In a world where all water sources are contaminated, many lifeforms face extinction. Hubert Davis’ The Well opens with a disturbing account of how it all started—and why boiling water isn’t enough. It immediately raises the question: how long can humanity survive? The film wastes no time in showing how isolated the society has become.
The story centers on the Devine family and their growing paranoia over strangers near their hideout. Sarah (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) and her parents (Arnold Pinnock and Joanne Boland) live off the grid, lucky to have found a clean water source. When a wounded outsider (Idrissa Sanogo) stumbles into their lives and begs for a drink, they hesitate. The moral dilemma of “should they help or not?” drives the plot. What unfolds is an engrossing thriller that avoids heavy special effects or dense world-building to keep viewers hooked through to the end.
More than survival, the film explores how long the Devines can keep the well flowing. “Nothing lasts forever”—that idiom resonates through philosophy, religion, and science. Here, it anchors a narrative rooted in the human condition. The screenplay, by Michael Capellupo and Kathleen Hepburn, builds tension that simmers to the surface as we witness a family in crisis.
All I can say is that once you understand why the family is at this crossroads, and accept their trauma as more character drama than sci-fi, everything else fades. After watching this movie, I searched for interviews to learn how the idea for this film was born. Davis said to Variety, “Several years ago, we were living in a remote place north of Toronto, and the idea for The Well emerged from the feeling of being isolated with family and imagining what that would mean in a dystopian near-future.”
“When you’re raising your kids, who do you trust besides yourself? You need others to survive. But for your children to grow, they have to engage with the world—and that’s dangerous. It came from my own anxiety.”
Those feelings run deep in Davis’ direction. His personal experience subtly shapes the story. Though the idea took years to develop, the choice between crafting a character drama or a typical post-apocalyptic action film must’ve been tough.
That’s not to say The Well has run dry. But sustaining a story like this takes more than dialogue. Even a bit of action can keep this fountain flowing. Even after watching most of the film, I won’t spoil it. It’s better to let others experience its surprises for themselves rather than fight like dogs over the last scraps. Although food looks seemingly abundant in the world, one plot hole concerns what about making their own fruit juices for liquid sustenance?
3½ Stars out of 5
The Well (2025) Movie Trailer
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