On the Sea

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On the Sea

2025

1h 51m

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 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.

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Jul 28, 2026

The film’s dour tone is mirrored by its predominantly grey colour palette. But the raw desire between Jack and Daniel is sensitively evoked.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Jul 25, 2026

4/5

Ward here proves such a powerful, achingly sympathetic presence that he carries any quirks with ease.

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Jul 24, 2026

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.

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James Mottram

Radio Times

Jul 31, 2026

4/5

The stormy backdrop, the tight-knit community and two intense turns from Ward and MacFadyen lend this brooding drama something vivid.

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Jul 24, 2026

4/5

Writer-director Helen Walsh has a terrific eye for complex family dynamics and profound personal feelings.

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Juank P

@RT17881109 6 days ago

Another closeted gay men drama, with a tragic end yes. but this is how lifenworks for anlot of people. Also the acting is so intense you can feel both the raw pasion and anguish of the main characters. The music, the greys, and the locations are simply it.

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John T

@jtolibov 6 days ago

Beautifully shot, but yet another tragic love story of two men. Peaceful and quiet, it explores questions of identity and acceptance.

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Arius F

@RT12362107 Sep 21, 2026

A must-see for the rainy days.

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Scott R

@RT39383582 Sep 19, 2026

A very moving exploration of one man’s dilemma and loves.

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Paul B

@Brodowski56 Sep 14, 2026

A painful 115 minutes of misery, joylessness, pitiless weather and absence of sunshine. Strong performances could not save the derivative nature of the story. It embraced clichés of disgust, homophobia, gritty and resentful working class men, terminal illness and hopelessness. The claustrophobic and joyless community was a grim and sinking ship. Forget the frugal love story offered, this film was a medieval morality tale served up in every frame. Thankfully the exit was illuminated.

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Geoff H

@Hungbud Sep 10, 2026

This was an excellent film, a bit different from other coming out films. The grey, bleakness of the countryside provides an excellent background for the love developing between Jack and Daniel. I can't stop thinking about this film.

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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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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

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