Exploring and honoring the sacrifices and exploits of those involved in the most dangerous job in the world, the best Navy SEAL movies tell some of the most compelling military-centric stories. From inspiring feats of bravery to heart-pounding depictions of real-life military missions, Navy SEAL movies explore it all. Many of these movies also delve deeper into the personal lives of their central Navy SEAL characters, including those based on real people, highlighting how their high-stakes jobs impact their day-to-day off-duty lives.

Some of these films even dig into important didactic themes surrounding the traumas, extreme perils, and moral dilemmas the Navy SEALs face during their immensely challenging military operations, making for some of the best military movies. Meanwhile, there are a few others that walk viewers through the intense training and mental fortitude it takes to become as calloused as a Navy SEAL. With so many prospective narratives surrounding the lives of Navy SEALs, it is not surprising that there are many riveting movies about the people involved in the special operations force.

15 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011)

Navy SEALs Battle Decepticons

Even in a giant sci-fi world like the one seen in the Transformers franchise, Navy SEALs can still play a role in the story. Transformers: Dark of the Moon dives deeper into the Transformers mythology with the discovery of a secret hidden on Earth's moon, which sends the Autobots and Decepticons in a race to control the ultimate weapon. The climax of the movie sees the heroic Transformers working alongside human Navy SEALs to infiltrate a downtown city that the Decepticons have taken control of.

Michael Bay's films have a reputation for being bombastic and over-the-top, but he is also known for including real military aspects to make for an authentic action movie. Even in the Transformers universe, this is the case as the soldiers are seen carrying out believable techniques to sneak attack their enemy. Some real-life Navy SEALs are even included in the cast, including Mikal Vega as Hooch.

14 Hunter Killer (2018)

Navy SEALs Must Rescue The President Of Russia

One of the most common aspects of Navy SEALs being depicted in movies is seeing them take on rescue missions. However, few movies have given the brave soldiers a rescue mission like the one in Hunter Killer. The movie depicts a coup within the Russian government with the President of Russia being taken captive by a rogue minister in his own istration. With World War III threatening to ignite, the United States military stages a play to have a submarine captain (Gerard Butler) transport Navy SEALs into Russian waters to rescue the president.

Butler's action movies are often fun, albeit unrealistic, and Hunter Killer is no different. However, while the premise is ittedly silly, it does depict its Navy SEALs characters with respect and in a fairly grounded way. Even with such a delicate rescue mission, the soldiers remain professional and determined to get the job done.

13 The Rock (1996)

A Mission To Infiltrate Alcatraz

Another Michael Bay movie includes Navy SEALs as a big part of its story, albeit with a twist. The Rock is an epic 1990s action picture centered on a rogue military officer who leads a band of mercenaries to take hostages at Alcatraz Island and demand a ransom or else they will unleash a deadly bioweapon on San Francisco. It is then up to a biochemist (Nicolas Cage), a former Alcatraz inmate (Sean Connery), and a team of SEALs to infiltrate the island and save the day.

The team of SEALs are shown to be incredibly skilled and brave soldiers taking part in a near-impossible mission under the leadership of Commander Anderson (Michael Biehn). However, the movie throws an effective twist at the audience as the SEALs are completely taken out by the villains almost immediately, leaving Cage and Connery as the only ones left to save the day.

12 Captain Phillips (2013)

Tom Hanks Is Taken By Somali Pirates

It is always interesting to see real-life missions that Navy SEALs have carried out depicted in movies. Captain Phillips is one such movie as it showcases an intense high-seas rescue mission. Tom Hanks stars as the titular character, a ship's captain who finds his vessel taken over by Somali pirates. Wanting to spare his crew from any danger, he volunteers to go with the pirates as a hostage while the American military attempts to mount a rescue mission.

The movie is a thrill ride early on with the hijacking of the ship making for a particularly memorable sequence. However, things really escalate when Phillips is taken and the Navy SEALs get involved. The movie cuts back and forth between Phillips in his harrowing hostage situation and the SEALs coming up with a plan to save him with Max Martini as the SEAL Team Six commander.

11 Thirteen Lives (2022)

The Real-Life Thai Cave Rescue

Another real-life rescue mission from the Navy SEALs is depicted in the thriller drama Thirteen Lives. From director Ron Howard, Thirteen Lives tells the true 2018 story in which a soccer team of 12 young boys and their coach were visiting a cave in Thailand when heavy rain caused the cave to flood, trapping them inside. With time running out, a complicated and dangerous rescue mission was mounted which consisted of collaborations between Thai Navy SEALs and British cave divers.

