Netflix fans have just days left to see 'must watch' documentary that changed everything
Centred around the captivity of Tilikum, an orca that was blamed for the deaths of three humans, Blackfish speaks to the consequences of keeping these wild creatures in captivity and features footage from some of the actual attacks.
'You won't forget Cowperthwaite's documentary, and you shouldn't,' says one critic of the 2013 documentary film, Blackfish.
Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2013, Blackfish was picked up by CNN Films and Magnolia Pictures for a wider release. So impactful was Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Blackfish, it was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary. Slated to leave Netflix on 1 June, viewers only have a few days left to catch this cinematically gut-wrenching offering.
Centred around the captivity of Tilikum, an orca that was blamed for the deaths of three humans, Blackfish speaks to the consequences of keeping these beautiful, wild creatures in captivity. Featuring footage from some of the actual attacks, the documentary also includes coverage from 1983 — the year Tilikum was captured off the coast of Iceland.
Lending an insight into the orca's purported harassment by fellow captive orcas at Sealand, Blackfish sees Cowperthwaite arguing about the contribution of these incidents to Tilikum's fatal aggression. The documentary film also features footage of Tilikum's attacks on trainers and other orcas in captivity, as well as interviews from witnesses and SeaWorld trainers.
Cowperthwaite began working on the film following the death of Tilikum's trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in February 2010. The incident sparked speculation that the orca had targeted Brancheau because she wore her hair in a ponytail. Cowperthwaite contended that this was mere conjecture and believed that "there had to be more to this story."
The vice president for zoological operations at SeaWorld San Diego - Michael Scarpuzzi, said Blackfish had misused Brancheau's death and its gruesome details not to 'inform the public, but, rather regrettably, because of the desire to sensationalize."
He said in a statement: "We have altered how we care for, display and train these extraordinary animals. We have changed the facilities, equipment and procedures at our killer whale habitats. The care and educational presentation of these animals at SeaWorld has been made safer than ever. Does Blackfish inform its viewers of that fact? No, it does not."
Critic and audience reviews for the documentary were filled with praise, as people connected to the heartbreaking subject matter of Blackfish.
One critic said: 'That Blackfish led SeaWorld to phase out both orca breeding and performances speaks to how we should view the film's legacy over ten years later.'
Another one called it: 'An illuminating documentary not only about the cruel conditions that killer whales endure at theme parks such as SeaWorld, but the biology and psychology of the mysterious and majestic sea wolf.'
While one review said: 'There are few movies that can change the way you see the world in 83 minutes. If Blackfish is seen by enough people, it has the power to affect attendance at SeaWorld,' another said: '[It] remains decidedly one-sided. But when that "side" is such a vital, convincing proponent for the greater protection and understanding of such evolved and majestic creatures, it can't help but win.'
Audiences were blown away by Cowperthwaite's film, as one detailed review said: 'While walking through the St. Louis Zoo recently, my mind kept coming back to this wonderful documentary about the controversial captivity of killer whales used in theme parks, particularly Sea World. And looking into the eyes of the animals we passed, I found my heart breaking just a little. This film has forever altered my feelings about animal confinement for human enjoyment, and that's the mark of a powerful movie.
'The story of an orca named Tilikum, who ended up killing three people, including a whale trainer, is one I will never forget. And the interviews with witnesses and experts are not only informative but often heartrending. I'm an animal lover, not necessarily an animal LOVER, but this documentary gave me a new appreciation and even respect for the creatures around us and how humans often exploit them.'
Another viewer said: 'I tear up every time I watch this, so gut-wrenching but so good. It makes me angry about the world and how humans exploit animals, but it also makes me happy to see the people who truly care. This is a MUST SEE!!'
