A yachtsman is on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean when his vessel is damaged in a collision with a shipping container. With his navigation equipment and radio wrecked in the accident, he must rely on a sextant and nautical maps, not to mention his own expertise and intuition, to guide him to safety. He embarks on a course that will bring him into conflict with the elements, the cruel sea appearing to wage a war against him alone.

J.C. Chandor’s All is Lost is a dense thriller about a man confronting his mortality, an audacious, near wordless film that forces viewers on to the edge of their seats from the opening scene and does not let up.

At its centre is a remarkable performance from Robert Redford, whose wizened, granite-like features reveal more about his unnamed character than dialogue could manage. (Notes by Michael Hayden.)

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