Some scary movies remind us that the peaceful routines we consider ourselves living in are always moments away from chaos. Yes, many fans tune into horror flicks to be frightened by the supernatural, by the age-old character profiles and tropes we’ve grown comfortable with—but sometimes those movies are a little too close for comfort.
2004’s Haven, a movie billed as a crime thriller, is certainly terrifying, albeit not in a supernatural or typical horror movie way. It follows the story of a man and his daughter who escape to the Cayman Islands so Mr. Ridley isn’t jailed, although his daughter isn’t exactly a willing participant to the ordeal.
The film’s synopsis is as follows:
Corrupt Miami businessman Carl Ridley flees to the Cayman Islands to escape prosecution, taking his resentful daughter with him. Once there, he enlists the help of a shady investment banker in laundering his money, little realizing that his escape has set in motion a disastrous chain of events involving British native Shy.
Alongside Saldaña, the film stars Orlando Bloom, Victor Rasuk, Bill Paxton, Anthony Mackie, and Stephan Dillane.
Saldaña’s character, Andrea, has a rough road in the movie. Andrea serves as Shy’s main love interest, although life in the Caymans proves increasingly high-stakes for the two as the film goes on. While Haven leans more toward thriller than horror, it’s a drama with plenty of disturbing and adrenaline-pumping scenes too. It‘s terrifying because these intersecting storylines happen every day, closer to home than we’d ever care to admit.
You may not have had to escape to the Caymans to avoid prison time or be involved in illegal activity and suffer some of the tragic fates of the characters you grow to know, but it’s reflective of life and how quickly things can change. It’s a show of one decision and the ripples that come from it.
You can add Haven to your Halloween watch-a-thon this year by streaming the film on Peacock or Amazon Prime.
