Netflix often tends to be cyclical in nature, with countless titles posting a strong showing in the Top 10 most-watched list and hanging around for a few days or even weeks before vanishing into the ether of the algorithm, only for them to eventually reappear further down the line and experience a second, third or even fourth lease of life on the world’s most popular streaming service.
We can now add The Water Man to that list, which has rebounded almost two months after first being added to the platform on July 13th. Netflix scooped up the international distribution rights to the project last year, which marks the feature directorial debut of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Selma, Interstellar and The Midnight Sky‘s David Oyelowo.
The plot follows a young boy who ventures into a remote forest to search for the titular mythical figure, who he believes possesses the secret to immortality and can cure his sick mother. Reviews have been generally strong across the board, with The Water Man holding a strong 78% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it looks as though Oyelowo has a solid side career in front of him as a director if his first film is any indication.
The Water Man was always going to be watchable at the least when it boasts Rosario Dawson, Alfred Molina and Maria Bello lending support to Oyelowo in the lead, so it’s no shock that the performances were singled out as the highlight of a drama that’s a lot more inward-looking than the fantastical synopsis may have you believe.
