Blackfish (2013)
94%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
6 wins & 41 nominations total
Blackfish is an aggressive, impassioned documentary that will change the way you look at performance killer whales.
If you’re looking for a documentary that will make you laugh and feel good about humanity, Blackfish is not it. But if you want to be educated on the mistreatment of killer whales in captivity and the shady practices of theme parks like SeaWorld, then this is the film for you. It’s a heart-wrenching look at the psychological distress these animals endure, and it will make you think twice about buying a ticket to a killer whale show. Plus, who doesn’t love a good exposé on corporate malfeasance?
Production Company(ies)
CNN Films, Manny O Productions, Sunset Pictures,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Sea World, San Diego, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing and violent images
Year of Release
2013
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
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Runtime:1h 23m
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Language(s):English, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 2013 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 12, 2013
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, killer whales, captivity, sea-park industry, nature, intelligent mammals, PG-13, English, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Manuel Oteyza, Eli B Despres, Tim Zimmerman, box office, Magnolia Pictures, Tilikum, John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Mark Simmons, Kim Ashdown, Dean Gomersall, reviewed by Roxana Hadadi, Anthony Quinn, Joshua Rothkopf, Jenny McCartney, Geoff Pevere, Thelma Adams, Gem Seddon, Kelechi Ehenulo, Tom Meek, Katie Smith-Wong, Ryan Syrek, Brian D Johnson, starring Tilikum, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, written by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli B Despres, Tim Zimmerman, producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Manuel Oteyza, genre documentary, budget, MPAA rating PG-13, Lady Bird, The Salt of the Earth, Frances Ha, Blindspotting, The Grand Budapest Hotel, reviewed by critics, produced by Magnolia Pictures, streaming, theaters, TV shows, actors, news, box office performance, audience score, mature thematic elements, disturbing violent images
Worldwide gross: $2,303,417
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,926,141
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,319
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 319,099
US/Canada gross: $2,073,582
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,634,171
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,970
US/Canada opening weekend: $75,962
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $96,498
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,948
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
John Hargrove – Self
Samantha Berg – Self
Mark Simmons – Self
Kim Ashdown – Self
Dean Gomersall – Self
Director(s)
Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Writer(s)
Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli B. Despres, Tim Zimmerman
Producer(s)
Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Manuel Oteyza
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
6 wins & 41 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (132) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (130) | Rotten (2)
You won’t forget Cowperthwaite’s documentary, and you shouldn’t.
January 9, 2017 | Rating: 4.5/5
Roxana Hadadi
Punch Drunk Critics
TOP CRITIC
Save the whale? After watching this documentary about the mistreatment of killer whales, you’ll never mock that sentiment again.
January 1, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Anthony Quinn
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A troubling expos of Sea World’s hazardous entertainment trade.
January 1, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Blackfish is a heartbreaking documentary, forensically constructed by Gabriella Cowperthwaite, about the extreme psychological distress of killer whales kept in captivity and used to entertain crowds at venues such as SeaWorld in Orlando.
January 1, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Jenny McCartney
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Blackfish makes an especially strong case for the innate marvel of these animals: that they are smart, social, communicative and loving.
January 1, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
Geoff Pevere
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s eye-opening, edge-of-your-seat feature “Blackfish” has it all: an oversized villain, chilling attack footage, corporate malfeasance, and girls in bikinis.
October 31, 2013
Thelma Adams
Yahoo! Movies
TOP CRITIC
This story is one that continues to make waves – should animals be kept in captivity for our entertainment? – making this a must-see Netflix documentary.
February 3, 2022
Gem Seddon
SFX Magazine
After seeing this documentary, it would probably make you think twice about SeaWorld.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
An illuminating documentary not only about the cruel conditions that killer whales endure at theme parks such as Sea World, but the biology and psychology of the mysterious and majestic sea wolf.
June 11, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
Blackfish is a well-edited and intriguing documentary, which delivers its message in a subtle yet memorable way. Shows featuring killer wales will never be seen in the same light again.
November 21, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Katie Smith-Wong
Flick Feast
Nothing says “family fun” like aquatic murder and animal mistreatment, right SeaWorld?
August 27, 2019 | Rating: B
Ryan Syrek
The Reader (Omaha, NE)
Blackfish unfolds as a documentary thriller, the portrait of a predator with a string of gruesome homicides on his record. But Tilikum is not cast as a villain like the shark in Jaws.
August 6, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine…
Plot
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Blackfish consists of Tilikum, a captive killer whale, and various individuals who worked with or studied him.
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