Summary

• Naval war movies provide a thrilling depiction of the harsh conditions and grueling battles at sea.
• Historical accuracy, genre-melding fiction, and nuanced character studies enhance the best naval war films.
• From Pearl Harbor to Das Boot, these iconic naval war movies showcase epic battles and incredible storytelling.

Naval war movies were among the most exciting depictions of conflict ever seen on screen, as viewers witnessed the harsh conditions of the sea and the grueling expectations of those battling within it. The debilitating realities of naval warfare have been experienced for centuries as seamen and sailors traversed the seven seas, where individuals, countries, and regions found themselves at odds with one another. From awe-inspiring action sequences to technically marvelous cinematic spectacles, the best naval war movies were among the greatest feats of filmmaking.

The greatest war movies set at sea date back to the silent film era, when directors sought to depict historical naval wars despite the limitations of early filmmaking. Naval war movies have included historically accurate presentations of real events, genre-melding fiction full of fast-paced action, and deeply nuanced character studies that got to the very heart of humanity. The best naval war movies ever made were among the most impressive battle presentations and have stood the test of time as must-watch cinematic events.

15 McHale’s Navy (1997)

McHale’s Navy was based on the 1960s television series

The military comedy McHale’s Navy failed to live up to the legacy of the popular TV series it was based on and was slated by critics upon release. Despite a star-studded cast that included Harrison Ford, Tim Curry, and the return of the 1960s series actor Ernest Borgnine, McHale’s Navy was a naval war movie that sank like a stone as it bombed at the box office. However, McHale’s Navy was not nearly as bad as its reputation and was worth checking out for Bruce Campbell’s hilarious performance alone.

14 USS Indianapolis: Men Of Courage (2016)

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage was based on the loss of the ship of the same name

Based on the true story of a sunken ship during the closing stage of the Second World War, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage was a Nicolas Cage movie that depicted the greatest loss of life from a single ship in U.S. naval history. With more than 800 fatalities and just over 300 survivors (via CBS), USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage was a grand and dramatic story that unfortunately deserved a better film. With lackluster special effects, little nuance, and a disappointing treatment of its central story, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage could have been great but was disappointingly average.

13 Pearl Harbor (2001)

Pearl Harbor was based on the real WWII naval base attack

Director Michael Bay’s heavily fictionalized of the attack on Pearl Harbor was reviled by critics but was hit with audiences as it grossed $449 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo.) Telling a love story set amid the attack, Pearl Harbor was packed with special effects and intense action sequences but lacked the emotional resonance to make it work. Seemingly an attempt to recapture what worked so well in Titanic, Pearl Harbor just never struck the right balance of strong characterization and impending disaster that made that film so successful.

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12 The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown was a sci-fi war film based on time travel

The Final Countdown told a story about a modern aircraft carrier that traveled through time to the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and it was filmed using the real US Navy ship USS Nimitz. Although a moderate success at the time of its release, The Final Countdown has since garnered a cult following for its unusual premise and oddly effective style. With Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen in the lead roles, this fascinating sci-fi story acted as a love letter to the capabilities and technologies of the Navy itself.

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11 U-571 (2000)

U-571 told a story of a World War II German submarine boarded by Americans

The tense thriller U-571 told a fictional story about disguised Americans boarding a German submarine to steal their Enigma cipher machine, a device used by Nazis to communicate top-secret messages. Although inaccuracies led Prime Minister Tony Blair to describe the film as an “affront” to British sailors (via BBC), that did not stop U-571 from finding success at the box office. With beautiful cinematography, a talented cast, and an engrossing story, U-571 may have issues regarding historical realism, but the film still made for riveting cinema.

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10 Greyhound (2020)

Greyhound was based on the 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by C. S. Forester

Greyhound was a fast-paced World War II thriller written by and starring Tom Hanks as Ernie Krause, an inexperienced U.S. Navy commander who must guide an Allied convoy being stalked by a German submarine. While the characterization could be stronger, the action sequences kept things moving full speed ahead as Hanks sought to avoid a total disaster. Greyhound was an insightful showcase of the logistics of battle that highlighted the more technical side of naval warfare during the Second World War.

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9 Midway (2019)

Midway was based on the World War II Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place six months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which was dramatized in the 2019 film Midway. While Midway failed to make much of an impact at the box office, earning just $127 million with a budget of $100 (via Box Office Mojo), it had incredible visuals but suffered from a weak screenplay. As one of the most expensive independent films of all time, Midway was overblown in its runtime, but its vivid battle sequences made it worth watching.

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8 Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

Tora! Tora! Tora! was based on the attack on Pearl Harbor

Although Michael Bay's film may be the most widely known movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor, the greatest one was Tora! Tora! Tora! As an epic war film that depicted American and Japanese scenes, the action sequences were vivid, and it has remained a favorite among aviation aficionados. With an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Tora! Tora! Tora! was a spectacular war film whose reputation has only grown in the decades since its release.

7 Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)

Master and Commander was based on the Napoleonic Wars

With a plot and characters taken from Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series, Master and Commander reunited Russell Crowe and his A Beautiful Mind co-star Paul Bethany for an epic Napoleonic War drama that maintained its humanity. As a wildly entertaining film with plenty of source material to expand upon, Master and Commander's underperformance at the box office meant its potential as a franchise was never utilized. Well overdue for reappraisal, any naval war movie lovers should do themselves a favor and watch Master and Commander.

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6 The Caine Mutiny (1954)

The Caine Mutiny was based on Herman Wouk's novel of the same name

Screen legend Humphrey Bogart gave one of his final performances in The Caine Mutiny, a military trial film set in World War II's Pacific theater. Bogart played LCDR Philip Francis Queeg on board a U.S. Navy destroyer minesweeper, and it depicted his subsequent trial for mutiny. As one of the most popular movies of 1954, The Caine Mutiny was a fascinating and complex story filled with great characters, insightful performances, and a movie that packed a lot into its two-hour runtime.