The Poseidon Adventure

Hell, upside down.

1972 • 117 min • Adventure · Drama · Thriller

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Synopsis

When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.

Our family guide

Best from age 9

Movie Knight Score

1047 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
72 Audience · 1045 · 49%

When a rogue wave capsizes a luxury liner on New Year's Eve, a diverse group of survivors, led by a defiant priest, must navigate the upside-down ship in a desperate fight for survival. This classic disaster film explores human resilience and faith against overwhelming odds.

Violence & peril: 6/10
Language: 2/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 7/10

Heads up

Intense peril and claustrophobic scenes.
Some characters make ultimate sacrifices.
Brief moments of drinking and smoking.
Disrespectful language towards faith.

What it models well

Resilience in crisis
Sacrifice for others
Teamwork and leadership
Finding faith in adversity

Talk about it after

How different characters cope with fear and loss.
The importance of working together.
What makes a good leader in an emergency.
The meaning of courage and sacrifice.

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Poseidon Adventure. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Ronald Neame • Crew: Stirling Silliphant, Wendell Mayes

Trailers & clips

Trailer

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
It's a toss up for me between this and "The Towering Inferno" (1974) as to which is my favourite disaster movie. This quite gripping drama sees an ageing ocean liner en-route to the scrap heap make one last, fateful, trip. As new year arrives, the ship is stuck by a gigantic tidal wave and capsizes.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Seen this one several times over the years and still is fantastic, from the performances (Hackman and Borgnine especially) to some genuinely emotional scenes to the incredible set designs. Not sure if I place this over The Towering Inferno, but think it might be 1A and 1B amongst disaster films. **4.5/5**
JPV852, TMDB Community