Could actor and first-time director David Oyelowo possibly have known that the entire West Coast of the United States would be on fire when his film The Water Man made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival? Obviously forest fires are a common occurrence in the region, so the climax of this family-friendly ghost story was always going to be scary in a realistic way, but nobody could have known just how scary forest fires would be this year. As the film searches for a distributor, one wonders if reactions of "too soon" might have an adverse affect on The Water Man finding a broader audience.
It's unfortunate, since The Water Man is a good first film with a big heart. While the low-budget production can't compete with the Spielberg/Amblin classics it's inspired by on the spectacle front, it shares their respect for young audiences' intelligence and their ability to handle dark subject matter in an comforting, accessible manner.
Emma Needell's screenplay, which made the 2015 Black List (a ranking of the most recommended unproduced scripts in Hollywood), has a tightly constructed first act. Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) is a bookish, artistic kid whose mother (Rosario Dawson) is struggling with leukemia and whose father (David Oyelowo) doesn't communicate well with him. He processes his situation by writing a comic about a ghost detective solving his own murder, and by borrowing copious books from the local bookstore (a detail which begs the question of why this town doesn't have a library). His research puts him on the hunt for an urban legend known as The Water Man, who might offer the secret to immortality.
Gunner runs away from home to seek The Water Man, and he pays Jo (Amiah Miller), another runaway who claims to have encountered this creature, to be his guide. The second act adventuring isn't quite as compelling as the initial set-up. This is partially due to the lack of truly impressive setpieces and partially due to the fact the movie doesn't approach Jo's story as deeply as it does Gunner's. Her arc hits emotional beats just as heavy, but on the way there she's maybe a tad too mean, or perhaps Gunner a tad too naive, for their friendship to be quite as believable as it could be.
The final act has aspects which are underwhelming (some of the loose threads of the mystery) and overwhelming (that terrifying forest fire), but overall is wildly successful at what matters most: bringing together all of the story's emotional points successfully. It's hard not to get teary-eyed in the final moments of the film, which are simultaneously uplifting and bittersweet. Hopefully this will receive a proper release beyond the festival circuit for wider audiences to enjoy.
Directed by and starring David Oyelowo, The Water Man also stars Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina and Maria Bello. No release has been announced yet.