In the Heart of the Sea

PG-13

Released Dec 11, 2015

1h 56m

Adventure

Action

History

Drama

TRAILER

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List

43%

Tomatometer

239 Reviews

54%

Audience Score

25,000+ Ratings

In 1820, crewmen (Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy) aboard the New England vessel Essex face a harrowing battle for survival when a whale of mammoth size and strength attacks with force, crippling their ship and leaving them adrift in the ocean. Pushed to their limits and facing storms, starvation, panic and despair, the survivors must resort to the unthinkable to stay alive. Their incredible tale ultimately inspires author Herman Melville to write "Moby-Dick."

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Critics Consensus

The admirably old-fashioned In the Heart of the Sea boasts thoughtful storytelling to match its visual panache, even if it can't claim the depth or epic sweep to which it so clearly aspires.

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Kate Muir

Times (UK)

As the tale unfolds, told within another tale, it becomes clear that this is also about narration and narrators, unreliable and otherwise.

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Edward Porter

Times (UK)

... A plain but still rewarding account of a true story from the 1820s.

Aug 15, 2022

Full Review

Brent McKnight

Seattle Times

Thor and Spider-Man fight a whale.

Rated: C

Jul 3, 2020

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The effect is largely a drab and plodding experience onscreen, with the occasional strong performance to keep us involved.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 23, 2022

Full Review

Hosea Rupprecht

Pauline Center for Media Studies

In the Heart of the Sea chronicles well a fascinating era in American history.

Sep 13, 2021

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

How can we care about the whale when we don't even care about the men he's tormenting?

Jan 7, 2021

Full Review

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Hayden F

A gripping tale of survival and an exploration into humanities place within nature. Held down at times with odd pacing - but overall a film that I would happily watch again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/14/24

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Anirudh S

I genuinely enjoyed this movie. It was well-acted and the story was gripping. While I think the narration scenes could have done with some work, I do believe this is a good, gripping movie, and a must-see for any fans of Herman Melville's masterpiece.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/24

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Eric H

One of the best movies I've ever watched, the acting and makeup was phenomenal.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/24

Full Review

Alec B

Philbrick's novel is very good, but it's also very academic so I'm not surprised that the Hollywood film adaption takes some liberties . . . but this screenplay is absolutely ridiculous. That being said the cinematography is quite stunning.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Gary B

Some movies get better with age. Released in 2015 and added to Amazon Prime in 2023, this movie isn't one of them.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

Full Review

laurent b

I can't believe Ron Howard has directed this movie because this is probably one of the worst cinematography and photography I've seen in years. The colors are over-saturated, the frames are ugly and always too close to the characters, and you keep wondering throughout the movie "why are they using cinemascope ?" And as many have pointed out before me, the characters thin. Melville and Conrad would have deserve a much better storyline.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/26/23

Full Review

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Ron Howard

Director

Chris Hemsworth

Owen Chase

Benjamin Walker

George Pollard

Cillian Murphy

Matthew Joy

Brendan Gleeson

Tom Nickerson

Ben Whishaw

Herman Melville

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