The Water Man (2020)

The Water Man has that rare, old-fashioned sense of wonder where a child’s imagination and a family’s real pain share the same screen without either feeling cheapened. David Oyelowo directs with a gentle hand and a big heart, letting the adventure in the Wild Horse forest play like a modern bedtime fable—moody, a little spooky, and threaded with animated touches that make the myth feel close enough to reach. What really sells it, though, is the sincerity: Lonnie Chavis and Amiah Miller make the kids’ bravery feel earned, while Oyelowo brings quiet, grounded emotion to a father learning how to enter his son’s world. It’s not a nonstop thrill ride and the peril can get intense for sensitive viewers, but if you’re in the mood for a PG adventure that’s more about love and grief than spectacle, it’s an easy film to root for.

The Water Man wants to be a heartfelt, kid-centered adventure about grief, hope, and a family learning to talk to each other, and you can feel David Oyelowo aiming for something sincere. The problem is it plays things pretty safe: the fantasy quest feels familiar, the emotions are pushed a bit hard, and the story can seem like it’s switching lanes between family drama and mythical adventure without fully blending them. It also isn’t as visually transporting or suspensefully paced as the premise promises, so if you’re expecting big wonder or momentum, you may get restless. Still, the performances are committed and the PG edge (scary woods, peril, some intense imagery) might work for families looking for a gentle, message-forward film rather than a truly magical ride.