Writer: Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli B. Despres, Tim Zimmermann (Writers)
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.
Verdict: An important documentary
Story: Seeing how a young calf killer whale is taken from its pod and put into captivity to perform for people over a 25+ years. We see how he was constantly trapped in small enclosures and how acts of play and frustration led to accidents and deaths. Former trainers give their stories of how they had always been told stories of how it was an accident and always hidden the truth before the latest death changed the laws SeaWorld have to operate under. This is important for people to see as these creatures should be free and not just used for our own entertainment, and keeping them in cages will have consequences that will be blamed on the animal. (9/10)
Director Review: Gabriela Cowperthwaite– Comfortable put together to tell the story that SeaWorld don’t want us to know. Filled with interviews from former trainers who didn’t understand how bad the treatment was. (8/10)
Documentary: Great documentary that really hits hard. (10/10)
Suggestion: This is something that needs to be watch and acted on. (Watch)
Best Part: Achieve footage shows how the animal changes over time.
Worst Part: We didn’t need to see the whale getting milked for sperm.
Believability: Used achieve footage on real events. (10/10)
Chances of Tears: You will feel for the whales. (4/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Awards: Nominated for BAFTA best documentary.
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $2,073,582
Runtime: 1 Hour 23 Minutes
Tagline: Never capture what you can’t control.
Overall: Brilliant Documentary to show what is really going on at SeaWorld
Rating