The Weight of Water 2002

In the late 19th century, the secluded Smuttynose Island, situated off the coast of New Hampshire, became the backdrop for a gruesome double murder committed by two Norwegian immigrant sisters: Karen Christensen and Anethe Christensen. The sole survivor of this violent incident was Maren Hontvedt, another Norwegian immigrant. The perpetrator, Louis Wagner, faced conviction and ultimately met his end at the gallows.

Fast-forwarding to the present day, journalist Jean Janes, alongside her husband Thomas, an esteemed poet, and his brother Rich, who owns a boat, sets out to investigate this cold case. Accompanying them is Rich’s romantic partner, Adaline. During their journey to Smuttynose Island, Jean uncovers a treasure trove of archived writings authored by Maren, which vividly recount her experiences on the island and the tragic events that transpired.

As Jean dives deeper into Maren’s narrative, she struggles with her own feelings of insecurity, particularly exacerbated by Adaline’s blatant flirtations with Thomas. The story is further enriched by Maren’s testimony against Wagner, leading to his eventual execution.

However, the deeper Jean probes into the past, the more she unravels a complicated web of relationships and motivations that pushed Maren into despair. Maren’s journey to Smuttynose Island was initiated by her husband, with whom she lacked any true romantic connection. In order to combat her loneliness, she busied herself until she found her spirits lifted by the arrival of her brother and his new wife, Anethe Christensen.

Initially, Maren perceived Anethe as a competitor for her brother’s affections, but soon her feelings transformed into an unexpected desire for her sister. On the tragic night of the murders, with both their husbands absent from the island, Maren and Anethe grew closer, only to be interrupted by their stern sister, Karen. In an act of rage, Maren ended the lives of both Karen and Anethe.

The film culminates with Maren striving to confess her actions before Wagner’s execution, yet her testimony is dismissed by the courts, leaving Wagner to face his fate on the gallows without the truth of the tragic events being fully disclosed.