s cool. From visiting graveyards to reading mystery novels and going through books at the local library, Gunner does it all to make his novel as real as possible. It’s also a way for Gunner to escape from the harsh realities of life. While his father Amos is trying his best to come to terms with his wife’s health and simultaneously deal with a teenage son, it ultimately puts all the strain on the father-son relationship. During the course of events, Amos accidentally spills black ink on Gunner’s in-progress graphic novel, further straining their relationship. While researching for his novel, he comes across Jo who’s talking about her encounter with the urban legend The Water Man. After scoring a map of the exact location of the legend’s whereabouts through Jim Bussey (Alfred Molina), who wrote the original book about The Water Man, Gunner and Jo soon begin their journey to find the ultimate elixir.Actor David Oyelowo, who’s also the director of the film, has done quite a good job. His directorial debut, which is centered on children’s fantasy drama, also smartly blends in the supernatural touch. While the film deals with grief and the pain of losing someone, David doesn’t shy away from showing these emotions in the rawest form, leading to honest conversations between characters. In one scene, Gunner advises his mom’s medical attendant to change the medicines. Jo and Gunner’s chemistry is that of two teenagers–one desperately in need of finding a solution, the other one running away from her abusive father. Sadly, Jo’s life track didn’t get as much attention as it deserved. The way the dense woods have been shown looks fabulous; the eerie darkness, pristine clear water and lush greenery look good. Every actor has done a commendable job. However, we surely would have loved to see more of Mario Bello playing the honest and righteous Sheriff Goodwin..Lonnie Chavis as the conflicted teen, Gunner, has ensured that people take notice of his engaging acting skills. The film’s powerful message of finding a sense of hope when everything around is dark will strike the right chord with the audience, especially in the testing times that we are facing collectively.