One audience review of the documentary bluntly said: 'Really, really, really f*cking disturbing and disgusting. So many moments where it was borderline too hard to watch, but it had to be seen so we could get the intended message and effect.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
The Ballad of Wallis Island's Carey Mulligan 'forced' her way into inside jokes
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Ballad of Wallis Island is the stealth hit-in-the-making British film that's finally been released in UK cinemas after gathering word-of-mouth praise since its Sundance Film Festival premiere in January. It's written by comedy duo Tim Key and Tom Basden as a feature-length expansion of a Bafta-nominated 2007 short film. The pair already enjoy a cult following thanks to over two decades working together across stage, screen and radio waves. You'll have heard or seen them, together or separately, across the likes of BBC Radio 4, Alan Partridge (Key is sidekick Simon), Plebs (Basden co-created it and played Aurelius), BBC sitcom Here We Go and Ricky Gervais' After Life – plus Key is appearing in upcoming spin-off of the US version of The Office, The Paper. There are also appearances in Inside No. 9, Peep Show, Taskmaster, Ghosts, The Armstrong & Miller Show… basically, Key and Basden's involvement can be found in nearly every corner of the UK comedy scene. The Ballad of Wallis Island is going to convert a whole new group of fans. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But to shepherd short The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island to its full-length film destiny after 18 years – for which they also worked again with original director, James Griffiths – the group sprinkled extra star power over proceedings with the addition of Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan. In the film she plays alt-folk singer Nell Mortimer, one half of musical duo McGwyer-Mortimer with her ex, Herb McGwyer (Basden). Eccentric lottery winner Charles Heath (Key) invites them both to his remote island with the hopes of finally reuniting them for a private gig. Mulligan, coming off the back of her third Academy Award nod for Maestro opposite Bradley Cooper, was easily swayed into an immediate yes by the 'brilliant' script and a reference of 'what they were going for' with the original short. 'It was a really easy gut instinct thing, which I think is, ideally – I always want to operate [like that]. I loved it. I loved the whole script, I loved the story, I loved the part that I get to play in it, the idea of working with these guys,' she tells Metro in a joint interview with her castmates and director. 'You were very pregnant at the time as well, you probably weren't thinking straight,' chimes in Basden, to play off the compliments. While Mulligan, 40, agreed being 'hormonal' could have helped their case – and the film ended up shooting in Wales to allow the star's family to help with the mum-of-three's baby during the shoot – there was another reason too. 'My husband was big fan of these guys, so he was like, 'You have to do it' even before I read it. And so I was sort of in – before I knew what was happening, I signed on!' she added. Mulligan's husband is of course Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, who even ended up helping with his wife's musical parts in the film. It's no surprise that Mulligan was easily wooed by The Ballad of Wallis Island's script, given its deft balance of heart and humour and the relentless way it peppers you with puns and gags. Key, 48, and Basden, 44, actually wrote the film in chunks, separately, covering all characters, thanks to their long and fruitful professional partnership. 'Tim and I have known each other and worked together for a very long time, over 20 years, and we've written a lot of stuff for each other. In his radio show, he writes all my lines, and in TV shows that I've written, in which Tim has starred, I've written all his lines. We just understand each other's rhythm and have a very similar sense of humour,' Basden explains, simply, of the feat of Wallis Island's brilliant character work. 'It feels completely natural to write each other's dialogue when we're writing those bits of the film.' Of course, given their backgrounds, while they do make sure they've shot the script 'exactly' as written there is always chance to play around 'and see if we can find other rhythms and other jokes and unearth other things in the scene'. Mulligan was an outsider coming into a long and successful relationship between Key, Basden and Griffiths on the film. She says she wasn't intimidated as such, but keen to be included. 'When you work with anyone who's got a close partner, with people who've collaborated a lot, I think there's a natural sense of trepidation that you might not kind of get the gags. I sort of forced myself into all the inside jokes,' she shares, grinning. 'I was like, 'Explain them to me. Why do you call him that? And when did that start?' By about a week in, I was like, 'I get it, I was there, we went to university together'. So it was fine – but yes, of course, at the beginning, you just want to be in the gang. But they were so nice and I pretty immediately was.' 'Obviously from our point of view there's huge trepidation working with a genuine Hollywood star, as opposed to with each other,' points out Basden. 