STILLWATER

Stillwater has some worthwhile elements. Bill is a hard-working man who prays to Jesus, cares deeply about his daughter, and shows kindness and compassion toward a young French girl. The scenes between Bill, Maya, and Maya’s mother are often touching, and the film includes some good acting.

Those strengths do not overcome the content or the confused execution. The movie is 140 minutes long, slow, overlong, and jumbled. It contains lots of strong foul language, a brief bedroom scene, violence, kidnapping, and other immorality. Its political narrative is also shallow, slanderous, and offensive in its treatment of America, conservatives, and white people.

The practical answer is simple: skip Stillwater.

Bill, an unemployed oil worker from Oklahoma, travels to Marseilles, France, to help his young adult daughter, Allison. She has spent five years in prison for murdering her lesbian lover, a crime she says she did not commit.

When new information points toward another possible suspect, Bill begins investigating on his own. Along the way, he grows close to Virginie, a French theater actress and single mother, and her eight-year-old daughter, Maya.

Three stars means Stillwater has some good acting and touching dramatic moments, but its flaws substantially weaken the film.

The strongest material involves Bill’s relationship with Maya and her mother. These scenes help transform him into a more sociable, likable, and less guarded man. Bill’s commitment to his daughter, work ethic, and shy humility also give the character some appeal.

But the divided narrative undermines the movie. Its character study, suspense elements, and political drama do not fit together well. The film is overlong, poorly paced, slow, and jumbled, while the suspense is less compelling than it should be. Some plot points and dialogue also seem ignorant or fail to make sense.

Stillwater presents a strong romantic worldview mixed with politically correct, leftist elements. Its political narrative portrays America, conservatives, and white people as racist or backward, while presenting more “enlightened” characters as siding with non-white immigrants. The review finds this message shallow, false, slanderous, and offensive.

The film does not seem to attack Bill’s faith in Jesus Christ. He prays before every meal and prays with his daughter. His kindness, compassion, humility, and desire to do right for his daughter are among the movie’s more positive qualities. Yet his faith is treated as a minor device rather than a deeply developed commitment. Bill also lies, has a dark past, sleeps with an unmarried woman, and does a bad thing to clear his daughter.

The movie’s lesbian relationships are not presented as wholly positive, either. One lover is described as promiscuous and unfaithful, while the other grieves despite feeling used and humiliated. The story therefore raises moral questions without offering a clear biblical framework for answering them.

The film’s central concern is whether a troubled father can become more responsible and do what is right. Jesus teaches, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Stillwater gestures toward moral change but does not ground that change firmly in discipleship.

Stillwater offers good acting, Christian and moral elements, and touching relationships. But its strong profanity, sexual content, violence, immorality, poor pacing, and shallow political message make it excessive and unacceptable overall. Our answer is SKIP IT. For better family options, see.