Captain Phillips (2013)
Out here survival is everything.
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Rent on Prime Video $3.99 (opens in a new tab) Buy on Fandango at Home $13.99 (opens in a new tab)
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 10 October 2013 |
| Genre | Action, Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Paul Greengrass |
| Starring | Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi and Barkhad Abdirahman |
| Runtime | 134 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes 93% · Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.3/10 · Metacritic 82/100 · TMDB users 7.5/10 |
| Budget | $55 million |
| Box office | $219 million worldwide |
Where to watch Captain Phillips
We could not find Captain Phillips on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent Captain Phillips on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Plex. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Captain Phillips in 39 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | Prime Video, Max |
| Argentina | Prime Video $5199 ARS, Max $9590 ARS |
| Australia | ARD/ZDF |
| Bahamas | Prime Video, Max |
| Barbados | Prime Video, Max |
| Belize | Prime Video, Max |
| Bermuda | Prime Video |
| Bolivia | Prime Video, Max |
| Brazil | Prime Video R$19.90, Max R$34.90 |
| Chile | Prime Video $6490 CLP, Max $9590 CLP |
| Colombia | Prime Video $24900 COP, Max $24900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Prime Video, Max |
| Denmark | Viaplay 159 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Prime Video, Max |
| Ecuador | Prime Video $5.99, Max $8.29 |
| El Salvador | Prime Video, Max |
| Finland | Viaplay €13.99 |
| French Guiana | Prime Video |
| Guatemala | Prime Video, Max |
| Guyana | Prime Video, Max |
| Honduras | Prime Video, Max |
| Iceland | Viaplay 799 kr ISK |
| India | Prime Video ₹299, SonyLIV ₹299 |
| Italy | Skygo, Now TV |
| Jamaica | Prime Video, Max |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Prime Video $99 MXN, Max $149 MXN |
| Nicaragua | Prime Video, Max |
| Norway | Viaplay 169 kr NOK |
| Panama | Prime Video $5.99, Max $8.29 |
| Paraguay | Prime Video, Max |
| Peru | Prime Video S/25.90, Max S/35.90 |
| South Korea | Watcha |
| St. Lucia | Prime Video, Max |
| Sweden | Viaplay 169 kr SEK |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Prime Video, Max |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Prime Video, Max |
| Uruguay | Prime Video $U249, Max $U399 |
| Venezuela | Prime Video, Max |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Paul Greengrass directs a 134-minute tension machine about a cargo captain held hostage at sea. Tom Hanks plays Richard Phillips, while Barkhad Abdi plays the pirate Muse. The film strips away the usual action movie spectacle, focusing instead on the claustrophobic terror of being trapped in a tiny boat with your captor. It is a study in silence and sweat. The camera stays close, making the ocean feel like a closed room. You watch to see how two strangers survive each other when the water is all that separates them from the world.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes holds a 93% approval rating as of August 2024, based on 279 reviews. The critical consensus calls it "smart, powerfully acted, and incredibly intense." Metacritic assigns a weighted average of 82 out of 100, which it files under universal acclaim. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an A.
The Golden Globes and Oscars nominated the film but awarded it nothing. The BAFTAs were slightly more generous, giving Barkhad Abdi the Best Supporting Actor trophy.
How it did with audiences
It cost $55 million and took in $219 million worldwide, a spread that usually keeps accountants happy. In the United States, it earned $107 million. That is a solid return on investment, though perhaps less exciting than the real-life hijacking it depicts. On TMDB, users rate it 7.5 out of 10. Audiences tend to prefer stories that feel dangerous, and this one delivers that tension without needing a Chinese release to prove its worth.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Captain Phillips.
Read more: Mutiny
Sources
- Captain Phillips on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q2937646 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Captain Phillips (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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