Four friends go fishing, their boat capsizes in a storm, and they are left stranded far from shore as the cold sets in. Only Nick Schuyler survives, and the film tells his true story. Carnahan shot it largely in a water tank in Malta, so watch how real water shapes the performances.
Not Without Hope is a 2025 drama, thriller and adventure film directed by Joe Carnahan. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (1 cinematography, 1 editing and 2 narrative), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, All the Money in the World uses several of the same techniques.
Shooting actors and camera inside a large tank of real water, with wave machines and spray added. The cold, motion and exhaustion you see are physically real.
How this film uses it
The production shot in Malta in a tank connected to the sea, mostly at night. Cast say they worked in cold water with wave machines and water cannons, and Zachary Levi called it the most physically demanding job of his career. You see tired bodies, not stunt work.
Where to see it
The capsizing and the first night. The boat goes over in a storm, and the men are left in dark, rough water.
Alternating between simultaneous lines of action in different places or worlds. The cuts build suspense or draw a comparison between the threads.
How this film uses it
The film cuts between the men in the water and the search for them. You know help is moving, but not whether it will arrive in time. The cuts also bring in the families on shore.
Where to see it
The night search cutaways. The film cuts from the men in the water to a night search by men on a boat and a night scene with the men's family.
Making the sea, weather or terrain the main enemy, so no villain is needed. The drama comes from exhaustion, cold and small survival decisions.
How this film uses it
The ocean is the opponent here. Storm, dark and cold hit first, and then sharks circle. Each death is handled realistically, so the men's struggle feels grounded and sad.
Where to see it
The sharks. After the capsizing, the men's sandwiches float up from beneath the boat and bob just out of reach as sharks begin to circle.
Building the story around a clear deadline the hero must beat. The time pressure and the obstacles grow with each scene until the climax.
How this film uses it
Survival has a deadline, because cold wears people down. The film marks time with dialogue and intertitles, so you always know how long the men have been in the water. Each stretch makes rescue less likely.
Where to see it
The daytime time stamps. Later daytime scenes use dialogue and intertitles to place the action 24 hours after the accident.
Questions
Not Without Hope: quick answers
What filmmaking techniques does Not Without Hope use?
CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Not Without Hope (2025): Water Tank Immersion, Parallel Crosscutting, Nature as Antagonist and Ticking Clock Structure.
Who directed Not Without Hope?
Joe Carnahan directed Not Without Hope, released in 2025. CineCode also covers The Grey (2011).
What films are similar to Not Without Hope?
Films that share techniques with Not Without Hope include All the Money in the World (2017), A House of Dynamite (2025), The Bourne Legacy (2012), Back to the Future (1985).
Is there a video breakdown of Not Without Hope?
Yes. There is a short video breakdown of Not Without Hope on the CineCode YouTube channel, embedded on this page.
