‘Quicksand’ Review – An Underwhelming Screenplay Sinks Any Potential

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Growing up, it felt like quicksand was a big deal. Thanks to it being a consistent narrative device in movies and television, people of a certain age were led to believe that quicksand was a danger that was faced on a semi-regular basis. While quicksand is a very real natural phenomenon, a cursory internet search reveals something surprising: it’s basically impossible to die from the muddy substance. At worst, it’s a minor inconvenience, but when looking for any documented cases of deaths, you come up short. This fact might leave many both relieved and feeling deceived by the media for decades.

Quicksand follows an American couple named Sofia (Carolina Gaitan) and Josh (Allan Hawco) who travel to Columbia to attend a work conference. Their mutual friend Marcos (Sebastian Eslava) can sense something is up, as there is thick tension between the two. It turns out that not only are the pair going through a rough patch, but the marriage is ending. They are forced to confront their issues and fight to stay alive when they both somehow end up stuck in the titular quicksand. Deep buried resentments seem destined to bubble up to the surface, even though they do not.

Quicksand is something of an odd duck. It’s not fully a tension-filled thriller, nor the right amount of camp to justify its pulpy premise. Herein lies where this film quickly goes off the rails. First, there are some really good qualities that help the film pass as mildly enjoyable, even if it is ultimately forgettable. Director Andres Beltran is incredibly smart with his casting, especially when his two leads not only have the most screen time but of course carry all the film’s emotional weight. Carolina Gaitan and Allan Hawco turn in amazing performances that one might say isn’t deserved in the sometimes B-level writing they are forced to make convincing. The pair really do milk the emotional moments for all they are worth, and thankfully they never take it to a cheesy place. Especially towards the finale, you do find yourself swept up in their plight, and it’s all thanks to the actors being excellent at their craft. Whether you believe them as a couple is another thing. Also, while the screenplay suffers from issues, credit where it’s due: there are some clever twists and narrative threads that help keep you mildly invested.

While there are elements that will no doubt keep the audience on board, the overall film is a mess. This movie seems to have something of an identity complex. It never wants to fully commit to its B-movie roots, which is fine. However, you have unintentionally funny moments that clash with the self-serious tone. This is where a movie like Anaconda works brilliantly. The movie isn’t a parody or overtly campy, yet it knows when to lean in on its camp value. This is why, in that movie when cheesy things happen intentionally or not, it works.

When you have at your core a serious film about decaying relationships, sobriety and parenthood, there’s little to no room for any flourishes of camp. That is perfectly valid, but you also must make sure that you keep and maintain a consistent tone. It also doesn’t help the film’s case when some important plot points feel confusing or not well thought out. Not to mention, the characters need to make increasingly stupid choices for the plot to happen. It’s clear that more attention should have been paid to the screenplay. This feels like second draft material at best.

Quicksand languishes in this weird place of being great in the acting department, but lacking consistent tone and narrative polish sink this film faster than the titular murky substance. It’s engaging enough for a mild recommendation, but don’t expect much.

Quicksand is currently available to stream on Shudder. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AxS2STd7Ac]