Poster © Sony Pictures Releasing. Shown at reduced size for review and commentary.
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GenreAction, Biography & Crime
RatedPG-13
Runtime2 hr 14 mins
ReleasedOctober 11, 2013
StreamingSee Where to Watch
DirectorPaul Greengrass
StarringTom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi
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Captain Phillips (2013)
| ▶Stream It | ★The Numbers |
| 🎫Get Tickets | ✎Edit History |
| iIMDb Profile | %Rotten Tomatoes |
| WWikipedia | LLetterboxd |
| TTMDB | +Add to Top 8 |
| Captain Phillips's Details | |
| Genre | Action, Biography & Crime |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Released | 09/27/2013 (NYFF); 10/11/2013 (United States) |
| Streaming | See Where to Watch on this page. |
| Running Time | 2 hr 14 mins |
| Budget | $55M (reported) |
| Box Office | Updated daily from Box Office Mojo. See the numbers below. |
| Based On | A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English, Somali |
| Captain Phillips's Interests | |
| General | Container ships, fire hoses, radar screens, security drills, endless open ocean. |
| Music | Henry Jackman. Tension you can feel in your teeth. |
| Movies | United 93 (2006). Greengrass, another true story, same racing pulse. |
| Television | Deadliest Catch. Different ocean, still a hard no from us. |
| Heroes | Barkhad Abdi. First movie role, instant legend. |
| Captain Phillips's Crew | |
| Director | Paul Greengrass |
| Writers | Billy Ray |
| Producers | Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca |
| Cinematography | Barry Ackroyd |
| Music | Henry Jackman |
| Edited By | Christopher Rouse |
| Production | Columbia Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, Michael De Luca Productions, Trigger Street Productions |
| Distributed By | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Fair warning: the lifeboat section of Captain Phillips goes on so long you can feel the walls closing in, and that’s the honest problem and also the whole point. Paul Greengrass shoots like the camera is strapped to a nervous crew member, so if handheld footage makes you queasy, plan accordingly. What keeps it from feeling like a news recreation is Barkhad Abdi. He plays Muse as a young man cornered by forces way bigger than him, and he matches Tom Hanks scene for scene. Nobody on that ship is a cartoon. Hanks plays Phillips as a regular guy doing a hard job, which is why his last scene lands harder than any of the action. It’s based on a real hijacking, and the movie treats every person in it with respect. 93% with critics, $218.8 million worldwide. An 8.7 because it’s tense, humane and never cheap. $59.27 says you sit through the end credits without saying a word.
What works: Barkhad Abdi and Tom Hanks go toe to toe, and Greengrass keeps the tension tight without turning anyone into a cartoon.
What doesn’t: The lifeboat stretch runs long and the constant handheld camera can wear you out, especially on a big screen.
Who it’s for: People who like true-story thrillers that care about everyone in the room, not just the hero.
Spoilers
Navy SEAL snipers end the standoff and Phillips is rescued, while Muse is taken into custody. The last scene is Phillips in shock in the ship’s medical room, finally letting it all out.
Spring 2009. Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) takes command of the Maersk Alabama, an unarmed cargo ship heading down the coast of East Africa toward Kenya, through waters where pirates are a real threat. He runs his crew through security drills and keeps a nervous eye on the radar. Off the Somali coast, small skiffs start closing in on the ship. One of them is led by a young, determined man named Muse (Barkhad Abdi), and he is not turning back. Based on a true story. Paul Greengrass directs. One hundred thirty-four minutes, white knuckles the whole way.
Merchant sailors everywhere. Run the drills, they matter.
| Tom Hanks | Richard "Rich" Phillips / "Irish" |
| Catherine Keener | Andrea Phillips |
| Michael Chernus | Shane Murphy |
| David Warshofsky | Mike Perry |
| Corey Johnson | Ken Quinn |
| Chris Mulkey | John Cronan |
| Mark Holden | William Rios |
| Angus MacInnes | Ian Waller |
| Louis Mahoney | Ethan Stoll |
| Vincenzo Nicoli | Andrew Brezinski |
| Maria Dizzia | Allison McColl |
| John Magaro | Dan Phillips |
| Gigi Raines | Mariah Phillips |
| Riann Steele | Bernetti |
| Barkhad Abdi | Abduwali Muse |
| Barkhad Abdirahman | Adan Bilal |
| Faysal Ahmed | Nour Najee |
| Mahat M. Ali | Walid Elmi |
| Mohamed Ali | Assad |
| Ibrahim Maalim | Hufan |
| Idurus Shiish | Idurus |
| Azeez Mohammed | Dawoud |
| Nasir Jamas | Eko |
| Yul Vazquez | Commander Frank Castellano |
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 18 October 2026 DataBot +40 Numbers refreshed: IMDb users 7.8 / 10 (523,844 votes) → 7.8 / 10 (523,875 votes).
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 17 October 2026 DataBot +480 Numbers refreshed: Worldwide box office $218.8M; Domestic box office $107.1M; Opening weekend $25.7M; Profit / loss (est.) +$26.9M; Rotten Tomatoes 93%; CinemaScore A; box office chart updated; Rotten Tomatoes critics 93% (279 reviews); Metacritic 82 / 100; CinemaScore A; IMDb users 7.8 / 10 (523,844 votes); movie.guru score 9.0.
- (cur | prev) 12:00, 17 October 2026 DataBot +2,000 Profile created from Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo: cast, crew, release dates, budget, official trailer.