Which 1972 disaster film follows passengers trying to escape a capsized ocean liner?

The 1972 disaster film about passengers escaping a capsized ocean liner is The Poseidon Adventure.

Directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Irwin Allen, the film is based on Paul Gallico’s 1969 novel. Its fictional ship, the SS Poseidon, is making a final voyage from New York to Athens before being scrapped. On New Year’s Day, a massive wave overturns the liner, leaving survivors trapped inside an upside-down vessel.

Gene Hackman plays Reverend Frank Scott, who leads a small group toward the ship’s hull in search of a way out. The ensemble also includes Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, and Jack Albertson. The survivors must climb, swim, and cross damaged sections while water and fire spread through the ship.

The film is often grouped with 1970s all-star disaster pictures such as Airport, Earthquake, and The Towering Inferno, but those are different stories. The Poseidon Adventure became one of 1972’s biggest hits, earned eight Academy Award nominations, and won two Oscars. It was followed by Beyond the Poseidon Adventure in 1979.