Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- harrowing
- adventurous
- earnest
- historical adventure night
- maritime cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's thoughtful old-fashioned storytelling and visual spectacle effective, while judging its character depth and epic ambitions uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Essex survivors face storms, starvation, despair, and questions about the value of life and the morality of whaling.
Old Thomas Nickerson recounts the real Essex disaster to Herman Melville, whose encounter with the survivors informs Moby-Dick.
The crew's whaling enterprise and first mate Owen Chase's pursuit of the whale collide with the ocean's scale and unpredictability.
Storms, shipwreck, open-sea isolation, and the giant whale are presented through expansive maritime imagery and 3D-oriented spectacle.
Films like In the Heart of the Sea, and why
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
shared historical seafaring adventure, survival ordeal, shipboard hierarchy, and visually expansive ocean cinematography
The Finest Hours
shared true maritime disaster, desperate survival, harsh natural forces, and moral pressure under extreme conditions
All Is Lost
shared ocean survival, isolation, endurance, and a solitary struggle against overwhelming natural power
Moby Dick
shared literary maritime adventure, obsessive pursuit, and confrontation with a formidable whale
Movie Details
- Director
- Ron Howard
- Release Date
- 2015-12-03
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (4522)
Cast
- Chris Hemsworth
- Benjamin Walker
- Cillian Murphy
- Brendan Gleeson
- Ben Whishaw
- Michelle Fairley
- Tom Holland
- Paul Anderson
- Frank Dillane
- Joseph Mawle
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is In the Heart of the Sea about?
- A New England whaling voyage becomes a harrowing fight for survival when the Essex and its crew collide with a gigantic sperm whale in 1820.
- What is In the Heart of the Sea like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of In the Heart of the Sea as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is In the Heart of the Sea violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in In the Heart of the Sea as moderate.
- What did critics think of In the Heart of the Sea?
- Critics broadly found the film's thoughtful old-fashioned storytelling and visual spectacle effective, while judging its character depth and epic ambitions uneven.
- Which films are like In the Heart of the Sea?
- Films with a similar feel include Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Finest Hours, All Is Lost, and Moby Dick.
- How long is In the Heart of the Sea?
- In the Heart of the Sea runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch In the Heart of the Sea?
- In United States, In the Heart of the Sea is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
