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The Salton Sea

The Salton Sea

If you're looking for the truth, you've come to the wrong place.

2002103 minRMidcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
D.J. Caruso
Starring
Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Goldberg, Luis Guzmán

After the murder of his beloved wife, a man in search of redemption is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy "The Finn", becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Salton Sea?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Salton Sea streaming on Howdy via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Salton Sea?

The Salton Sea earns 8 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Salton Sea worth watching?

The Salton Sea's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 43K ratings across 6 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

79th percentile among Crime75th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)66th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

66 /100

66th percentile of all films

70th percentile among Crime66th percentile among 2000s

Critics 41 · Audience 69

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Crime83rd percentile among 2000s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 63% · Audience 82%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 0 noms overall

91st percentile

43K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Crime86th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$18M
Opening weekend$166K
Domestic gross$765K
Worldwide gross$1.1M

Returned 0.1× its budget — 51st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A dark, stylized neo-noir set in the meth underworld with a revenge plot and a standout performance by Vincent D'Onofrio.

Fans praised

  • Kilmer's layered performance as a man fractured by grief
  • Vincent D'Onofrio's memorably grotesque Pooh Bear
  • Stylish neo-noir visuals and atmospheric cinematography

Detractors panned

  • Pretentious, self-indulgent tone that mistakes grimness for depth
  • Convoluted plot with implausible coincidences and clumsy reveals
  • Inaccurate or cartoonish portrayal of meth addiction

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive80

Visually striking, moody lighting and inventive compositions

ActingDivisive78

Kilmer's committed dual-role performance; D'Onofrio's scene-stealing grotesquerie

AtmosphereDivisive78

Sordid, hallucinogenic world-building; some find it repellent

CharactersDivisive72

Memorable eccentrics like Pooh Bear; some critics find them cartoony

DialogueDivisive65

Witty, quotable lines; some find the voiceover pretentious

HumorDivisive65

Darkly comedic tweaker schemes; divisive tonal shifts

OriginalityDivisive60

Derivative of Tarantino and Memento; fans call it a clever hybrid

Plot and storyDivisive55

Convoluted revenge narrative with twists; detractors call it illogical

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 14 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Salton Sea like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadMelancholicAbsurd
Heaviest: throughout
Dark humor
Register
Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Sardonic · 1% of films: Mocking with a bitter edge.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneA stylish neo-noir that holds its grimy crystal-meth underworld at a knowingly dark-comic distance, balancing absurd black humour against an earnestly felt grief and a redemptive ending.
The rideA tense, dark mood with absurd comic relief, sustained from start to finish.
StructureThe film opens with its protagonist bleeding out in a burning apartment and narrating the events that led there, flashing back to his wife's murder at the Salton Sea before the frame closes.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayTom survives the carnage, casts his trumpet into the Salton Sea and walks away toward a new life — the relief of release tinged with the devastating weight of all he has lost.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

Why this archetypeTom Van Allen buries himself undercover as a tweaker informant in the LA meth underworld to hunt down the corrupt cops who murdered his wife, a revenge mission he ultimately carries out himself.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTraumaSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Trauma · 7% of filmsGrief · 6% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the lasting damage of witnessing a loved one's murder and the obsessive grief that drives a man to destroy his own life.
StanceThe film mourns the irrevocable loss of a loved one and a life that might have been, treating trauma as a wound that cannot fully heal.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernJazzAmbientSupportive music · original score · Thomas Newman
SettingLos Angeles meth scene and the Salton Sea desert
MusicNewman's score blends haunting jazz and ambient textures, complementing the film's melancholic yet surreal tone.

Content guide

Is The Salton Sea okay for kids?

R

The Salton Sea is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence, drug use, language and some sexuality” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (92/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (89/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 14 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • Argentina16
  • Belgium18
  • Hungary18
  • IS16
  • ItalyVM14
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Profanity
Severe
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (4 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (38 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Salton Sea have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Salton Sea?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Val Kilmer
as Danny Parker
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Vincent D'Onofrio
as Pooh-Bear
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Adam Goldberg
as Kujo
Luis Guzmán
as Quincy
Doug Hutchison
as Gus Morgan
Anthony LaPaglia
as Al Garcetti
Glenn Plummer
as Bobby
Peter Sarsgaard
as Jimmy the Finn
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Deborah Kara Unger
as Colette
Chandra West
as Liz

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Salton Sea?

Movies like The Salton Sea include Klute (1971), Angel (1984) and American Gigolo (1980). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about detectives, and half are films set in Los Angeles.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its praise for atmosphere. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Salton Sea?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.