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Blackfish

Play trailer Poster for Blackfish PG-13 Released Jul 19, 2013 1h 23m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 133 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
The story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, underscores problems within the sea-park industry, man's relationship to nature, and how little has been learned about these highly intelligent mammals.
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Blackfish

Blackfish

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Critics Consensus

Blackfish is an aggressive, impassioned documentary that will change the way you look at performance killer whales.

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Critics Reviews

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Roxana Hadadi Punch Drunk Critics You won't forget Cowperthwaite's documentary, and you shouldn't. Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 9, 2017 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) Save the whale? After watching this documentary about the mistreatment of killer whales, you'll never mock that sentiment again. Rated: 4/5 Jan 1, 2014 Full Review Joshua Rothkopf Time Out A troubling expos of Sea World's hazardous entertainment trade. Rated: 4/5 Jan 1, 2014 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies That Blackfish led SeaWorld to phase out both orca breeding and performances speaks to how we should view the film's legacy over ten years later. Rated: 4.5/5 Dec 31, 2023 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies It often gives definitive statements about ambiguous events, and it does try to frame opinions as facts. But it also gave me a greater appreciation for these incredible animals and it challenged my past apathy towards their plight. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 19, 2022 Full Review Gem Seddon SFX Magazine This story is one that continues to make waves – should animals be kept in captivity for our entertainment? – making this a must-see Netflix documentary. Feb 3, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Faith A this documentry really shows you the suffering these animals go through while in these tiny concreate pools that 100% are not big enough for the beutiful creatures. it also shos how stupid humanity really is, you would think that after the first attack on a human or when they were being agressive with their tankmates we would realise these animals are too big to be kept in captivity. and i understand the animals born in captivitiy wou;dnt be able to survive in the wild but they still deserve the chance to feel the open sea on their skin. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Audience Member This documentary is about the absolutely ridiculous decision to hunt down a bunch of whales and then subject them to a lifetime of abuse for meaningless entertainment. I personally cannot call it entertaining or anything similar, it has no education, no valuable purpose for the whales. Meaning their best interests are not taken in. Meaning this is just plain abuse. It goes over the ridiculous murders, and accidents by the whales that were covered up by Seaworld as if nothing had happened. Keeping whales and then training them, confining them in the most inhumane ways is such a low energy decision I barely comprehend it. These trainers pretend that they are the best friends with the animals while they simultaneously willingly participate in the abuse. If we let this happen and pass then what else, what other corruptions are covered up or completely invalidated, and dismissed by our society? Humanity needs to step up, learn about the animals and learn to coexist. It is shocking how the trainers didn’t even bother to learn about the animals - how long they actually live, how they form bonds in the wild, and how they have emotional capabilities which are better than those of humans. It is utmost disturbing how they bred the main killer shark, their star who has killed the most people. How there is footage displayed in this documentary of people collecting his semen. 50% of sharks there were his children. I hate the abuse, trauma, not the abusers themselves, but I cannot find it in myself to express this any nicer way. I hope humanity heals from this one day, and admits that it is capable of such atrocities and careless accidents because no awareness will keep causing them. I am very happy to have watched this because I want to learn about the abuse we have done to the sea, and it’s about time we turn attention towards it. I’d like to encourage everyone after watching this to pursue greater self-awareness, attunement to emotions, and find material which would improve the mood, and bring you towards solutions. Focusing on the solutions is what will keep the wild animals from being taken advantage of, and losing their lives in captivity by human hands. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Laksana S There are flaws in this documentary because SeaWorld didn't collect an orca in the wild for 35 years and I think the reason why Tilikum killed 3 people is that he never recovered from his trauma at Sealand. Takara and Kalina were both 12 and 4 years old when they were taken from Kasatka and Kalina and the footage of the orca wailing was edited and it wasn't Kasatka nor Kalina and the orca in the footage probably lives at Seaworld San Antonio or at another marine park. The reasons why orcas die young in captivity is because they die from infections, diseases, or accidents and one orca survived longer than any of them and lives at Seaworld San Diego. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/30/24 Full Review lolDDOSS Great documentary about orcas. and humans too Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Jeff M While walking through the St. Louis Zoo recently, my mind kept coming back to this wonderful documentary about the controversial captivity of killer whales used in theme parks, particularly Sea World. And looking into the eyes of the animals we passed, I found my heart breaking just a little. This film has forever altered my feelings about animal confinement for human enjoyment, and that's the mark of a powerful movie. The story of an orca named Tilicum, who ended up killing three people, including a whale trainer, is one I will never forget. And the interviews with witnesses and experts are not only informative but often heartrending. I'm an animal lover, not necessarily an animal LOVER, but this documentary gave me a new appreciation and even respect for the creatures around us and how humans often exploit them. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Sander d This documentary gives an insight on what goes on in parks witch killer whales. It really focuses on the negative. But that is also part of having shows with animals. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Blackfish

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Movie Info

Synopsis The story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, underscores problems within the sea-park industry, man's relationship to nature, and how little has been learned about these highly intelligent mammals.
Director
Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Producer
Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Manuel Oteyza
Screenwriter
Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli B. Despres, Tim Zimmerman
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Manny O Productions, CNN Films
Rating
PG-13 (Mature Thematic Elements|Disturbing Violent Images)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 19, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.1M
Runtime
1h 23m
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