Overview
A thrilling journey of survival unfolds as disaster strikes on New Year's Eve.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- melodramatic
- propulsive
- classic movie night
- disaster movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an effective disaster film whose remarkable technical effects and ensemble tension outweigh formulaic writing and strained credibility.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The capsized ocean liner becomes a vertical maze, forcing Reverend Scott and the survivors to climb through upside-down rooms and passageways.
The overturned ship interiors, flooding spaces, stunts, and production design provide the film's defining visual and suspense engine.
Reverend Scott leads a socially mixed group while his authority and methods clash with the survivors' competing instincts.
Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson, and Red Buttons anchor a high-concept survival spectacle.
Films like The Poseidon Adventure, and why
The Towering Inferno
Shares the disaster-film format, large ensemble cast, escalating physical peril, and emphasis on practical spectacle.
The Last Voyage
Shares ocean-going disaster tension, survivalist group dynamics, and emotionally direct adventure melodrama.
A Night to Remember
Shares a catastrophic maritime setting, trapped survivors, and suspense built around navigating a collapsing vessel.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ronald Neame
- Release Date
- 1972-12-01
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (1061)
Cast
- Gene Hackman
- Ernest Borgnine
- Stella Stevens
- Shelley Winters
- Jack Albertson
- Red Buttons
- Roddy McDowall
- Carol Lynley
- Pamela Sue Martin
- Eric Shea
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Poseidon Adventure about?
- After a tidal wave overturns an aging ocean liner, a determined priest leads a fractious band of survivors through its deadly inverted interior.
- What is The Poseidon Adventure like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Poseidon Adventure as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Poseidon Adventure violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Poseidon Adventure as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Poseidon Adventure?
- Critics broadly regard it as an effective disaster film whose remarkable technical effects and ensemble tension outweigh formulaic writing and strained credibility.
- Which films are like The Poseidon Adventure?
- Films with a similar feel include The Towering Inferno, The Last Voyage, and A Night to Remember.
- How long is The Poseidon Adventure?
- The Poseidon Adventure runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Poseidon Adventure?
- In United States, The Poseidon Adventure is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
