Way Upstream

I have no nostalgic ties to the film, which seems to be the only valid reason anyone could derive even an ounce of enjoyment from it today.

Unfortunately, Way Upstream feels dreadfully dated and suffers from hopelessly wooden acting. The soundtrack is grating, akin to fingernails scraping down a blackboard, making it an ordeal to endure.

The cinematography fails to capture the charm of the English riverside, instead framing the entire film with uninspired, drab scenes dominated by bleak, uninteresting water. There's little to no scenic interest, and the movie spends far too much time focusing on the dull, dank surroundings.

I struggle to find any positives in this film. It's a painfully boring flashback to the 1980s and serves as a comprehensive lesson in how not to make a movie for a modern audience. Way Upstream is absolutely one to avoid.

I saw this a couple of times back in the late 1980s and would love to see it again. Very funny, at times darkly so. Surreal. A sort of 'Deliverance' on the UK canals?

Odd situations... strange plot twists. The actor who plays the madman is quite convincing, but it's well acted all round.

Originally shown on the BBC (maybe it was a 'Play For Today', I can't remember). And that is about all I can type about this one from memory, so bear with me while I try to fill up IMDb's ten line minimum review requirement.

There we go. Recommended. BBC please re-transmit this one!

I have watched this film over the years again and again and my two sons have grown up with it. I have been a fan of gorgeous Stuart Wilson since I saw him in The Strauss Family and loved him ever since. The film is a mixture of comedy,tragedy and black comedy. All the characters are stuck in an unsatisfying rut of different types of frustration and disappointment with their lives. The films unique setting-aboard a small rented cabin cruiser on a so called "holiday" could put you off boating for life (unless you want to see Hadworth Brick works and dash off a postcard). All in all it is a really interesting film and the unexpected ending leaves you thinking.

I didn´t know about that film. I read some critics and I was tempted to watch it in Halloween. They say it was in some way like John Borrman´s Deliverance. Well, in a way it is but like a dark comedy.

The characters are surreal, when you start watching it, you think: "this is really strange, the acting is histrionic but i ike it". So you continue to watch it, expecting something new an obscure to happen. And there it appears Steven Wilson, in a tremendous histrionic character, more than the others, and you start to laugh because of the bizarre of the events. Then you think it is a dark comedy, but when you smile, you star to watch a thriller (psicological like movie) and the fear invades you. Therefore the comparison to Boorman´s Deliverance.

A very funny, entertaining, intrigging and surprising movie. Not in quality like Deliverance, but either more like a telefilm well done. Like a movie you would like to re - watch it in cinema, on a big screen.

Very well done for the teleplay, directing and the characters. You will enjoy it!

7 stars out of 10.

i watched this movie on TV in 1987 i recorded to video and watched it countless times. i was very lucky recently to be given a DVD copy.it is nearly 20 years since i have watched this comedy/drama and it did not disappoint me.

the story begins with two couples the guys are business partners. as soon as they step on the boat the bully husbands wife is not happy with anything about the boat she wants to go home .the tension builds from the first day.

the other business partner is a weak guy and as no guts whatsoever.

the movie really gets going when keith one of the partners goes back to his factory to settle a dispute.and leaves alistair in charge of the boat.

within minutes alistair has grounded the boat .they all think they have met a lucky mascot vince who comes to their rescue ,he refloats the boat and june invites him on the boat for a drink at the annoyance of keith her husband who says "we don't even know who this guy is" the story quickly unfolds as vince is a phsycopathic madman. ENJOY