While big names like Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen are at the forefront of the story as the divers, the movie heavily features the Thai SEALs who were instrumental in saving all of the trapped victims. Howard creates a truly pulse-pounding thriller that is also a celebration of sharp and dedicated minds working together to make a difference.

10 Act Of Valor (2012)

A Group Of SEALs Lead A Rescue Mission

Act of Valor does not try too hard to stand out and elevate itself above the regular fare of military movies. Instead, it presents a conventional narrative where it shows how a group of Navy SEALs go on a mission to save lives during a terrorist threat. The plot sees a terrorist assassinate a U.S. Ambassador and several children at a school. SEAL Team 7 is then sent to Costa Rica to save a CIA officer captured by a drug smuggler. It is there that they learn that the drug smuggler and terrorist are working together.

Despite being predictable, Act of Valor is entertaining because it conforms to some of the best conventions of the genre and fills its runtime with crowd-pleasing twists, action scenes, and training sequences. Act of Valor was also highly realistic, with actual SEALs and SWCC signed to star in the film and the Navy SEALs on board as advisors.

9 G.I. Jane (1997)

A Female SEAL Overcomes Adversity In The Training Program

Directed by Ridley Scott, G.I. Jane follows Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil (Demi Moore), who becomes a trial candidate for a U.S. Navy initiative that eventually intends to integrate women into the services. The challenging training program pushes Jordan to her limits, and the commander, John James Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen), intentionally makes it even more grueling for her. However, she eventually proves everyone wrong by defying all odds and clearing the program.

G.I. Jane is best when it focuses primarily on O'Neil's struggles and strong will to survive her training. However, the movie's empowering themes get weighed down by its nationalist tropes and uneven pace. Despite this, G.I. Jane was popular, sitting at number one for two straight weeks and finishing its run with a $48.2 million box office take, which ended up as a loss. It also received mixed reviews, with a 53% Rotten Tomatoes score.

8 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi (2016)

The True Story Of The Annex Security Team

Based on Mitchell Zuckoff's 2014 book of the same name, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi focuses on the Annex Security Team's six , which included two US Navy SEALs, Jack Silva (John Krasinski) and Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods (James Badge Dale). Set in Benghazi, Libya, the movie shows how the team defended the American diplomatic compound on September 11, 2012, when militant attacks erupted in the region.

Since 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a Michael Bay vehicle, it was ensured to have giant action scenes, making it an exciting movie at least. However, it ended up as one of Bay's worst-performing films at the box office amidst mixed reviews. Part of the problem came with questions about its historical accuracy, with the "stand down" order hotly debated (via Politico).

7 Without Remorse (2021)

A Rogue SEAL Seeks Revenge

Stefano Sollima's Without Remorse adapts Tom Clancy's 1983 book in which a U.S. Navy SEAL, John Kelly, walks down the path of vengeance when Russian hitmen murder his pregnant wife and former unit . The movie is based on a book spinoff from the Jack Ryan series, as John Kelly also appeared in two films, with Willem Dafoe playing him in Clear and Present Danger and Liev Schreiber in The Sum of All Fears. Without Remorse presents Kelly's basic origin story.

Before releasing in 2021, Without Remorse had been in development hell since the novel was first published, and many actors like Keanu Reeves and Tom Hardy were considered to play John Kelly.

Before releasing in 2021, Without Remorse had been in development hell since the novel was first published, and many actors like Keanu Reeves and Tom Hardy were considered to play John Kelly. Michael B. Jordan won the role and delivered as both a compelling action hero and overall leading man. Unfortunately, the Tom Clancy adaptation mostly received negative reviews from critics because of its formulaic approach to the genre.

6 Tears Of The Sun (2003)

Bruce Willis Leads A Rescue Mission

Antoine Fuqua is an acclaimed action director behind movies like Training Day and The Equalizer movies, so it was a thrill to see him team up with one of the biggest action stars of all time for an intense Navy SEALs movie. Bruce Willis stars in Tears of the Sun as the leader of a group of SEALs who are tasked with entering Nigeria during a coup to extract a doctor serving at a hospital.

With the rebel forces closing in, the doctor (played by Monica Bellucci) insists the SEALs help get the patients to safety as well. The movie derives much of its great drama from the moral dilemma that the soldiers face on their mission. Though they have strict orders not to interfere with the actual fighting, the brutality of what they see pushes them to act. Though it is not as deep as it makes itself out to be, in the hands of Fuqua, Tears of the Sun is a stylish and thrilling action movie.