Adrift (12A)
Directed by Baltasar Kormakur

THIS drama about survival against all the odds is based on the remarkable true story of Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fiance Richard Sharp. They set sail from Tahiti to San Diego in 1983 before encountering one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.

Driven by a stand-out performance by Shailene Woodley as Tami, with Sam Claflin at his most charismatic as Richard, the narrative shifts beautifully and seamlessly between love story and survival drama.

It opens with the killer storm and a concussed and confused Tami getting her bearings, intercut with flashbacks of how the young couple met, fell in love and then embarked on the worst trip of their lives.

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur (Everest) and based on Tami's written account of the journey this adaptation stays true to the emotional core of her story, though understandably it takes some dramatic licence with the truth — without doing so, this wouldn't have made for very compelling viewing.

The storm scenes are heart-stopping as they portray the perils of sailing with uncanny realism and there's some stunning cinematography by Robert Richardson. The action proves to be a more complex and nail-biting ride than The Mercy, released earlier this year, which deals with similar themes.

Be in no doubt though — this is Woodley's film. It perfectly showcases her extraordinary talent in a nuanced portrayal, her most powerful and striking to date. But Claflin, equally wonderful to watch, is in danger of being typecast as the go-to romantic lead who dies.

It's an awe-inspiring tale and Tami, who has continued sailing regardless, is worthy of admiration. Yet this is yet another dangerous activity, along with mountain climbing, to add to my never-in-a-million-years list.