'The Chronology of Water' Review
- Dempsey Pillot
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 01/09/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Biography. Drama. Romance.
MPAA: Not Rated.
Distributor: The Forge.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Lidia Yuknavitch is not a household name. Outside of a few small circles, she may never be. While there’s a chance those who read this may also not know who she is, they shouldn’t feel too bad because for most of her life she didn’t know herself either. Her journey of self-discovery is the subject of Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut The Chronology of Water.
Based on an autobiographical memoir of the same name, the film follows Yuknavitch through a graphic odyssey of abuse, addiction and salvation. After growing up training to be an Olympic-level swimmer under her abusive father, Yuknavitch eventually gives up, succumbs to drugs and a series of toxic relationships. It’s only through a reluctant passion for writing that she realizes she doesn’t have to be drowned by her pain. With the help of a few positive influences, she’s able to find her way back to the surface.
Stewart notably wanted to tell this story so badly she took a break from acting. Five minutes in, and you can feel her passion. As the title suggests, there is no order to the story. Still, it’s no Pulp Fiction. Despite it being her first foray into feature filmmaking, Kristen Stewart does a great job at making this story feel less like a puzzle and more like Yuknavitch’s actual stream of consciousness. She gets bonus points for shooting on 16mm film, which make what you’re watching feel even more like a distant dream. One moment, Yuknavotch is reminiscing about her early days as a swimmer. The next, she’s an adult being comforted in a bathtub by her sister. It takes some getting used to admittedly. And while there is no pattern or method to the way memories connect, Stewart uses all of Yuknavitch’s pleasure and pain to create an effective portrait of her life.
While Stewart’s talent behind the camera is undeniable, it’s Imogen Poots’ portrayal of Yuknavitch that really defines the film. Poots has always had a knack for playing characters who are rough around the edges. But she may never give a better performance than she does here. If there were any justice in the world, she’d at least get an Oscar nomination for her commitment. Through and through, she immerses herself so deeply in Yuknavitch’s shoes that the entire film feels palpable. Whether she’s riding her highest high or entrenched in her lowest low, Poots has a way of making you feel like you’re right there with her. The veil between the viewer and the film feels ironically almost as thin as water, with us being able to clearly see how much pain she’s in - and how its impacting her judgement - even when she can’t yet put it into words.
Poots isn’t the only great performance in the film. Halfway through the film, an unrecognizable Jim Belushi turns up and turns in a compelling performance as novelist Ken Kesey. While his screen time is short, his impact on the story and Yuknavitch is noticeable. On top of being an honest and challenging mentor to her, he becomes the first positive male influence in her life (or at least the first one she’s able to recognize).
As riveting as the film is, it does suffer from a couple of shortcomings. The first is the length. At just over two hours, the film occasionally drags. Even after getting used to the aforementioned sequencing, the pull between Yuknavitch’s journey in the past and present does eventually feel less revelatory and more redundant.
And while Stewart is so confident in the story she’s telling - and is so successful at immersing us into it - there is still hardly any chance for the audience to breathe. Not to say that we’re drowning alongside Yuknavitch, but that it feels like we have less time to process the good in her life than the bad. Even if the same is true in life, here, it detracts from the film’s message about the importance of keeping your head above water especially if the oxygen is all that’s waiting for you.
Nevertheless, The Chronology of Water is far from a dry experience. Stewart’s remarkable eye for the art combined with Poots’ awards-worthy performance is worth the price of admission alone. Yuknavitch’s journey, no matter how heartbreaking, is an added bonus. Not because of the love she uncovers on the surface, but because of the discovery that everything she needed to stay afloat was inside of her the whole time.
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