The Sea Beast (2022)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: The Sea Beast (2022)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 1h 55min
Rating: PG
Production/Distribution: Netflix Animation, Netflix
Director: Chris Williams
Writers: Nell Benjamin, Chris Williams
Actors: Baraka May, Benjamin Plessala, Dan Stevens, Jared Harris, Karl Urban, Kathy Burke, Kaya McLean, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Zaris-Angel Hator
 
IMDb Blurb: When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters - and make history to boot.

 

Cat’s Point of View:
Watching The Sea Beast felt like a reward that followed a few weeks of an intensely hectic schedule. Not even my exhaustion factor could have dulled my excitement and anticipation for this movie. The big question would be – did it live up to the hype?
 
Absolutely.
 
Honestly, I wish I’d ranked The Sea Beast a little higher on my Top 20 Movies to Look Out for in July article this month. There wouldn’t have been a lot of wiggle room with all of the great stuff releasing this July, but I could have shuffled a little. The Sea Beast was just that good. Alas, hindsight and all that.

Regardless of where it landed on the list, The Sea Beast certainly delivered on all of my expectations for this high seas adventure.
 
The cast was amazing in bringing their roles to life. Jared Harris (Chernobyl, Carnival Row, Morbius) was the perfect grizzled sea captain, Karl Urban (Star Trek Beyond, Thor: Ragnarok, The Boys) brought depth to the hero monster-hunter Jacob, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Homecoming, Fatman, Boxing Day) embodied the tone of a badass female first mate. I wished Dan Stevens (The Guest, Blithe Spirit, Gaslit) could have had a slightly larger role here, however, Admiral Hornagold did bring an important element to the story. Last, but definitely not least, Zaris-Angel Hator (Black Earth Rising, The Midnight Gang, Morbius) is a star on the rise. Her heartfelt portrayal of Maisie took me back to my youth and my own flights of fantasy wishing I could join an epic adventure.

 
The story wove an intricate tale of humanity, honor, the cost of revenge, and a subtle warning about the dangers of propaganda. An ultra-simplified comparison would be to call The Sea Beast something along the lines of a How to Train Your Dragon (2010) of the sea.
 
I actually forgot for a little bit that I was watching a Netflix original animation and not something straight from Disney or the like. The animation was impeccable.
 
Overall, The Sea Beast took me on an epic journey and I enjoyed every minute of the ride. We will likely watch it again – probably very soon, in fact. Oh, and I did find out whether or not Maisie got to keep the little blue monster from the trailer. I’m not going to spoil it here, though. You’ll just need to go watch The Sea Beast, yourself to find out.

 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 93%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 95%
Metascore – 75%
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer: