Not Without Hope

When a fishing trip off the coast of Mexico goes catastrophically wrong, Not Without Hope follows Nick Schuyler and three friends as their small boat capsizes and they are left alone on the open ocean. The film shows the slow collapse of routine as exposure, dehydration, and dwindling supplies narrow options and raise fraught moral questions. Scenes shift between the immediate physical challenges and the private memories each man brings into the water, so you feel how personal histories shape decisions under stress. It stays focused on survival, camaraderie, and consequence, and it avoids revealing how events resolve until the film does.

Released in 2025, the movie credits Nick Schuyler, Joe Carnahan, and Jere Longman among its creators, and it draws from Schuyler’s real-life account of the capsizing rather than a fictional screenplay.

Not Without Hope opened with a limited theatrical rollout in 2025 and did not report blockbuster grosses. Its commercial footprint was modest, and the film reached many viewers through a mix of theater screenings and subsequent streaming availability.

Early reception was mixed, reflected by a 6.1/10 average from initial voters. Critics and audiences tended to single out Zachary Levi and Josh Duhamel for strong, grounded performances, while some reviewers took issue with pacing and tonal shifts. The film centers on themes of endurance, accountability, friendship under pressure, and the moral costs that survival can impose.

The release renewed public interest in the real incident and sparked conversations about maritime safety, emergency preparedness, and how survivors narrate traumatic events. It prompted online discussions and attention from fishing and coastal communities, as well as renewed calls for awareness about small-boat hazards and search and rescue limitations.