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White Squall

White Squall

Drama · Adventure · 1996

In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.

Movie details

White Squall

“The strongest will in nature is the will to survive.”

1996 Drama · Adventure 2h 9m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over White Squall?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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I Am David

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Cast Away

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Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.

Into the Wild

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Abandoned

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Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

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Adventure · 2003

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Ridley Scott

Written by

Todd Robinson

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges

Christopher 'Skipper' Sheldon

Caroline Goodall

Caroline Goodall

Alice Sheldon

John Savage

John Savage

McCrea

Scott Wolf

Scott Wolf

Chuck Gieg

Jeremy Sisto

Jeremy Sisto

Frank Beaumont

Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe

Gil Martin

David Lascher

David Lascher

Robert Marsh

Court is in session

Put White Squall on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.