Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- tense
- sincere
- heroic
- stormy night
- 역사ical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a competent, old-fashioned true-life rescue drama with impressive effects that favors traditional sentiment over adventurous filmmaking.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot recreates the 1952 Coast Guard rescue of sailors from a tanker split apart by a New England storm.
The lifeboat crew confronts frigid temperatures, 70-foot waves, and a rapidly sinking oil tanker.
The film foregrounds the East Coast storm, towering waves, damaged ships, and dangerous ocean crossings.
The Coast Guard lifeboat mission is interwoven with the stranded sailors' efforts aboard the damaged tanker.
Films like The Finest Hours, and why
The Perfect Storm
shared true-event rescue drama, maritime survival, and traditional heroic storytelling
Sully
shared historical rescue mission, institutional duty, and emotionally direct action drama
Hacksaw Ridge
shared survival-focused historical action, moral courage, and perilous rescue operations
Deepwater Horizon
shared disaster-film suspense, ensemble teamwork, and large-scale practical spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Craig Gillespie
- Release Date
- 2016-01-27
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (1802)
Cast
- Chris Pine
- Casey Affleck
- Ben Foster
- Eric Bana
- Holliday Grainger
- John Ortiz
- Kyle Gallner
- John Magaro
- Graham McTavish
- Michael Raymond-James
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 The Finest Hours about?
- A determined Coast Guard crew battles a catastrophic 1952 storm to rescue sailors trapped aboard a tanker torn in two.
- What is The Finest Hours like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Finest Hours as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Finest Hours violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Finest Hours.
- What did critics think of The Finest Hours?
- Critics broadly found the film a competent, old-fashioned true-life rescue drama with impressive effects that favors traditional sentiment over adventurous filmmaking.
- Which films are like The Finest Hours?
- Films with a similar feel include The Perfect Storm, Sully, Hacksaw Ridge, and Deepwater Horizon.
- How long is The Finest Hours?
- The Finest Hours runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Finest Hours?
- In United States, The Finest Hours streams on Disney Plus.
