Captain Phillips
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Critics Sentiment
Phillips breaks down during medical treatment aboard Bainbridge
Phillips takes command of Maersk Alabama at Port Salalah
From the slow opening establishment to the intense pirate boarding sequence, sentiment jumps dramatically as the real action begins
Captain Phillips builds steadily from a deliberately slow start to incredibly tense hijacking sequences that maintain high tension throughout. The film peaks with Hanks' raw emotional breakdown scene that critics universally praised as masterful acting. While some noted the military response felt slightly Hollywood-conventional, the overall arc delivers consistent tension and authentic human drama.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 64
Tom Hanks
Captain Richard Phillips
Barkhad Abdi
Muse
Barkhad Abdirahman
Bilal
Faysal Ahmed
Najee
Mahat M. Ali
Elmi
Michael Chernus
Shane Murphy
David Warshofsky
Mike Perry
Corey Johnson
Ken Quinn
Chris Mulkey
John Cronan
Yul Vazquez
Captain Frank Castellano
Max Martini
SEAL Commander
Catherine Keener
Andrea Phillips
Omar Berdouni
Nemo
Mohamed Ali
Asad
Issak Farah Samatar
Hufan
Thomas Grube
Maersk Alabama Crew
Mark Holden
Maersk Alabama Crew
San Shella
Maersk Alabama Crew
Terence Anderson
Maersk Alabama Crew
Marc Anwar
Maersk Alabama Crew
Crew
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