The Sea Beast
The Sea Beast is a 2022 animated fantasy adventure film distributed by Netflix, offering a thrilling high-seas journey into a world where humans relentlessly hunt colossal sea monsters. The narrative centers on Maisie Brumble, an orphaned girl passionate about monster hunting, who stows away on the ship of the legendary hunter Jacob Holland and his adoptive father, Captain Crow. Their pursuit of the formidable Red Bluster leads them to uncover a surprising truth about the beasts and the long-standing conflict between humans and these creatures. The film explores themes of challenging established narratives, questioning authority, and the importance of empathy and understanding over ingrained prejudice. It presents a vibrant, action-packed world with impressive animation and dynamic battle sequences. While primarily aimed at families, the content includes intense action, mild language, and thematic elements that suggest its appropriateness for slightly older children and pre-teen audiences, encouraging discussions around history and truth.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film contains frequent and intense action sequences involving monster hunting. Hunters use cannons, harpoons, and swords against large sea beasts, resulting in implied injuries to both humans and creatures. While explicit gore is minimal, there are visible bloodstains, implied deaths, and a character is severely injured.
Sailors engage in large-scale battles with sea beasts, firing cannons and impaling monsters with spears, which causes 'small spurts of black blood' from the creatures and the loss of tentacles. Maisie Brumble is seriously injured during a cannon blast, found bleeding by Jacob, and later appears barely conscious after the Red Bluster is harpooned with a poisoned weapon and falls through buildings, leaving a trail of destruction.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie contains numerous intense and frightening sequences that could be disturbing for younger viewers. These include direct threats, perilous escapes, graphic injuries, and moments where characters' lives are clearly in danger from the massive sea beasts and human antagonists.
Maisie and Jacob are swallowed by the colossal Red Bluster, trapped inside the beast where they openly express their fear of dying, debating whether they will be chewed or digested. In a moment of extreme tension, Captain Crow aims a gun directly at Maisie and Jacob after they defy his orders, creating a life-threatening confrontation.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumWhile the movie does not explicitly portray LGBTQ+ characters or relationships as part of its canon narrative, fan communities have expressed interpretations and headcanons regarding some characters. Online discussions suggest that certain characters, like first mate Sarah Sharpe and Ms. Merino, are perceived by some viewers as having implied lesbian appeal, but this is not directly supported by explicit content in the film itself. The cast is noted for its diversity and gender balance.
In fan discussions on platforms like Reddit, first mate Sarah Sharpe is referred to by a user as a 'lesbian pirate queen,' indicating a community interpretation of her character. Similarly, another user on r/actuallesbians mentioned Ms. Merino as a 'new pirate crush,' suggesting fan attraction to the character within an LGBTQ+ context.
Profanity
MediumThe movie includes a moderate amount of mild coarse language and expletives. These words are used occasionally throughout the film but are not pervasive or excessively strong.
The word 'hell' is used three times, and 'ass' is heard once in the dialogue. Other mild expletives include 'bloody' used twice, and 'bollocked' used once.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe film features elements that touch upon mystical and potentially occult themes, primarily through a character described as a sinister figure providing magical aid. While not central to the plot, these elements introduce a supernatural undertone to the world.
Captain Crow consults Gwen Batterbie, who is portrayed as a 'creepy and sinister' individual and described by reviewers as an 'evil witch,' from whom he obtains a potent poison-tipped harpoon. Additionally, a woman's assistance is noted to come with a 'mystical price,' implying non-natural or magical consequences for her aid.
Substance Use
MediumAlcohol consumption is present in various scenes, primarily depicting adult characters drinking socially. While it is shown, substance abuse or intoxication is not glorified, and there are instances where underage consumption is subtly discouraged.
Hunters on the ship are seen drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages, and Jacob Holland is shown purchasing drinks for a tavern full of people. In one scene, young Maisie attempts to take a frothy beer, but Jacob immediately removes it from her grasp.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumA core theme of the film involves challenging established authority and long-held beliefs. The protagonist, Maisie, actively rebels against societal norms and rules, prompting others, including Jacob, to question corrupt systems and traditional narratives, ultimately leading to positive change.
Maisie Brumble defies the rules of her orphanage by stowing away on a hunting ship, directly rebelling against her caregivers and societal expectations. She challenges Jacob Holland's ingrained beliefs about sea beasts, emphatically stating, 'You can be a hero and still be wrong,' which eventually leads him to question the deeply held 'truths' perpetuated by the Crown.
Romance and Sexual Content
LowSexual content in 'The Sea Beast' is minimal and non-explicit. There are no intimate romantic scenes, overt sexual references, or nudity meant to be suggestive. One scene briefly shows a male character with his torso exposed for medical reasons.
Jacob Holland is depicted briefly shirtless while his wounds are being tended to, exposing his torso in a non-sexual context after a battle. The film contains only 'light Romantic elements' pertaining to Maisie's aspirations and dreams rather than explicit romantic relationships between characters.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe film does not contain explicit anti-Christian themes or direct criticism of Christian beliefs. Its central message promotes questioning false historical narratives and corrupt authority, which some viewers may interpret through a religious lens as potentially challenging 'blind faith,' but this is not specifically targeted at Christianity.
The main plot revolves around Maisie's discovery that the 'history books' depicting sea monsters as inherently evil were fabricated by the ruling Crown, prompting a re-evaluation of long-accepted 'truths'. While there are generic references such as Maisie telling Captain Crow that 'hell won't take' him and sea monsters being called 'devils,' these appear more as common vernacular in a fantasy setting rather than direct anti-Christian statements.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Ages 10 and up. While rated PG for mild violence and some thematic elements, the film features intense monster battles, perilous situations, and themes of questioning authority and historical inaccuracies that may be better processed by children aged 10 and above with parental guidance. Younger or more sensitive children may find certain scenes frightening or the themes complex.
Additional Notes
The film's strong positive messages revolve around critical thinking, empathy, and challenging misleading narratives. It encourages viewers to question 'history' and 'truths' presented by those in power. While the violence is intense, it ultimately leads to an anti-violence message and a focus on peaceful coexistence. The runtime of 115-116 minutes may be long for very young children.
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