The Perfect Storm | Rotten Tomatoes

The Perfect Storm

PG-13

Now Playing

2 hr. 9 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

46%

137 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Based on a true story, the film tells of the courageous men and women who risk their lives every working day, pitting their fishing boats and rescue vessels against the capricious forces of nature. Their worst fears are realized at sea on Halloween of 1991, when they are confronted by three raging weather fronts which unexpectedly collide to produce the greatest, fiercest storm in modern history -- "The Perfect Storm."

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Critics Consensus

While the special effects are well done and quite impressive, this film suffers from any actual drama or characterization. The end result is a film that offers nifty eye-candy and nothing else.

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Christina K

This is one of my top 10 movies. The type of movie I can rewatch over and over. The acting, the storyline, the special affects, the music. It all comes together. Knowing it's a true story tribute really ties it together.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

Cody W

It takes a lot of courage and a lot of skill to take on massive hurricanes like this, and all the actors that were involved in THE PERFECT STORM understood the assignment very well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/05/24

Full Review

Yoosik Ethan O

Really intense and gripping throughout. And a great story with interesting characters who are determined to get through past nature. It feels like you're in there with the danger and flooding with emotions and fear and no idea what nature will throw at you next. Great special effects add to a visually amazing and intense film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/09/23

Full Review

Brian D

82%. 2nd watch. It's nice how they give back stories for all of the people on the boat but the stories are a little cheesy and some of the dialogue isn't great. Fun to see them go from not getting any fish to finally landing a ton but then catching the storm on the way back. Sad ending 3.5 on rewatch scale - always entertaining

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/20/23

Full Review

Devin B

Solid movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/23

Full Review

Alejandro E

Two defects that this film has are: that the viewer fails to fully connect to the plot, and that the most intense part of it takes a long time to arrive and depends too much on special effects. To find out what George Clooney was up to before he hit the gold.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/29/23

Full Review

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Wolfgang Petersen

Director

George Clooney

Captain Billy Tyne

Mark Wahlberg

Bobby Shatford

John C. Reilly

Dale "Murph" Murphy

Diane Lane

Christina "Chris" Cotter

William Fichtner

David "Sully" Sullivan

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David Ansen

Newsweek

The discrepancy between the sophistication of the special effects and the rudimentary dramaturgy results in a $140 million film that may raise your blood pressure, but leaves the rest of you distinctly unengaged.

Mar 6, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Scary and sad are the main concerns here.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Think of something with the heart and soul of a Conrad yarn, yet buttressed by very special effects and shrewdly packaged for devotees of the Outdoor Living Network

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 22, 2002

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

It offers a few miniscule sequences at sea that sometimes leave me hooked in my seat, but unfortunately, it is a disaster drama that ends up sinking in the ocean of conventional formulas. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Jul 27, 2023

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

For all its technical advances, "The Perfect Storm" can’t do what Junger did: make you feel what it’s like to work on the sea and die under it.

Rated: C-

Sep 2, 2022

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

We needn't appeal to the fact that this was all a true story to find it horribly dispiriting: it does a perfectly bad job just as a self-contained story in its own right.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 5, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Based on a true story, the film tells of the courageous men and women who risk their lives every working day, pitting their fishing boats and rescue vessels against the capricious forces of nature. Their worst fears are realized at sea on Halloween of 1991, when they are confronted by three raging weather fronts which unexpectedly collide to produce the greatest, fiercest storm in modern history -- "The Perfect Storm."

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Executive Producer: Barry Levinson, Duncan Henderson
Screenwriter: Sebastian Junger, William D. Wittliff
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: Radiant Pictures, Baltimore Spring Creek, Warner Brothers
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $182.6M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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