The Boat That Rocked

"On air. Off shore. Out of control."

2009 2h 15m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🥫

59%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 2,359🥫59%Rotten Tomatoes●58Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 118,533

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a group of rebellious deejays decides to defy the ban on government-censored music, they take to the seas to broadcast music and mayhem to millions of adoring fans.

“On air. Off shore. Out of control.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tom Sturridge
Carl
Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Count
Rhys Ifans
Gavin
Bill Nighy
Quentin
Emma Thompson
Charlotte
Nick Frost
Dave
Kenneth Branagh
Dormandy
January Jones
Eleonore

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Curtis
Writers: Richard Curtis
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Germany

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

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 73% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Curtis, shot by Danny Cohen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tom Sturridge and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rhys Ifans carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Curtis directs. Danny Cohen behind the camera. Hans Zimmer scores. Emma E. Hickox cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Germany. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 73% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 17 years ago.
4International production across 4 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Germany.
5Directed by Richard Curtis, shot by Danny Cohen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Hans Zimmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Emma E. Hickox shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Tom Sturridge and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rhys Ifans carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "On air. Off shore. Out of control.".
10IMDB entry: tt1131729 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 13 themes, including "ship", "rock 'n' roll", "great britain", "radio station".