Overview
A young man's extraordinary journey of survival and faith unfolds on the open sea.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- wondrous
- contemplative
- foreboding
- reflective movie night
- family viewing with older children
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a visually astonishing, emotionally moving adaptation whose spiritual and fantastical storytelling is anchored by Ang Lee's direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
A Canadian writer visits adult Pi, who recounts his childhood and survival at sea through an extended personal narrative.
Pi's extraordinary lifeboat ordeal combines realistic survival pressures with dreamlike encounters and symbolic animal imagery.
Pi's storytelling invites the listener to weigh a fantastical animal version against a harsher possible reading of the shipwreck.
The Pacific, storms, bioluminescent waters, and the lifeboat are rendered as both physical threats and grand spiritual landscapes.
Films like Life of Pi, and why
Cast Away
shared survival adventure, spiritual questioning, vivid natural imagery, and an isolated protagonist confronting mortality
The Secret of Roan Inish
shared oceanic survival premise, contemplative drama, faith-oriented themes, and extraordinary visual spectacle
Big Fish
shared magical realism, unreliable storytelling possibilities, spiritual themes, and emotionally layered coming-of-age drama
The Fall
shared young protagonist, journey through danger, mythic adventure tone, and visually heightened storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Ang Lee
- Release Date
- 2012-11-20
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (14037)
Cast
- Suraj Sharma
- Irrfan Khan
- Ayush Tandon
- Gautam Belur
- Adil Hussain
- Tabu
- Ayaan Khan
- Mohd Abbas Khaleeli
- Vibish Sivakumar
- Rafe Spall
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- 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 Life of Pi about?
- A shipwrecked teenager uses ingenuity, faith, and storytelling to survive the Pacific alongside a Bengal tiger.
- What is Life of Pi like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Life of Pi as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Life of Pi violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Life of Pi as mild.
- What did critics think of Life of Pi?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a visually astonishing, emotionally moving adaptation whose spiritual and fantastical storytelling is anchored by Ang Lee's direction.
- Which films are like Life of Pi?
- Films with a similar feel include Cast Away, The Secret of Roan Inish, Big Fish, and The Fall.
- How long is Life of Pi?
- Life of Pi runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch Life of Pi?
- In United States, Life of Pi streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
