Plot Summary

Dark Water follows Dahlia Williams (Jennifer Connelly), a recently divorced mother determined to rebuild her life with her five-year-old daughter in New York City. With limited financial means, the two settle into a run-down apartment complex surrounded by bleak concrete towers and an atmosphere of profound isolation.

What begins as a seemingly minor problem—a mysterious water leak seeping from the apartment ceiling—slowly escalates into something far more disturbing. The dark, unclean water spreads through the apartment, mirroring the growing sense of dread that envelops the building and its residents.

As Dahlia struggles to protect her daughter while navigating legal battles, financial pressure, and social alienation, the apartment itself begins to reveal a haunting past. The isolation of the building, combined with unexplained phenomena and a neglected child’s tragic story, blurs the line between psychological breakdown and supernatural terror.

Anchored by a restrained and emotionally grounded performance, Dark Water is a slow-burning atmospheric horror film that uses urban decay, motherhood, and loneliness to build a pervasive sense of unease—where the most terrifying presence is not what is seen, but what relentlessly seeps through the walls.