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On the Sea

Play trailer Poster for On the Sea 2025 1h 51m Drama Romance LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 12 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life. He works as Hand Raker on the mussel beds in North Wales with his younger brother, Dyfan, and Dyfan's three sons. Jack has always assumed that his own boy, Tom, will join the family business on leaving school but Tom's resistance to follow in his footsteps causes familial tension. Tensions are further inflamed by the arrival of an itinerant deckhand, Daniel, who makes known his feelings for Jack. In this remote, rural community where life revolves around Church and fishery, Jack is faced with an impossible dilemma. On The Sea is a beautiful, sensual and at times, tragic exploration of masculinity, place and desire.

Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Observer (UK) 14h
The film’s dour tone is mirrored by its predominantly grey colour palette. But the raw desire between Jack and Daniel is sensitively evoked. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 4d
4/5
Ward here proves such a powerful, achingly sympathetic presence that he carries any quirks with ease. Go to Full Review Danny Leigh Financial Times 5d
3/5
Echoes of Brokeback Mountain and God’s Own Country abound. But On the Sea has powerful enough moments to be heard over them: a set of fine performances; eloquent photography of a landscape at once expansive and hemmed in. Go to Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall 4d
4/5
Writer-director Helen Walsh has a terrific eye for complex family dynamics and profound personal feelings. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Helen Walsh

Director

Sam Goldie

Director

Ricardo Saraiva

Director

Audrey Hughes

Director

Elin Torr

Director

Barry Ward

Actor
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On the Sea

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life. He works as Hand Raker on the mussel beds in North Wales with his younger brother, Dyfan, and Dyfan's three sons. Jack has always assumed that his own boy, Tom, will join the family business on leaving school but Tom's resistance to follow in his footsteps causes familial tension. Tensions are further inflamed by the arrival of an itinerant deckhand, Daniel, who makes known his feelings for Jack. In this remote, rural community where life revolves around Church and fishery, Jack is faced with an impossible dilemma. On The Sea is a beautiful, sensual and at times, tragic exploration of masculinity, place and desire.
Director
Helen Walsh, Sam Goldie, Ricardo Saraiva, Audrey Hughes, Elin Torr
Producer
David Moores, David A. Hughes
Screenwriter
Helen Walsh
Production Co
Red Union Films
Genre
Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 51m