Limbo

"The only thing more dangerous than death...is survival."

1999 2h 6m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 77

AdventureDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Traumatized by a fishing boat accident many years before, Joe Gastineau has given up his hopes for a life beyond the odd jobs he takes to support himself. That quickly changes when nomadic club singer Donna de Angelo and her troubled teen-age daughter enter Joe’s life. Both mother and daughter fall for Joe, increasing the friction between them. The tension continues to build when Joe invites them on a pleasure cruise up the Alaskan coast, discovering too late that the trip may cost them their lives.

“The only thing more dangerous than death...is survival.”

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Cast

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Donna De Angelo
David Strathairn
Joe Gastineau
Vanessa Martinez
Noelle De Angelo
Kris Kristofferson
Smilin' Jack
Casey Siemaszko
Bobby Gastineau
Kathryn Grody
Frankie
Rita Taggart
Lou
Leo Burmester
Harmon King

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Sayles
Writers: John Sayles
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 25% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Sayles, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mason Daring. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Sayles shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and David Strathairn and Vanessa Martinez carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The only thing more dangerous than death...is survival.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0164085 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Sayles directs. Haskell Wexler behind the camera. Mason Daring scores. John Sayles cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 25% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
227 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by John Sayles, shot by Haskell Wexler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Mason Daring. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor John Sayles shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and David Strathairn and Vanessa Martinez carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The only thing more dangerous than death...is survival.".
8IMDB entry: tt0164085 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 77 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Haskell Wexler
Original score: Mason Daring
Editing: John Sayles
Production design: Gemma Jackson
Costume design: Shay Cunliffe
Makeup / hair: Lori Hicks
Runtime: 126 min · 2h 6m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,000,000
Box office: $1,997,807
Return: 25% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Limbo (1999)

Also by

John Sayles

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2023-10-22
★ 8/10
The challenges of life on the remote coast of the Great Northwest A handyman in an isolated coastal town of Southeast Alaska (David Strathairn) meets a singer (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) while considering getting back to the ocean as a fisherman. He takes the woman and her daughter (Vanessa Martinez) on a boat trip up the coast where things don’t go as planned. Written/directed by John Sayles, "Limbo" (1999) is a drama that becomes a gritty adventure and character study. After the dramatic set-up, the milieu is similar to “Out of Control” (1984) and “The Edge” (1997), just way more mundane and realistic. “Nightmare at Bittercreek” (1988) and "Anything to Survive" (1990) are good comparisons, although this is far superior to the latter. "Courage" (2009) ripped it off a decade later for a far lesser movie hampered by eye-rolling dramatics and hammy acting. The ending may understandably turn-off some viewers, but Sayles respects the intelligence of the viewer to put the pieces together. The answers are there for those who care. The movie runs 2 hours, 6 minutes, and was shot in Juneau, Alaska. GRADE: A-

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