In the Heart of the Sea

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In the Heart of the Sea

PG-13

Released Dec 11, 2015

1h 56m

Adventure

Action

History

Drama

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42%

Tomatometer

237 Reviews

54%

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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

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Edward Porter

Times (UK)

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

Aug 15, 2022

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Brent McKnight

Seattle Times

Thor and Spider-Man fight a whale.

Rated: C

Jul 3, 2020

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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

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Hosea Rupprecht

Pauline Media Studies

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

Sep 13, 2021

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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

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Audience Member

A great adaptation of a true story...worth a watch

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/25

Full Review

Mark B

I read the novel In The Heart of the Sea when it came out 24 years ago. The book was excellent. I resisted watching this movie as there is no way the movie could capture the narrative of the story. I watched the movie today and I was correct. The movie however is pretty good overall as a stand alone prospect, but lacks the depth of the suffering they endured.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/25

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Dave O

Has Ron Howard ever made a good movie?

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

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Bill W

An epic version of the Moby Dick tale. Solid performances by everyone involved.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/25

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Emily K

The accents were abysmal! They vacillated between British, plain old American and with a Bostonian accent. Too distracting and had to stop watching. Don’t care how good everything else was.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/08/25

Full Review

Jovy J

Extraordinary artistic achievement! What a difficult story to capture on film and what a tremendous amount of research was undertaken to make every detail accurate. Bursting with awe and admiration!!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/08/25

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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In the Heart of the Sea: B-Roll 2

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In the Heart of the Sea: B-Roll 1

4:39

In the Heart of the Sea: International Trailer 1

2:42

In the Heart of the Sea: Trailer 3

2:25

In the Heart of the Sea: Trailer 2

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Synopsis

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."

Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Paula Weinstein, Joe Roth, Will Ward, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Charles Leavitt
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Imagine Entertainment, Roth Films, Cott Productions, A.I.E., Enelmar Productions, Spring Creek Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action|Brief Startling Violence|Intense Sequences of Peril|Thematic Material)
Genre: Adventure, Action, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 11, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.1M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Datasat

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