Blackfish

"Never capture what you can't control."

2013 1h 23m EN

🙌

7.9

BANGER

★7.9TMDB · 1,218

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.

“Never capture what you can't control.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Dean Gomersall
Self
Samantha Berg
Self
John Jett
Self
John Hargrove
Self
Carol Ray
Self
Jeffrey Ventre
Self
Kim Ashdown
Self
Ken Balcomb
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Writers: Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli Despres, Tim Zimmermann
Languages: Spanish, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, shot by Jonathan Ingalls. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jeff Beal. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gabriela Cowperthwaite shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dean Gomersall and Samantha Berg and John Jett carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Never capture what you can't control.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gabriela Cowperthwaite directs. Jonathan Ingalls behind the camera. Jeff Beal scores. Gabriela Cowperthwaite cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 13 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
4Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, shot by Jonathan Ingalls. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Jeff Beal. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Gabriela Cowperthwaite shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Dean Gomersall and Samantha Berg and John Jett carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Never capture what you can't control.".
9IMDB entry: tt2545118 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "whale", "trauma", "controversy", "psychological thriller".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jonathan Ingalls
Original score: Jeff Beal
Editing: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Sound: John Warrin
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,063,312
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Blackfish (2013)

Also by

Gabriela Cowperthwaite

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Kenneth Axel Carlsson2015-01-02
★ 4/10
This is a documentary about how humans keep orcas (killer whales) as pets to entertain at places such as SeaWorld. It is centered around one vicious attack by a killer whale named Tilikum, but actually takes us around the world as well as into the past. This is not the first attack on trainers, and if the movie is to be believed, probably not the last one, unless measures are being taken to prevent abuse of the killer whales. Abuse in this case, by the way, means basically using them as entertainment. Killer whales should be free. I admit it, these beasts scare the daylight out of me. Apparently because of how we treat them, because someone informas us during the documentary, that never has there been reported a killer whale attack in the wild. I find that a little hard to believe, but ok, I'll play along for the sake of strengthening the morale of this movie. I actually saw a killer whale once, stranded more or less, inside a danish harbour. It was there for days I believe, and people traveled far to see it. I did as well, so I guess I understand the attraction of this magnificent and scary creatures. Also, isn't part of the attraction the fact that they are scary with a reputation? The fact that some people dare defy nature and enter a pool with them... a horrible and yet, strangely appealing thought. Not because we want to see anything bad happen to them, but because there is a chance it could happen. As documentaries go, this is solid. It delves into the story of the orca, and also a bit about its physiology. Apparently, these guys are very emotional. It would have been great to have more than just one side to the story, but since SeaWorld declined to participate, I guess that would have been hard to do. Last words... not a very thought-provoking documentary. It shows some scary images, but never anything truly disturbing, which is a good thing in my opinion. But honestly, just go see Free Willy, and you will see a movie that tries to bring across the same message.
j0ng2017-07-28
★ 9/10
Great documentary. I had known about Orca attacks in captivity before watching it, but this film really drove home the point. Free Willy!
badelf2023-06-08
★ 9/10
The dark side of Free Willy. Lately (mid-2023), there have been Orca attacks on boats in the Med. My theory is this: The Orcas are highly intelligent and have a fantastic communication system. The few who eventually were freed from SeaWorld got the word out to all the other Orcas in the world: "Humans are fucking assholes! Kill the humans!"