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In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea

Action, Adventure, Biography

A recounting of a whaling ship's sinking by a giant whale in 1820 that would inspire the great novel, Moby Dick.


The critical consensus

At its best when chasing whales, Ron Howard's seafaring adventure is perfectly serviceable, but never next-level thrilling. For a story inspired by Moby Dick, it should be searching for something bigger.

***(*)(*)Matt Maytum, Total Film, 02/12/2015

Ron Howard engagingly reworks the story that inspired Moby-Dick, with Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy among a band of shipwrecked sailors.

***(*)(*)Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 17/12/2015

Overall this is a solid, respectable effort from Ron Howard but just a bit on the dull side for such a whale of a tale.

***(*)(*)Allan Hunter, Daily Express, 18/12/2015

For all the special effects and half-starved A-listers, this is a sodden beast. Perhaps there’s a reason that Melville only told half the story.

**(*)(*)(*)Ian Nathan, Empire Online, 22/12/2015

Well-crafted but insufficiently thrilling adventure from Ron Howard.

***(*)(*)Karen Krizanovich, The List, 21/12/2015

In the Heart of the Sea is very prettily shot but lacks any real sense of darkness or impending doom. The film is dealing with starvation, cannibalism, insanity and death, and yet it still has the look of a picturesque travelogue in which we are seeing a painted ship upon a painted ocean.

***(*)(*)Geoffrey MacNab, The Independent, 23/12/2015

Deserves to make a splash.

***(*)(*)Brian Viner, Daily Mail, 17/12/2015

Ron Howard’s nautical tale boasts fine acting, but the visuals and the vengeful white whale are unconvincing.

***(*)(*)Mark Kermode, The Observer, 27/12/2015

Where and when?

General release. Check local listings for show times.

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