Resident Orca (2024)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Lolita, an orca living in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium, relies on the good nature of the indigenous people of the United States in order to be set free. Resident Orca is a documentary that chronicles the legal and emotional battles faced in order to return the whale to her natural habitat. 

Have you ever seen someone crying (for whatever reason) and you can’t help but to think that they’re exaggerating? Resident Orca is over an hour and a half of that. The entirety of this documentary feels like a publicity stunt, like a way for everyone involved to say “Look what I did.” Again and again individuals appear on screen, crying about a whale–expressing their disdain for what has happened to Lolita in Miami’s Seaquarium. Press conferences and the like are showcased throughout this film, almost solidifying my thoughts on the subject–that this was all done for attention. Then, just as I began to think I was being too harsh–one of the interviewees commented on the fact that he doesn’t want to be here, that him being here makes it look like he wants attention. A bold statement, a telling statement. 

My suspicions had been confirmed at this moment. I had all but given up on Resident Orca at this point. There was no saving it, there was no chance at redemption. Resident Orca IS a publicity stunt, a way to show off the fact that these individuals are good people. The film angered me, frustrated me to no end, and I simply can’t get on board with anything being said and done in this documentary as a result. 

I pride myself on being fair in my reviews, on not allowing my emotions to play a role in whether or not I believe a film is effective. However, as I write this I find myself struggling to be objective, to look past what I believe is a travesty. Given the somehow divisive nature of Resident Orca, I find myself still aggravated at the way in which these interviewees present themselves, and the way in which Writer-Directors Simon Schneider and Sarah Sharkey Pearce allow them to appear to their audience. 

With that, I feel that Resident Orca is a frumpy, unorganized mess of a film. There are too many cooks in the kitchen, far too many people playing a role in bringing this film to life. It often felt to me that Resident Orca was fractured, struggling to remain linear. Again, while I typically feel that I remain objective in my reviews–I’m not sure whether my take on the narrative structure of this documentary is factual or simply a result of my frustration. 

The film simply doesn’t appeal to me–and when all was said and done, I couldn’t have been happier that Resident Orca has ended. 

Written & Directed by Simon Schneider & Sarah Sharkey Pearce. 

2/10 = AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS