But unlike most of the other famous shipwrecks in history, The Essex didn’t stay down at the bottom of the ocean forever. The ship was given a second chance to sail, recently, and proudly cruised down the River Thames in all its glory. It’s fair to say that the public were presented with quite a magnificent sight as the ship that had inspired legend sailed down England’s most famous river. Needless to say, it confidently completed its voyage the second time around.

In the Heart of the Sea is a tense and thrilling vision of what happened on that journey. Academy Award winning director Ron Howard presents us with a voyage that will keep us holding tightly onto our seats. Not just a lesson in cinematography, the film features leading stars Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Benjamin Walker. The journey reaches the emotional peak as we watch these men trying to survive together when everything around them is falling apart. In the Heart of the Sea doesn’t rely on the whale to provide all the commotion. As the film progresses we understand that a confrontational sperm whale might not be the only terrifying thing about being lost at sea.

The perfect mix of cinema and history, In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story of the Essex without ignoring the fear embedded in the crew that found themselves stranded at sea. At a time when people believed there were harmful monsters lurking at the sea, the crew soon find out they weren’t wrong. Although the Essex didn’t complete the journey its originally intended journey, its voyage down the River Thames, on calmer waters than ever before, was all-redeeming.

In the Heart of the Sea lets us a look into one of recent history’s most infamous events – the best look you can get without stepping onto that boat as the first mate all that time ago.

Rediscover your sea legs with In the Heart of the Sea, in cinemas boxing day.