Kon-Tiki

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Kon-Tiki

PG-13,

2013,

1h 58m,

Adventure/

Drama/

History

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Watchlist

82%

79 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

79 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen) suspects that the South Sea Islands were originally colonized by South Americans. In 1947 despite his fear of water and inability to swim, Heyerdahl decides to prove his theory. He and five companions set sail from Peru on a balsa-wood raft built from an ancient design. Their only modern equipment is a radio, and they must navigate using the stars and ocean currents. After three exhausting months at sea, they achieve their goal.

Critics Consensus

A well-crafted retelling of an epic true story, Kon Tiki is a throwback to old-school adventure filmmaking that's exciting and entertaining in spite of its by-the-book plotting.

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Bilge Ebiri

Spirituality & Health

Mar 25, 2020

Although the film is replete with suspense, it's often at its best when playing the characters on the raft off one another.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

Dec 21, 2014

4/5

Considering we all know the outcome, the levels of tension remain impressive, while an atmosphere of melancholy tempers even the most triumphant moments.

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Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

Dec 19, 2014

3/5

It is beautifully shot and has the same fierce intelligence about it that you find in its producer's other epic "quest" movies.

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Joe Lipsett

Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting

Jul 8, 2025

3.5/5

The historical recreation of the infamous 101 day Kon-Tiki journey wisely jettisons the racism that inspired the original trip, focusing instead on the sense of adventure and isolation among the six men crossing the ocean on an open raft.

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Cory Woodroof

Nashville Scene

Sep 9, 2021

Somewhat akin to the similarly sea-bound Life of Pi, Kon-Tiki's visual splendor stems from the film's painterly art direction and lush cinematography.

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Apr 22, 2020

3/5

This polite, stony-faced dramatisation of the voyage is pretty much Life of Pi without the stowaway tiger or the groovy 3D visuals, but with the same amount of sharks and storms.

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Kylo W

Mar 17, 2019

A very traditional, very formulaic adventure true story, but don't be misguided, this is great fun. In every way the 'Lost City of Z' didn't work, this does. We're onto the raft as quickly as we can but not at the expense of backstory or character development. It's a story I knew nothing about but one I now would love to find out more of, really good film.

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Finn W

Dec 19, 2018

Thor Heyerdahl has always been a hero of mine and I read the book a couple of times in my younger years. The movie starts off fairly hammy but things pick up when the crew set to sea. A majestic, epic and inspiring story - here told for a new generation.

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Finn L

Aug 30, 2017

The cinematography and scenes involving aquatic denizens are amazingly beautiful and awesome. The voyage itself is a bit on the boring side, but thankfully the based on real life characters are portrayed vividly enough by this unknown group of actors that the camaraderie, banter and conflicts overshadow the dull bits. A worthwhile adventure movie.

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Luke S

Aug 17, 2017

With wonderful direction, beautiful imagery and a fitting score, 'Kon Tiki' speaks to the sense of adventure in every man with a story that shows not only the success and recognition such an epic journey brings, but also the hardships and sacrifices that must be made along the way in order to achieve it. Exciting and tense, you may come out of the other side of this film wondering what lands or oceans you can explore.

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Hermione S

Aug 9, 2017

Well this was OK. The guy was nuts, and took quite unacceptable risks. And survived. The movie is a little over dramatised, but effective.

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Ron G

Aug 9, 2017

Norway's Oscar Entry for Best Foreign-Language Film is an intensely gripping dramatisation of the 1947 epic voyage across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands undertaken by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his crew on the titular raft to substantiate his theory that Polynesia was originally settled by the ancient Peruvians and his unshakable conviction that nature is not an impediment men use modern technology to subdue.

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Joachim Rønning

Director

Espen Sandberg

Director

Pål Sverre Hagen

Thor Heyerdahl

Anders Baasmo Christiansen

Herman Watzinger

Tobias Santelmann

Knut Haugland

Gustaf Skarsgård

Bengt Danielsson

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Synopsis

Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen) suspects that the South Sea Islands were originally colonized by South Americans. In 1947 despite his fear of water and inability to swim, Heyerdahl decides to prove his theory. He and five companions set sail from Peru on a balsa-wood raft built from an ancient design. Their only modern equipment is a radio, and they must navigate using the stars and ocean currents. After three exhausting months at sea, they achieve their goal.

Director: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Producer: Aage Aaberge, Jeremy Thomas
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Film i Väst, DCM Productions, Nordisk Film
Rating: PG-13 (A Disturbing Violent Sequence)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
Original Language: Norwegian
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 26, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.5M
Runtime: 1h 58m

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