‘Not Without Hope’ DVD Review
Stars: Zachary Levi, Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell, Marshall Cook, JoBeth Williams, Floriana Lima, Leeshon Alexander, James Martin Kelly, Jessica Blackmore | Written by E. Nicholas Mariani, Joe Carnahan | Directed by Joe Carnahan
Films based on true stories have always been a favourite of mine. There’s something compelling about seeing real-life events brought to the screen and preserved, even when those stories aren’t exactly uplifting. In 2025, Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team, The Grey) delivered one such tale with Not Without Hope. Now the film arrives on DVD, giving physical media fans the chance to add this survival drama to their collection.
Based on a true story, friends Nick (Zachary Levi), Marquis (Quentin Plair), Corey (Terrence Terrell), and Will (Marshall Cook)’s boat capsizes in the Gulf of Mexico. Battling storms, sharks, and hypothermia, they fight to survive as the Coast Guard mounts a daring rescue to bring them home.
Not Without Hope is a tense survival story and not exactly what you’d expect from Joe Carnahan, but it works all the same. Zachary Levi delivers one of his strongest performances to date, grounding a well-adapted story that occasionally stumbles when the underwhelming CGI pulls you out of the moment.
Survival films are usually an easy watch, but this one leans heavily into the bleak reality of its true story. It’s not a feel-good ride, and it’s not meant to be. Fortunately, the performances do a lot of the heavy lifting, helping to offset the ropey visual effects and a story that sometimes feels almost too harsh to believe.
Not Without Hope has been transferred to DVD and is presented in widescreen format. The audio is an English Dolby Digital 2.1 track, and there are English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. Whilst the film looks and sounds good on DVD, the disc is lacking in bonus features, as there is only the film’s trailer.
***½ 3.5/5
If you love survivor films or films based on true stories, check out Not Without Hope by heading over to Amazon to order your copy now.
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