Overview
A gripping tale of survival and human connection amidst a high-stakes hostage situation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- harrowing
- realistic
- intense movie night
- true story thriller night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, intensely suspenseful true-story thriller anchored by Paul Greengrass's realism and Tom Hanks's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film meticulously follows the crew's defensive preparations, the pirates' approach, negotiation, hostage-taking, and rescue operations.
The container ship, Somali fishing economy, international shipping routes, and piracy are connected as consequences of global inequality.
Paul Greengrass presents the hijacking and rescue with handheld camerawork and kinetic editing that emphasize confusion and bodily vulnerability.
Captain Phillips, Muse, the Alabama crew, and the pirates are repeatedly shown at the mercy of forces larger than their personal intentions.
Films like Captain Phillips, and why
The Finest Hours
shared true-story survival thriller structure, maritime peril, and escalating procedural tension
United 93
shared Paul Greengrass-style handheld urgency, political stakes, and civilians trapped in a violent crisis
Argo
shared hostage-thriller intensity, moral complexity, and acclaimed lead performance under extreme pressure
The Perfect Storm
shared oceanic survival drama, working-class protagonists, and visceral realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Greengrass
- Release Date
- 2013-10-10
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (7706)
Cast
- Tom Hanks
- Barkhad Abdi
- Barkhad Abdirahman
- Faysal Ahmed
- Mahat M. Ali
- Michael Chernus
- David Warshofsky
- Corey Johnson
- Chris Mulkey
- Yul Vazquez
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- 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 Captain Phillips about?
- A merchant captain and a desperate Somali pirate leader collide in a nerve-shredding hostage crisis shaped by global inequality.
- What is Captain Phillips like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Captain Phillips as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Captain Phillips violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Captain Phillips as moderate.
- What did critics think of Captain Phillips?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, intensely suspenseful true-story thriller anchored by Paul Greengrass's realism and Tom Hanks's performance.
- Which films are like Captain Phillips?
- Films with a similar feel include The Finest Hours, United 93, Argo, and The Perfect Storm.
- How long is Captain Phillips?
- Captain Phillips runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch Captain Phillips?
- In United States, Captain Phillips streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
