Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Song of the Sea

Play trailer Poster for Song of the Sea PG 2014 1h 34m Fantasy Adventure Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
99% Tomatometer 95 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
An Irish youth discovers that his mute sister is a selkie who must find her voice and free supernatural creatures from the spell of a Celtic goddess.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Song of the Sea

Song of the Sea

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Song of the Sea boasts narrative depth commensurate with its visual beauty, adding up to an animated saga overflowing with family-friendly riches.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Alex Dudok de Wit Sight & Sound 07/16/2015
This is a bold and unusual film, which takes material that will be unfamiliar to most viewers and interprets it with more inventiveness than they will be used to. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Observer (UK) 07/12/2015
5/5
This superb Irish animation from the director of 2009's The Secret of Kells is a treat; an enchanting and very moving "family film". Go to Full Review
Donald Clarke Irish Times 07/12/2015
4/5
It seems unlikely that a more beautiful film will be released this year. Go to Full Review
Michael J. Casey Boulder Weekly 12/13/2020
4/5
Based on Irish folklore and soaked with mythic iconography, "Song of the Sea" confronts loss and sorrow head-on. Go to Full Review
MaryAnn Johanson Flick Filosopher 10/25/2020
Prettily animated family adventure infused with Irish folklore and traditional Celtic design makes for a change of pace from slick Hollywood cartoons. Go to Full Review
Grant Watson Fiction Machine 09/10/2020
9/10
This is an outstanding work: well animated, well designed, well told. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
A J Nov 22 Wow, easily one of the best children's movies I've ever seen (my 7 year old said so too). On par with the best of Ghibli. It's visually stunning. Magical and mystical. A bittersweet sadness, mixed with humour and excitement. A must see! See more Atul D Nov 5 Tomm Moore’s Song of the Sea plays out like a punching mythic fairytale that never loses touch with human emotion. Rooted in Irish folklore yet emotionally universal, the film builds a world where grief, innocence and myth blend into something deeply poetic. The story follows Ben and Saoirse, two siblings bound by love, loss and the secrets of the sea. What begins as a tale of a missing mother and a fractured family turns into a journey of rediscovery — of self, of connection, and of how pain transforms into purpose. Set against the rugged Irish coastline, the film feels fresh and immersive — especially with the selkie mythology that forms its beating heart. The folklore of seals, fairies, and a witch who turns people into stone isn’t treated as spectacle, but as an emotional language. The fantasy never overshadows the humanity; instead, it amplifies it. Each mythic creature and glowing pollen seems to represent a memory, a feeling, or an echo of something lost but not forgotten. The screenplay is emotionally layered, flowing like a lyrical adventure rather than a formulaic quest. It’s a story about kids, yes, but the emotions it evokes are profoundly adult. The dynamic between Ben and Saoirse — from irritation and jealousy to fierce protectiveness — anchors the narrative. Around them, characters like their mourning father and rigid grandmother stand as emotional pillars, shaping the family’s grief and grounding the fantasy in human realism. Visually, Song of the Sea is breathtaking. The hand-drawn animation, filled with swirls of light and sea, carries a rhythm of its own — lyrical, somber, and ambitious. Every frame feels painted with purpose. The visual metaphors — waves as grief, light as healing, the sea as memory — work beautifully to carry the story forward without ever feeling forced. The music, composed with Celtic undertones, ties everything together. The songs are not just background — they are part of the film’s very soul. They speak where words fall short, amplifying moments of wonder, loss and discovery. At its core, Song of the Sea is about family, myth, grief and selflessness — how letting go doesn’t always mean losing, and how stories can heal the spaces that loss leaves behind. The ending is both satisfying and hopeful, offering emotional closure without ever spelling everything out. Sum up - Song of the Sea doesn’t shout; it sings — softly, beautifully, and with aching clarity. It reminds us that magic isn’t always about spells or creatures, but about the love that endures even after everything else fades. See more Tauhid E Sep 27 might need a rewatch. See more Justin M @TheMaui Aug 14 Very heartfelt movie! All i can say! See more Natalia C Jul 25 This movie's art and music has always amazed me, even after rewatching it. See more Cinnamon C May 26 Just gorgeous. The first time I watched this film, I watched it again the next day and couldn't stop talking about it. Haunting in the most beautiful way, like all my favourite children's books and films. See more Read all reviews
Song of the Sea

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Wolfwalkers 99% 98% Wolfwalkers Watchlist TRAILER for Wolfwalkers Mune: Guardian of the Moon 80% 82% Mune: Guardian of the Moon Watchlist TRAILER for Mune: Guardian of the Moon Sanjay's Super Team 78% 75% Sanjay's Super Team Watchlist Dragonkeeper 60% 64% Dragonkeeper Watchlist TRAILER for Dragonkeeper Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis An Irish youth discovers that his mute sister is a selkie who must find her voice and free supernatural creatures from the spell of a Celtic goddess.
Director
Tomm Moore
Producer
Tomm Moore, Ross Murray, Paul Young, Stéphan Roelants, Serge Ume, Isabelle Truc, Clément Calvet, Jérémie Fajner, Frederik Villumsen, Claus Toksvig Kjaer
Screenwriter
Will Collins
Production Co
Irish Film Board, Cartoon Saloon
Rating
PG (Pipe Smoking Images|Language|Some Mild Peril)
Genre
Fantasy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 16, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$850.0K
Runtime
1h 34m
Most Popular at Home Now