Everyone remembers the 2015 headlines. The ones where the world's most famous couple took their six kids to a remote island in Malta to film a "vacation" movie. Honestly, it sounded like the ultimate power move. But looking back, Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt By the Sea wasn't just a movie; it was a $20 million hail mary for a marriage that was already starting to fray at the edges.
You've probably seen the stills. Angelina in giant 1970s sunglasses looking miserable. Brad Pitt with a mustache, nursing a gin and tonic at 10:00 AM. It was supposed to be art. It turned out to be a prophecy.
The Honeymoon From Hell
Most people go to Hawaii or the Maldives after they get married. Not these two. After their secret 2014 wedding at Château Miraval, they headed straight to the island of Gozo. They basically took over the entire Mġarr ix-Xini bay.
The couple spent their honeymoon filming a story about a husband and wife who can't stand to be in the same room. Kinda dark, right? Angelina wrote and directed the thing herself. She later admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that she thought working together on something "serious" would help them communicate.
It’s a classic mistake. If your house is on fire, you don't usually try to put it out by staging a play about a house on fire.
🔗 Read more: Does Emmanuel Macron Have Children? The Real Story of the French President’s Family Life
The set was intense. They weren't just acting. They were "beating each other up" emotionally, according to interviews Jolie gave to People. During the day, they would scream at each other for the camera. At night? They were "tag-teaming" bedtime stories for the kids. The whiplash must have been exhausting.
Why the Setting Mattered
Even if you hated the plot, you can’t deny the movie looked incredible. Cinematographer Christian Berger used almost entirely natural light. It gave the whole thing this hazy, sun-drenched melancholy.
- Location: Mġarr ix-Xini, Gozo (Malta).
- The Vibe: 1970s Southern France (Marseille).
- The Set: They actually built a fake hotel and a cafe right on the cliffs.
- The Weather: Blistering heat that matched the friction between the leads.
The bay is hidden in a deep valley with crystal-clear water. In the film, it’s a paradise that feels like a prison. Vanessa (Jolie) spends most of her time on the balcony staring at the water, while Roland (Pitt) drinks his way through writers' block.
It’s a slow movie. Like, really slow. If you’re looking for Mr. & Mrs. Smith action, you’re in the wrong place. This is about "voyeurism." The couple discovers a peephole in their hotel room and starts watching the young, happy newlyweds next door (played by Mélanie Laurent and Melvil Poupaud). It’s uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be.
💡 You might also like: Judge Dana and Keith Cutler: What Most People Get Wrong About TV’s Favorite Legal Couple
The $20 Million "Vanity Project"
Critics were not kind. Words like "indulgent" and "boring" got tossed around a lot. Universal Pictures reportedly backed the film mainly to stay in Angelina’s good graces—they wanted her for other projects like a Wanted sequel that never happened.
Financially, it was a disaster.
The production budget was roughly $20 million.
It made less than $1 million in the United States.
Worldwide? It barely scraped past $3.7 million.
But for Angelina, it wasn't about the box office. She was grieving her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, and exploring the "heaviness" she felt in her own life. She told W Magazine that she didn't regret making it. She felt they communicated something that needed to be said.
Less than a year after the movie came out, they announced their split.
📖 Related: The Billy Bob Tattoo: What Angelina Jolie Taught Us About Inking Your Ex
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a common myth that the movie caused the divorce. That's not true. If anything, the movie was an attempt to delay it.
The problems in the script—grief, infertility, stagnation—weren't 1:1 copies of their real lives. Angelina was very clear about that. But the vibe of the movie? The "glassy, haunted eyes"? That was real. You can’t fake that kind of atmospheric tension for three months in a remote Maltese bay without some of it being authentic.
Looking at it now, Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt By the Sea feels like a time capsule. It’s a monument to the end of "Brangelina."
How to Experience the "By the Sea" Vibe Today
If you actually want to see where they filmed, you can still visit Mġarr ix-Xini in Gozo. It’s a top-tier spot for divers and hikers.
- Don't expect the hotel. They tore the set down after filming wrapped. It’s back to being a secluded, rocky beach.
- Go for the water. The bay is famous for its clarity. It's one of the best snorkeling spots in the Mediterranean.
- Timing is everything. Visit in the shoulder season (May or September) to avoid the crowds and get that quiet, melancholic feel the movie captured.
- Watch the film first. It’s currently available on most major VOD platforms. Watch it not as a blockbuster, but as a "chamber piece."
The movie serves as a reminder that even for the most beautiful people in the world, the sea isn't always enough to wash away the heavy stuff. Sometimes, a beautiful view just makes the silence louder.
To understand the full scope of their collaboration, you should watch their first film together, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, immediately followed by By the Sea. The contrast in their energy is the real story here.