Best whale movies

Q: What are the top three spots?

The top three spots are held, in order, by Free Willy , Free Willy 3: The Rescue , 2010: Moby Dick . The ranking can change as votes are added.

12 items • 11769 views • 63 votes • updated Oct 30, 2026

Discover the best whale movies, ranked from best to worst.

Based on 63 votes, the movie Free Willy, starring Jason James Richter and Lori Petty, came in first as the best movie with whales, followed by Free Willy 3: The Rescue and 2010: Moby Dick from 2010. Scroll down for the top 10 whale movies, recommended by movie fans in 2026.

Which are the best movies with whales?

74.11599824943484%

Free Willy

1993 - Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, August Schellenberg, Michael Madsen, Jayne Atkinson...

What do you think?Recommend

When orphan Jesse vandalizes a theme park, he is placed with foster parents and must work at the park to make amends. There he meets Willy, a young Orca whale who has been separated from •••

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37.55282641185389%

Free Willy 3: The Rescue

1997 - Jason James Richter, August Schellenberg, Annie Corley, Vincent Berry, Patrick...

What do you think?Recommend

Willy the whale is back, this time under threat from whalers making money from sushi. Jesse, now 16, has taken a job on an orca research ship with old friend Randolph and a sarcastic •••

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35.89290899971569%

2010: Moby Dick

2010 - Barry Bostwick, Renee O'Connor, Bart Baggett, Matt Lagan, Adam Grimes, Dean Kreyling...

What do you think?Recommend

The famous whale is bigger, fiercer and stronger in this sci-fi reimagining of Herman Melville's classic story about the battle between man, sea and a sea creature. Rene O'Connor, known •••

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35.89290899971569%

In the Heart of the Sea

2015 - Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw

What do you think?Recommend

In November 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was attacked by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life •••

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25.04542301481056%

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home

1995 - Jason James Richter, Michael Madsen, Jayne Atkinson, August Schellenberg, Mary Kate...

What do you think?Recommend

Jesse becomes reunited with Willy three years after the whale's jump to freedom as the teenager tries to rescue the killer whale and other orcas from an oil spill.

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25.04542301481056%

Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove

2010 - Beau Bridges, Bindi Irwin, Matthew Dylan Roberts, Kevin Otto, Darron MeyerDrama, Family...

What do you think?Recommend

Young Kirra leaves Australia to spend the summer with her grandfather in South Africa. There she discovers a baby orca stranded in the lagoon near her grandfather's amusement park. She •••

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23.07199322088371%

Life of Pi

2012 - Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Adil Hussain, Tabu, Ayaan Khan...

What do you think?Recommend

The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper's son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific •••

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15.003570882017145%

Luna: Spirit of the Whale

2007 - Adam Beach, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Jason Priestley, Aaron Miko, Erin Karpluk...

What do you think?Recommend

Directed by Don McBrearty, the film follows a Vancouver Island community trying to protect an orca separated from its family. The cast includes Adam Beach, Graham Greene and Jason Priestley.

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15.003570882017145%

Orca: The Killer Whale

1977 - Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Bo Derek, Keenan Wynn, Robert...

What do you think?Recommend

After witnessing the killing of his mate and calf by Captain Nolan, a revenge-hungry killer whale wreaks havoc on the Newfoundland fisherman's harbor. Under pressure from the villagers •••

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4.558606264463622%

Whale Rider

2003 - Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Mana...

What do you think?Recommend

On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe •••

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Any suggestions for this list?

We read every suggestion and add it if it fits the list.

How do the rankings work?

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Frequently asked questions

Which movie is in first place?

Free Willy is currently ranked first on TopFaves, with 11 votes for and 0 votes against in this list.

What are the top three spots?

The top three spots are held, in order, by Free Willy, Free Willy 3: The Rescue, 2010: Moby Dick. The ranking can change as votes are added.

What are the most recent movies in this list?

Among the titles with a known release year, the most recent are: Whalefall (2026), In the Heart of the Sea (2015), Blackfish (2013).

Which movies from 2010–2019 are included?

Titles released in this period include In the Heart of the Sea (2015), Blackfish (2013), Life of Pi (2012).

How many votes have been recorded?

In total, 63 votes have been recorded. The total refers to the whole list and is not the number of different people who voted.

How do I vote and how is the ranking decided?

Press the up arrow if you recommend an option or the down arrow if you do not. You can use the search box in the list to quickly find a name and vote directly. The order takes into account both positive and negative votes and how many there are, and positions can change as votes are added.