'We know this water very well. And then Carey coming in, and us feeling like we actually need to do quite a good job here…' For Key, finally getting to the night before shooting, so many years after the film first took shape, felt 'kind of like Christmas Eve'. '[I was] excited about doing it, but then also petrified and [there was a] sort of a slight element of, should we be doing this? Probably a little element of we shouldn't go back – but I think we were all so excited to be doing it by then that that wasn't at the front of my mind.' Basden was grateful to the team, including director Griffiths, always being on hand in the run-up to the shoot, allowing for 'a forum where we really had a kind of battle plan with everything'. He says they didn't 'allow' themselves to feel emotional about the project until they got to Sundance and were experiencing other people watch it. 'Then we were all just really full of emotion, thinking I just can't believe we've done this!' he laughs. 'There was a moment I remember feeling very grateful to be there, that we'd got it together, and the people who supported us to get there, like Focus and Bankside and Baby Cow, had got us to that start line,' shares Griffiths. 'And then it's just about focusing on what's the first shot of the day – and how scary that is in its own right!' Key picks out the first scene of the film as his fondest memory because it allowed him to 'work out very quickly' that they should, in fact, be making a feature version of their short film. 'You're back in the rhythm of working, talking to Tom in character, and Griff directing it, and a crew there – and you do sort of think this is a really great thing. I mean, a lot of pressure; you don't want to ruin it over the next 18 days!' The cast and crew all lived together in hillside cabins while on the tight shoot, which Griffiths describes as 'pretty idyllic'. 'I mean, it was hard work and there's so much that the crew did to facilitate everything,' he continues. 'I remember those moments being pretty special where you're seeing people lugging cases, and everyone grabbing a lens box and hiking up a hill to get the shots.' Basden also loved all the shooting outside on location because 'it just fills you with joy when you go to work and it looks like that, you know?'. More Trending 'It's weird, it was 18 days, and I only shot 10,' remembers Mulligan. 'But it feels like we were all there for longer. I had a memory of us being there for the summer, which we weren't, but I think we really soaked up every minute of the loveliness of it all.' And she finishes with perhaps the highest compliment an actor can pay to a film set. 'There's so few jobs where every single scene you're like, 'Oh, I love this!' There are days on most jobs where you're a bit annoyed, or things aren't going the way you wanted to or something isn't working, but with this, every day was just so nice.' The Ballad of Wallis Island is in cinemas now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 11 years on, I'm still mourning comedy legend Rik Mayall MORE: New BBC drama smashes records despite viewers 'switching off' after 5 minutes MORE: Don't expect another Lindsay Lohan rom-com on Netflix this Christmas
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Romesh Ranganathan to step back from comedy and presenting roles
As well as his successful comedy career, Ranganathan, 47, is also well-known for various presenting roles both on TV and radio. He is host of BBC game show The Weakest Link and also starred in Bafta Award-winning TV series Rob And Romesh Vs, alongside fellow comedian Rob Beckett. Ranganathan has also featured in several BBC documentary series - The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan (BBC Two) and Asian Provocateur (BBC Three). In 2024, he took over Claudia Winkleman's Saturday morning slot on BBC Radio 2 and he also presents Romesh Ranganathan: For The Love Of Hip Hop on the same station. BBC's highest-paid stars (2023/24) Romesh Ranganathan to take a "step back" from career However, Ranganathan, who hails from Crawley, has now revealed he will be "taking a step back" from his career, but emphasised he was not retiring. Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Ranganathan said: "I know that people sort of say I'm busy and I'm always like, trying to work and stuff. "There is no strategy. There's no game plan. I have no end game.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Romesh Ranganathan to step back from comedy and presenting roles
He is host of BBC game show The Weakest Link and also starred in Bafta Award-winning TV series Rob And Romesh Vs, alongside fellow comedian Rob Beckett. Ranganathan has also featured in several BBC documentary series - The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan (BBC Two) and Asian Provocateur (BBC Three). In 2024, he took over Claudia Winkleman's Saturday morning slot on BBC Radio 2 and he also presents Romesh Ranganathan: For The Love Of Hip Hop on the same station. BBC's highest-paid stars (2023/24) Romesh Ranganathan to take a "step back" from career However, Ranganathan, who hails from Crawley, has now revealed he will be "taking a step back" from his career, but emphasised he was not retiring. Speaking to Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Ranganathan said: "I know that people sort of say I'm busy and I'm always like, trying to work and stuff. "There is no strategy. There's no game plan. I have no end game.
