White Squall

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White Squall

PG-13

1996

2h 7m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon (Jeff Bridges) at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew -- among them confident Chuck Gieg (Scott Wolf), timid Gil Martin (Ryan Phillippe) and self-satisfied Frank Beaumont (Jeremy Sisto) -- are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.

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Critics Consensus

Though it gets occasionally bogged down by touchy-feely sentiment, White Squall benefits greatly from Jeff Bridges' assured lead performance and Ridley Scott's visceral, exciting direction.

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Brian Lowry

Variety

Jul 25, 2008

The filmmakers take a rather facile, anachronistic "Oprah"-esque approach toward the boys' feelings about their families and the Skipper's role as a "tough love"-minded surrogate father.

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Trevor Johnston

Time Out

Jan 26, 2006

This particular landlubber felt like jelly for the rest of the day, notwithstanding the hokey courtroom showdown that closes the picture.

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Janet Maslin

New York Times

May 20, 2003

2.5/5

Despite great scenery, the distinctive visual ideas of Mr. Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) and the strong dramatic presence of Mr. Bridges, most of White Squall remains listless and tame.

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

Mar 1, 2022

2.5/4

Once you get through all the cliches of the calm waters, there is a 20-minute movie somewhere within the two-hour running time.

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Aug 10, 2020

2/5

Bridges does his best to command the emotional resonance we assume motivated Sheldon, but scant characterization marks him merely as a cipher for brawny, brain-washed ideations of what masculinity's supposed to look like.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Jun 27, 2016

C+

Though lavishly produced and based on a true story, it still fails to satisfy.

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JAMES B.

@Briceman301 Feb 1, 2026

A young man’s dream adventure. 1960 perfectly captured.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 30, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Robert B

@MrZetetic Feb 22, 2025

Great movie, well acted. Ignore the negative reviews, anything that is positive and character building is frowned upon today. Comparable to Dead poets society.

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Dennis B

@RT37415025 Jan 26, 2025

The movie vers far from the book, but that’s not uncommon, but still enjoyable

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Mike P

@RT09890132 Apr 10, 2024

Watchable true life docudrama which dissects the ship-wrecking of the USS Albatross; which was a ship that was being sailed by a boy's prep school in an elaborate nautical lesson. This is watchable but not great...Too many stereotypes; but the action is good. Recommended

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Cindy L

@RT50805959 Aug 28, 2022

Strange things happen in the open ocean and unfortunately it happened to The Albatross, a true story. I thought the acting was good, the story intriguing and worth the view. A very good film.

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Ridley Scott

Director

Jeff Bridges

Captain Christopher `'Skipper'` Sheldon

Caroline Goodall

Dr. Alice Sheldon

Scott Wolf

Charles `'Chuck'` Gieg

John Savage

McCrea

Jeremy Sisto

Frank Beaumont

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Synopsis

In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon (Jeff Bridges) at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew -- among them confident Chuck Gieg (Scott Wolf), timid Gil Martin (Ryan Phillippe) and self-satisfied Frank Beaumont (Jeremy Sisto) -- are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Mimi Polk Gitlin, Rocky Lang
Screenwriter: Todd Robinson
Production Co: Largo Entertainment, Scott Free Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.3M
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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