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In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea

Based on the incredible true story that inspired Moby Dick

2015122 minPG-13Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Director
Ron Howard
Starring
Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex is assaulted by something no one could believe—a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance.

Where to watch

Where can I watch In the Heart of the Sea?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists In the Heart of the Sea to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about In the Heart of the Sea?

In the Heart of the Sea earns 10 badges, led by Spectacle and Visual feast.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is In the Heart of the Sea worth watching?

In the Heart of the Sea's Midcredits score is the 73rd percentile of all films, from 318K ratings across 6 sources. 70% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

73rd percentile

Better received than 73% of films

85th percentile among Action73rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)65th
Approval (how many liked it)79th

66 /100

65th percentile of all films

80th percentile among Action64th percentile among 2010s

Critics 47 · Audience 67

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.0 — people broadly agree on this one.

70% liked it

79th percentile of all films

86th percentile among Action79th percentile among 2010s
70% rated it 7–1030% rated it 1–6

Critics 42% · Audience 54%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 6 noms overall

98th percentile

318K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$100M
Opening weekend$11M
Domestic gross$25M
Worldwide gross$94M

Returned 0.9× its budget — 84th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A technically proficient maritime survival epic with impressive effects, but its emotional and human depth is underdeveloped.

Fans praised

  • Epic true-life maritime story with strong visual atmosphere
  • Impeccable production values, sound, and effects
  • Solid cast and Ron Howard's assured direction

Detractors panned

  • Emotionally flat and fails to match spectacle with feeling
  • Formulaic survival epic lacking depth in characters and plot
  • Safe, harmless story that never rocks the boat

What stands out

Effects and spectacle80

Great whale and sea effects, thrilling action

Cinematography75

Visually impressive, but some shots waste effects

Acting65

Chris Hemsworth and cast generally praised, but some call one-note

Tension65

Thrilling in parts, but emotional stakes weak

Plot and storyDivisive55

Interesting true story but formulaic and undercooked

Pacing50

Boring in parts, uneven momentum

Characters45

Limited depth, character arcs underdeveloped

Emotional impact40

Fails to move viewers despite epic scale

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is In the Heart of the Sea like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its historical tragedy with grave seriousness, never undercutting the drama or violence.
The rideThe film sustains a pervasive sense of dread and tension during the long ordeal at sea, with the most emotionally heavy moments coming during the cannibalism and its aftermath.
StructureThe elderly Thomas Nickerson recounts his ordeal to author Herman Melville in the present, framing the chronological 1820 story.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe harrowing depiction of survival and cannibalism lingers, prompting reflection on human desperation and nature's power.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% (this title) · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Survival ordeal: Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).

4% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film follows the crew of the whaling ship Essex after a sperm whale sinks their vessel, forcing them to survive adrift in the Pacific with limited supplies, culminating in cannibalism.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalTrauma · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the crew's desperate struggle to stay alive after their ship is destroyed at sea, and the haunting memories of what they endured.
StanceThe film questions what people will do to survive and the cost of that survival, focusing on the personal experiences of Chase and Pollard.

The world

19th centuryIn transitWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · Roque Baños
Settingaboard the whaling ship Essex and lifeboats adrift in the Pacific Ocean, with scenes on Nantucket and a desert island
MusicThe score is epic and brooding, underscoring the peril and majesty of the sea.

Content guide

Is In the Heart of the Sea okay for kids?

PG-13

In the Heart of the Sea is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and peril, brief startling violence, and thematic material” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (59/100), sexual content at mild (16/100), language at moderate (37/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at moderate (57/100). Overall it is heavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium16
  • Denmark11
  • GreeceK15
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Russia12+
  • Sweden15
  • Taiwan保護級
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 36% of all filmsHeavier than 59% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 68%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 21%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 37%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 41%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 68%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 68% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does In the Heart of the Sea have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in In the Heart of the Sea?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Chris Hemsworth
as Owen Chase
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Benjamin Walker
as George Pollard
Cillian Murphy
as Matthew Joy
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brendan Gleeson
as Tom Nickerson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Ben Whishaw
as Herman Melville
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Michelle Fairley
as Mrs. Nickerson
Tom Holland
as Thomas Nickerson
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Paul Anderson
as Caleb Chappel
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Frank Dillane
as Henry Coffin
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Joseph Mawle
as Benjamin Lawrence
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like In the Heart of the Sea?

Movies like In the Heart of the Sea include Moby Dick (1956), The Perfect Storm (2000) and Death Ship (1980). Of the 12 closest matches, most are survival stories, and most are films set on the road.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: at sea. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with In the Heart of the Sea?

578 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: animal. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.