In the Heart of the Sea

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In the Heart of the Sea

PG-13

2015

1h 56m

Adventure

Action

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

237 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

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

The 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

The 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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Stuart M

A movie that doesn't pull any punches. It outright impales your soul, forcing you to think about humanity's place in this world, and how insignificant we really are. The tutor, a very angry 100ft spermwhale.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/29/25

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Daniel C

Ahhhh the incredible era of super bad cgi, the story is not even immersive, also in the 21st century i don't think most people like to see whales being hunted, cgi or not, this movie add everything to fail from the start.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/14/25

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Michael M

Freaking awesome true story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/14/25

Full Review

Leprechaun K

Based on a true story. Visually, the movie could have benefitted from less use of CGI, which was mediocre. Cinematography could have been better. Some of the deleted scenes should have been left in the movie, and would have added more depth to character development, particularly for Captain Pollard. Overall a good movie from Ron Howard.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/05/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Katherine V

Thoroughly recommend. Must see if you enjoyed Moby Dick. Call Me Ishmael.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

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

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In the Heart of the Sea: International Trailer 1

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In the Heart of the Sea: Trailer 3

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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: A.I.E., Cott Productions, Imagine Entertainment, Roth Films, Spring Creek Productions, Enelmar 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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