Based on the incredible true story that inspired Moby Dick|Nov. 20, 2015|USA|122 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Action;Adventure;Drama;History;Thriller
Description: In 1850, author Herman Melville approaches Thomas Nickerson, the last survivor of the whaleship Essex, seeking to hear his story in exchange for money. Initially reluctant, Nickerson agrees to share his experiences after his wife encourages him.
The narrative shifts back to 1820, where a whaling company in Nantucket has remodeled the Essex for the thriving whale oil trade. Fourteen-year-old Nickerson joins the crew as a cabin boy. The ship’s owners appoint Owen Chase, an experienced whaler, as the first mate, even though he is disappointed not to be made captain. That position goes to George Pollard, an inexperienced sailor from a well-known whaling family who feels threatened by Chase’s abilities and popularity. Tensions arise between them, but they ultimately decide to set aside their differences to succeed commercially, leading to the crew’s first kill of a bull sperm whale.
After three months without further fortune, Pollard realizes that their hunt in the Atlantic has yielded nothing. They venture past Cape Horn into the Pacific, pursuing better prospects. In Atacames, Ecuador, they encounter a Spanish captain who recounts encountering a fabled “white whale” that destroyed his ship and killed members of his crew. Skeptical of his tale, Pollard and Chase continue westward. Upon finding the rich hunting grounds, disaster strikes when the enormous white whale, an albino sperm whale, attacks their boats and severely damages the Essex.
Chase manages to harpoon the beast from the ship, but the whale retaliates, ramming into the vessel and splitting it in half, resulting in the deaths of two crew members. The surviving crew must abandon the sinking Essex, taking to three remaining whaleboats, and navigate hundreds of miles back to shore with scarce resources. The whale continues its pursuit, attacking once more before the crew finds temporary refuge on the small Henderson Island.
Cast director: Ron Howard
Cast actor: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw, Michelle Fairley, Tom Holland, Paul Anderson, Frank Dillane, Joseph Mawle
Original name: In the Heart of the Sea