The concept was really interesting and the trailer looked great. Have also liked Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin in other things, she in 'The Descendants' (very heartfelt and overlooked performance) and he in 'Journey's End' (was not expecting acting as powerful as the acting he gave in that film as a complex and conflicted character).

'Adrift' is certainly watchable, but the overall feeling felt after watching was underwhelmed disappointment, with both good and bad things and big in quality on both sides. There are certainly far worse films released in 2018, especially of the ones so far seen 'The First Purge' and 'Slender Man', but also much better, the aforementioned 'Journey's End' being one of them. Not terrible but really was expecting and hoping to like it so much more.

Beginning with the praise, the production values are wonderful. Especially the luminous cinematography, which makes the most of the atmospheric and picturesque scenery. The music has presence yet understatement but is not intrusive or ham-handed. Nice soundtrack choices and they didn't distract.

Woodley is the other main asset of 'Adrift', always engaging and with lots of emotional power as a smart and resilient character, the one most developed and that rings most true. Claflin is not quite as good but supports her sympathetically. Their chemistry has pathos, though doesn't quite simmer. Jeffrey Thomas and Elizabeth Hawthorne are good in support, as are the rest of the cast, but it's all about Woodley and Claflin and they deliver the goods. There are moments of claustrophobia and the emotion is definitely there.

However, the story is lacking on the whole. The pace generally needed to be much tighter, parts don't go very far or feel aimless, some of the flashbacks feeling like padding that doesn't say as much as they could, that it dissipates some of the tension. The tension only comes in spades, partly because of the pace but also, and even more so, moments intended to be surprising being too obvious in a film that's already pretty predictable. One is mildly engrossed but not excited or completely riveted.

Emotional impact is there in 'Adrift' but again it could have been more tender and subtle, it would have benefitted from more simmering chemistry between the leads and the romance being less clichéd and forced. Was expecting more than teenage soap opera level on the wrong side of cornball. The structure was also an issue, the back and forth being wildly jumpy and disjointed, making the story structurally variable in coherence. The direction excels in the visuals and the direction of Woodley and Claflin, but struggles with the momentum and control of the story.

Overall, watchable but could have been better. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) finds herself alone on a sailing boat broken by a devastating storm. Five months earlier in 1983, she arrives in Tahiti after finishing a tour on a sailing ship. She had left her San Diego family to travel the world. She and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) fall in love. They are offered an opportunity to sail an older couple's boat back to San Diego. They run into the storm and Tami struggle to survive.

This movie is split between two time periods. Everything after the storm is solid man-against-nature adventure. The stuff before the storm is less compelling. The meet-cute is fun. The courtship can be a bit of an info dump. Overall, this is Shailene stretching her survivalist acting chops. The final twist is not the most dramatic although I guess it has to fit the true story. A different fictionalization could have added more intensity. It should have done more with the survival story and trimmed back on the courtship story.

The free spirit American drifter Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) arrives in Tahiti and finds a job at the marina. When she meets the British sailor Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin),they immediately fall in love with each other. They stumble upon Richard´s old friends and they offer ten thousand dollars plus first class air tickets for them to sail their sailing ship to San Diego. Richard and Tami accept the offer but along their journey, there is a storm that throws Richard in the sea and wreaks the vessel. Tami rescues Richard from the water and they fight to survive while the vessel is adrift. Will they survive?

"Adrift" is a good film with a story of love and survival. Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin show great chemistry and wonderful performances. The screenplay entwining past and present keeps the interest in the film until the very end with an unexpected plot point. The direction and the special effects are magnificent, giving the sensation that the sailing ship is crossing a storm indeed. The camera work is also impressive shooting in small spaces with perfect edition. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Vidas à Deriva" ("Adrift Lives")