Watch Orca: The Killer Whale

Orca: The Killer Whale is a 1977 horror thriller movie directed by Michael Anderson and features stars like Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, and Will Sampson. It tells the story about Captain Nolan (Harris), a whale hunter, who kills a killer whale's pregnant mate. When the killer whale- also known as Orca- discovers this, he becomes enraged and starts to stalk Nolan and his crew for revenge.

The movie takes place in Newfoundland where Nolan and his crew are working on their fishing vessel in search of whales to catch. They come across a pod of killer whales, and Nolan manages to kill one of them, not knowing that it was pregnant. The pregnant whale's death deeply affects the rest of the pod and the grieving male whale- Orca- starts to follow them relentlessly challenging their vessel and ultimately sinking it whilst in port.

The Orca's intentions become clear pretty soon as it becomes obvious that the whale wants to get revenge against Nolan for the harm caused to its mate and their unborn progeny. Nolan starts to realize this and becomes progressively more paranoid, as he attempts to outrun and outsmart the killer whale, who is larger, faster, and obviously much smarter than he could have initially presumed.

Throughout the movie, Orca causes death and destruction both physically and emotionally. He even goes as far as to kill Nolan's pregnant wife (Rampling), to exact revenge, making Nolan more determined than ever to go after him. One of the interesting aspects of the movie is how it plays on the idea that whales are intelligent creatures with feelings, and how they too can hold grudges just like human beings.

The relationship between Orca and humans is a significant part of the film. The movie touches upon the concept of humane treatment of animals, the primal instinct in humans to dominate over nature, and how they both coexist in stark contrast.

The cinematography of the film is impressive, displaying some complex shots of the sea and the creatures therein. The score is also worthy of mention, with some ominous tones and the right amount of suspense music thrown in for good measure.

The film is an entertaining watch overall, being one of the better films of the '70s era of horror-thrillers. It's not only action-packed but also manages to evoke a sense of ethical dilemma- whether humans should feel guilty over killing whales or not- and delivers a powerful message about harmony between man and nature.

In summary, Orca: The Killer Whale is a captivating movie that showcases the strength of killer whales and how they could become human-like. The film delves into our human emotions and touches upon themes like retribution, nature vs. nurture, and the nature of responsibilities. Despite its dated filming, the movie is still an engaging watch, and for fans of the genre, it has all the right ingredients to whet your appetite.

Orca: The Killer Whale is a 1977 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8 and a MetaScore of 27.