Midnight

The art world meets the high seas in this unwieldy thriller from McCulloch (Breathless). Actuary Olivia Campbell is shakily recovering from a work-induced nervous breakdown, which has filled her with guilt because it interfered with her art curator boyfriend, Aaron’s, recent auction. Now, Aaron is planning to stage a crucial exhibition aboard a luxury cruise to Antarctica for his recently deceased star artist. Though Liv is terrified of the ocean due to her father’s death at sea, she agrees to join Aaron, both to relax and to apologize. Her spirits are high until Aaron fails to board the lavish vessel, leaving her to run his exhibition herself between bouts of seasickness and extreme anxiety. Suspicious accidents and deaths ensue, and her shipmates, both the ritzy guests and the blue-collar employees of Pioneer Adventures, whose controversial CEO organized the cruise, begin behaving strangely. McCulloch manages plenty of awe-inspiring descriptions of Antarctica, and her setup is strong, but she comes up short in the character development department, and the big reveal is a disappointment. This sails straight to the middle of the pack. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Mushens Entertainment. (Jan.)