The Poseidon Adventure

"Hell, upside down."

1972 1h 57m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 1,066

AdventureDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.

“Hell, upside down.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Gene Hackman
Reverend Scott
Ernest Borgnine
Mike Rogo
Stella Stevens
Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters
Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson
Manny Rosen
Red Buttons
James Martin
Roddy McDowall
Acres
Carol Lynley
Nonnie Parry

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ronald Neame
Writers: Stirling Silliphant, Wendell Mayes
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 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $85M — a 16.9× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Poseidon Adventure Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Ronald Neame, shot by Harold E. Stine. 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 John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Harold F. Kress 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

Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Hell, upside down.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ronald Neame directs. Harold E. Stine behind the camera. John Williams scores. Harold F. Kress cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Grossed $85M — a 16.9× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
254 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Poseidon Adventure Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Ronald Neame, shot by Harold E. Stine. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Harold F. Kress shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Hell, upside down.".
9IMDB entry: tt0069113 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 23 themes, including "new year's eve", "sea", "ship", "prostitute".

The technical file

Cinematography: Harold E. Stine
Original score: John Williams
Editing: Harold F. Kress
Production design: William J. Creber
Costume design: Paul Zastupnevich
Makeup / hair: Edwin Butterworth
Sound: Theodore Soderberg
Stunt coordinator: Paul Stader
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,000,000
Box office: $84,563,118
Return: 1691% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Awards

Special Achievement Academy Award
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Academy Award for Best Original Score
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Dialogue and ADR for Feature Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

The Poseidon Adventure Collection

These films center on survival and the struggles of passengers facing catastrophic events aboard a sea vessel. The consistent theme is antagonists, whether nature, adversaries, or internal tensions, adding conflict and challenges. The collection progresses from a singular event to its aftermath, increasing stakes and complications. The appeal lies in the excitement and suspense of unfolding events, character tension, and the spectacle of sea-based settings with creative action sequences. These films often explore the resilience of the human spirit, heroism, sacrifice, and redemption, encouraging viewers to reflect on human interactions and philosophical questions about existence.

Also by

Ronald Neame

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522020-08-10
★ 9/10
Seen this one several times over the years and still is fantastic, from the performances (Hackman and Borgnine especially) to some genuinely emotional scenes to the incredible set designs. Not sure if I place this over The Towering Inferno, but think it might be 1A and 1B amongst disaster films. 4.5/5
CinemaSerf2023-05-28
★ 7/10
It's a toss up for me between this and "The Towering Inferno" (1974) as to which is my favourite disaster movie. This quite gripping drama sees an ageing ocean liner en-route to the scrap heap make one last, fateful, trip. As new year arrives, the ship is stuck by a gigantic tidal wave and capsizes. Carnage onboard ensues, with only a small band trapped in the ship's ballroom with the savvy to make for the part of the ship where the hull in thinnest - and the most likely spot for any external rescuers - before the ship goes the way of the "Titanic"! Gene Hackman is great as the almost maniacal preacher who leads this rather motley band through the innards of the rapidly decaying vessel with plenty of perilous scenarios for them to navigate. The cast are generally good - Oscar nominated Shelley Winters is super, Jack Albertson, Ernest Borgnine, Roddy McDowall and Red Buttons all really help the encroaching sense of menace as their task becomes more dangerous. Regardless of their billing - they are all expendable too, and that adds loads to the richness - and plausibility - of this borderline claustrophobic story that certainly doesn't encourage cruising. The cinematography is tight (OK, so you know it is the camera and not the set that is moving!) and there are plenty of pyrotechnics, obstacle courses and deadly traps from ordinary staircases to keep the whole thing entertaining for a couple of hours and I - almost 50 years on - still find it a good watch.