In The Heart Of The Sea

Based on Nathaniel Philbrick's 2000 non-fiction book of the same name, In The Heart Of The Sea tells the story of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820.

Directed by Ron Howard, this is a tale of survival on the high seas. It even became the inspiration for the story of Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

What Is In The Heart Of The Sea About?

In the 1800s there were huge profits to be made from whaling. Ships could be out at sea for years at a time as they hunted for the rich oil that was used across the world for lighting before the dawn of electricity.

Nantucket in the U.S had become the whaling capital of the world and one of the wealthiest areas in America.

Nantucketers recognised that the sperm whale provided a far more lucrative catch than any other whale. However, catching the Sperm whale proved a much harder challenge.

And that brings us to the story of the Essex, a ship that set sail from Nantucket in 1820 and never returned.

In The Heart Of The Sea Official Trailer

The story goes that Captain Pollard (Benjamin Walker), first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) and their crew head out deep into the Pacific Ocean in search of a large pod of whales.

When they do find their catch, they discover that a huge white bull whale is very protective of the pod.

The crew has some success, harpooning a number of sperm whales but the white whale attacks the boats and ultimately turns its attention to the Essex.

With the vessel sinking, the crew find themselves adrift on the few whaling boats that are intact.

Just eight men survived the ordeal and suffering extreme starvation they turned to cannibalism to survive.

The tragedy received international attention striking fear into the world's whaling community.

Is In The Heart Of The Sea Worth Watching?

In The Heart Of The Sea boasts thoughtful storytelling and is a truly great film.

The camera work is amazing, providing an immersive experience for the viewer and the effects are exceptional.

And it is not just the visuals that are great in this film, the cast is packed full of talent with stand-out performances from the likes of Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson (Calvary, Paddington 2).

Unfortunately, it didn't do well at the box office despite being moved to avoid competing with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It grossed just $93.9 million worldwide, against a production budget of $100 million.

However, that doesn't mean that you should overlook this movie. If you are looking for a good action adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then give it a go.

In The Heart Of The Sea Film Cast

Directed by Ron Howard and with a screenplay from Charles Leavitt, the film is based on the non-fiction book; In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick.

Incredibly, it's a true story that inspired Moby Dick. But in order to carry off such a mammoth task of bringing it to life, you have to have an amazingly talented cast.

And they are…

Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, the first mate of the Essex.

Benjamin Walker as Captain George Pollard Jr.

Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) as Matthew Joy, the second mate.

Tom Holland as Thomas Nickerson, the cabin boy.

Brendan Gleeson as Old Thomas Nickerson, the last survivor of the sinking ship.

Ben Whishaw as Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick.

Michelle Fairley as Mrs. Nickerson, young Thomas's mother.

Joseph Mawle as Benjamin Lawrence

Frank Dillane as Owen Coffin (named as Henry Coffin in the film)