Tales of the Black Freighter

2009 0h 26m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 229

AnimationActionAdventureHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A mariner survives an attack from the dreaded pirates of the Black Freighter, but his struggle to return home to warn it has a horrific cost.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Gerard Butler
The Mariner (voice)
Jared Harris
Ridley (voice)
Cam Clarke
Money Lender (voice)
Siobhan Flynn
Sea Captain's Daughter (voice)
Salli Saffioti
Sea Captain's Daughter (voice)
Lori Tritel
Sea Captain's Wife (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Daniel DelPurgatorio
Writers: Zack Snyder, Alex Tse
Languages: 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 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 26-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Gerard Butler and Jared Harris and Cam Clarke carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1295071 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Daniel DelPurgatorio directs. Jake Patton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 26-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Jake Patton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Gerard Butler and Jared Harris and Cam Clarke carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt1295071 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Editing: Jake Patton
Production design: David Vyle Levy
Runtime: 26 min · 0h 26m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)

Also by

Daniel DelPurgatorio

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

The Fixate & Binge Podcast, w/ Joe Curdy2026-07-29
★ 8/10
An animated descent into madness, which leans heavily on a narrative soliloquy style that will feel reminiscent of Poe's 'The Telltale Heart' and Shakespeare's ‘Macbeth’ -- TALES OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER tells the story of a lone surviving mariner captain who rapidly loses his mind while trying to come to terms with his ship and crew's destruction. Directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio and Mike Smith, starring the vocal talents of Gerard Butler and Jared Harris, the gory images and the blood-soaked seas where the tale is set originally was to be included in the live-action 2009 WATCHMAN film by Zach Snyder, but was ultimately removed to save the runtime from an overbearing 3 hour and 35 minutes. Grim in its graphic depictions of its maritime horror, and evocative of Théodore Géricault's 1818/19 painting THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA, the brilliant animation and script makes this a can't miss viewing experience even if how it all connects to the Watchman universe remains a headscratcher.

Production companies