O Hulu and the Amazon Prime Video debut a new adaptation of the classic In Deep Water, in Patricia Highsmith. It is not the first time that the book, originally written in 1955, has gained a presence on screen. Previously, it had as adaptations the feature Victim by Witness (1981) and the series Tiefe Wasser (1983).
As usual, the adaptations have their differences, some more impactful, others milder. In this case, the film is very faithful, just changing the outcome in relation to the book.
Check out the main differences between the film below. Deep waters and the book In Deep Water.
**Warning, contains spoilers below**
modernized version
The book takes place close to the time it was written - 1955. The movie, on the other hand, presents a current version, which works very well on screen without losing the impact of events. Of course some changes had to be made, like Vic (Ben Affleck) being a guy who became rich by creating a chip that is used in drones these days and not being an editor like he was in the book.
The updated one also slightly changes appearances and social conventions that only mattered back then. High society dinners were almost impossible to refuse invitations, making Melinda's exposure of her lovers at parties all the more serious. In addition, the divorce was more controversial, having image issues attached to it and further justifying Vic's attachment to maintaining the marriage.
sports vic
The feature presents a different hobby for Vic, who in addition to creating slugs as in the original plot, likes to take long bike rides. There is no obvious problem with this addition, it just gives the character a new trait and an element that will be important for the outcome.
Melinda's ethnicity
Melinda in the film is played by Ana de Armas, a cubed actress. That's why the character is said to be Latin in the adaptation, and in the original she was American just like Vic.
The change brings more diversity, but at a dubious moment it justifies Melinda's “less demure” behaviors, such as exposing her body, for being from another culture.
Small details
The update brought some harmless minor changes to the plot. Trixie (played by child actress Grace Jenkins) sang in the choir in the original version - it was even for a presentation of the daughter that Vic went to after murdering Tony almost at the end of the book -, and in the long one she just annoyed her mother with the children's song using an Alexa.
Another mild change has been the exclusion of Brian, a poet for whom Vic has been rendering services as an editor and who takes a liking to Melinda during her brief stay at their home.
Lastly, Roger, the family's cute dog, was originally a Boxer by Vic's preference, who bought the puppy for his daughter as a sign of defiance of Melinda's reluctance to have an animal in the house.
The totally different ending
The big change is towards the end. In the original work, Vic kills Tony (Finn Wittrock) after meeting him on the way back from dropping Brian off at the train station and Trixie in preparation for his performance. The act also takes place in the quarry, but it is not premeditated as the film implies, it is something of the moment, just like the first murder.
After the death, Vic goes to his daughter's performance and when they return Melinda is worried that Tony didn't attend a lunch they had arranged. She is suspicious of her husband right away and is very upset about what happened, as she had claimed that she was going to divorce him and marry Tony.
It takes a while for them to find the body and declare Tony deceased, so Vic tries to convince Melinda that he ran away so he wouldn't marry her. She even changes with him, becoming more affectionate, but he knows it's just a scam, as he still investigates her husband with Don's help.
When the final scene takes place, in which Don finds Vic trying to cover up the emerging body, Vic was actually hiding the apparent blood trail. Don manages to notify the police and when Vic returns home, Melinda already knows what happened and verbally attacks her husband.
Moved by anger, being the last straw for him, Vic physically attacks his wife, but stops when he sees her hands on his throat. But a new attack by Melinda causes him to completely lose his mind and he finally kills the strangled woman, just as the police arrive to arrest him.
It's worth noting that the wallet Melinda finds in the movie, which Vic innocently hid, doesn't exist in the book.
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