The Wasteland Reviewer

The Chronology of Water (2025) Written Review

What would you expect from the directorial debut of an actor like Kristen Stewart? An unfortunate reputation has loomed over Stewart since her breakout role in the Twilight franchise. She was labeled a terrible actor whose mouth hangs open a lot. Only one of those things is true. Stewart is an incredibly talented actor who has shined in independent, international, and prestige cinema over the years. She could have easily won Best Actress for Spencer (she was just that good). But now she is expanding her horizons and taking the reins behind the camera.

How does Stewart bring Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir to life in The Chronology of Water? The most impressive element of the direction is just how confident it is. There is no hesitation or pulling punches in how Stewart is crafting this film. There is a visceral atmosphere engulfing the whole experience and that is crafted so perfectly by Stewart. Death, sex, abuse, and so many more complex themes and emotions are thrown at the audience and Stewart’s approach is grounded, gritty, and unadulterated. You can feel the intensity of the film in every scene. The film is a tad long, especially with how heavy the film is. The audience will most certainly be exhausted by the time the credits start rolling on this one. The weight of Yuknavitch’s story is felt so poignantly. The score from composer Paris Hurley is bold, brass, and powerful which underscores the whole experience. 

How does Yuknavitch’s story translate to the big screen? This film is stuffed with all types of heavy themes and experiences. Loss, love, and self-discovery line the narrative of The Chronology of Water. This is not the most structured or simplistic of narratives as Stewart takes her time exploring the different relationships that defined Yuknavitch’s life (the good, the bad, and the toxic). The dynamic with her father is a key piece of her past as he was a presence that became synonymous with abuse and pain. One of the most interesting subplots of the film is her time with author and counter-culture icon Ken Kesey. The most powerful and emotionally resonant element of the film is her dynamic with Claudia (who was such a significant and powerful presence in her life). The motifs of written word expression and swimming give The Chronology of Water a deeper and resonant feel and helps alleviate a script that could have easily spiraled into endless trauma porn. This humanistic story feels so raw and honest in its expression of its themes. Stewart does not play around with this incredible story even if it gets a tad muddled in its memory filled structure and execution. 

What is the key element of The Chronology of Water that brings it all together? Imogen Poots. This woman’s performance is a towering expression of trauma, grief, lust, passion, and the purest of emotions. Poots matches Stewart’s raw and visceral approach, giving this film the towering conduit that it needs to explore such challenging themes. The power and strength shown by Poots allows the audience to soldier on with Yuknavitch on her tumultuous journey of self-discovery. Thora Birch is fantastic as well with some electric and raw chemistry with Poots on screen. Jim Belushi is having a wonderful resurgence between this and Song Sung Blue. His turn as Kesey is charismatic, profound, and engrossing. Few grounded dramas have true villains, but Lidia’s father is sure close and Tom Sturridge’s presence is foreboding and intense as he portrays the conveyor of so much of our subject’s trauma. 

Is The Chronology of Water going to make a splash this awards season? It is a shame that Stewart’s directorial debut is not getting more attention. The raw, confident, and visceral direction is quite profound and accentuates Yuknavitch’s story so well. Poots delivers a performance that is filled to the brim with passion and commitment to this complex character and her complex journey. Richly artful and emotive, The Chronology of Water is quite the cinematic experience to have as this year of cinema wraps up.