Knife in the Water (1962)

7.4Not Rated90 minDirector: Roman Polanski

1962 Polish film by Roman Polanski

Knife in the Water (Polish: Nóż w wodzie) is a 1962 Polish psychological thriller film co-written and directed by Roman Polanski in his feature debut, and starring Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, and Zygmunt Malanowicz. Its plot follows a husband and wife who are accompanied on a boating trip by a young male hitchhiker, who spurs a number of escalating confrontations between the couple.

The film was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and is Polanski's only Polish-language feature to date. Knife in the Water has garnered acclaim from film critics since its release, and is one of Polanski's best-reviewed works. American filmmaker Martin Scorsese recognized the film as one of the masterpieces of Polish cinema and in 2014 selected it for screening alongside films such as Andrzej Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds and Innocent Sorcerers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom as part of the Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema festival of Polish films.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Knife in the Water about?
Knife in the Water (1962) — Well off Andrzej and Krystyna's marriage is at a stage where familiarity breeds contempt, that contempt which is outwardly shown only behind closed doors and only when an incident of some sort sets off one or the other. While driving through the countryside on a Sunday on their w
Is Knife in the Water based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Knife in the Water scary?
Content rating: Not Rated. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.