The Big Blue (1988): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1988, The Big Blue is a drama, adventure and romance film directed by Luc Besson, running about 168 minutes. “Danger...Like Passion...Runs Deep” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy-adventure. Jacques and Enzo are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men. As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest -- determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear -- Jacques meets Johana, a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea.

Who’s in it. The Big Blue stars Jean-Marc Barr as Jacques Mayol, Jean Reno as Enzo Molinari, Rosanna Arquette as Johana Baker and Paul Shenar as Dr. Laurence, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.5/10, The Big Blue has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Big Blue page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Big Blue tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.