Something isn’t what it seems to be. Serenity sells itself as a murder plot mystery, and without giving anything away, is not exactly so. Set on a beautiful Bahamian island, Serenity uses some fantastic aerial shots that make you wish you were not walking out of the theatre into the wintery parking lot. Despite some powerful acting, Serenity goes off the rails enough to make it near a bad movie. Some may find the plot to be an interesting take on how we make connections in life, others will walk away scratching their heads asking why.

Matthew McConaughey (Baker Dill) takes his craft very seriously. He plays his role with tremendous intensity. If you were told McConaughey was playing a fisherman in the Bahamas visions of a Jimmy Buffet, easy going character would usually come to mind. Instead you get a man dealing with his personal struggles that has hardened him. The role is well played. Djimon Hounsou (Duke) plays his fishing partner and friend. He is a great actor and is good support for McConaughey. Anne Hathaway (Karen Zariakas) plays the seductress of the film and Jason Clarke (Frank Zariakas) plays her abusive husband. When thinking of Hathaway visions of the drama club senior from high school that thinks the world is a stage comes to mind. Her acting style in Serenity wasn’t much different. At times she comes off a bit over the top. Clarke has to play a rich asshat and it’s hard to believe that it was much of a challenge.

It’s hard to review this movie without ruining it for those that still want to see it. The trailer sums up the tone but is very misleading for the plot. Obviously intentional but a huge gamble on whether the audience receives it well. Some scenes can be very graphic so a mature audience is required. Serenity is going to walk a thin line. Which side of suck or good you fall on will be determined by your taste and view of the concept. If you are a fan of the actors you may want to give it a shot, but at home viewing would be good enough for most. If you do see it please come back to leave a rating or comment, it will be interesting to see how this movie is received.