Best Films About Sea Warfare. In this series of articles covering war films, we’ll be looking at the best films that cover everything from the evolution of tank warfare in World War I and World War II to the adoption of combat drones and special forces in Modern Warfare. We’ll select films that have a specific and detailed focus on various technological advances in war and their use in battle by military forces.
In this fourth article, we’ll be focusing on sea warfare in film. Sea warfare (or naval warfare) has evolved over the centuries from the maritime battles involving Greek triremes to U.S. and Russian nuclear submarines. Sea warfare films also tend to focus on historical events and battles such as Korean turtle ships vs. Japanese Atakebune and Sekibune warships during the Battle of Myeongnyang in 1597, Dutch Naval Commander Michiel de Ruyter’s skilled tactics during the Four Days’ Battle against the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy in 1666 and the merging of aerial warfare and naval warfare during World War II in the decisive Battle of Midway in 1942 between U.S. and Japanese forces.
While this article will highlight sea warfare, other areas of warfare in film will be covered in future articles listed below:
- Best Films About Tank Warfare
- Best Films About Drone Warfare
- Best Films About Special Forces
- Best Films About Sea Warfare
- Best Films About Air Warfare
For our rankings we’re going to use some criteria to help define and refine our list. First, we’re going to focus on films that show actual naval warfare. There are quite a few Films About Pirates and Aquatic Thrillers that are set at sea and feature some minor battles or skirmishes, but are not, in effect, war films. However, if you are looking for films featuring pirates that have some naval warfare action, we would recommend Pirates of Tortuga (1961), Blackie the Pirate (1971), Nate & Hayes (1983), Cutthroat Island (1995), Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), The Pirates (2014) & The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022).
Second, we’re only going to list one film in our rankings per specific naval battle or war. There are many films about the Battle of Midway or Pearl Harbor including everything from Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) to Midway (2019). But we’ll focus on the one film that has the best battle scenes of sea and naval warfare.
Third, similarly, we’ll focus on one film that we feel best represents naval warfare from a specific historical era. Examples here would be the Imjin War featuring the Japanese invasion of Joseon Korea from 1592 – 1598 and the American Civil War between the Union and Confederate armies from 1861 – 1865. The Imjin War is portrayed in the Yi Sun-sin trilogy of films which includes The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014), Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022) & Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023). And the creation of the first iteration of submarines, called Ironclads, are portrayed in two films set during the American Civil War in Ironclads (1991) and The Hunley (1999). These are all great films we highly recommend but only one film from each historical period above will be featured in our rankings.
Fourth, like most of our other warfare specific articles, we’ll consider a film’s portrayal of naval warfare actions and tactics above its plot for our rankings.
And fifth, we had to follow our rule for all of KBZ’s film listings where we only list films that have a 4.0/10 or higher rating and were released after 1970. We’ll make an exception here to move the date back to 1958 to include Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) and The Sand Pebbles (1966) which are two of the better films of the subgenre.
Our collection of War Films About Sea Warfare includes over 51+ films from 1958 – 2025. If you don’t see a favorite film of yours in this collection, you can probably find it in one of our other collections including Films About Pirates, Aquatic Thrillers, Thriller Films About Terrorists, War Action Films, War Films About Air Warfare, Epic War Films, War Thrillers, War Films About the U.S. Civil War, War Films About World War II and War Films About The Cold War. And as a reminder, subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release future articles in this special edition series of warfare films.
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Best Films About Sea Warfare
Films that didn’t make our list (and for completists only): Gray Lady Down (1978), Bear Island (1979), Hostile Waters (1999), Danger Beneath the Sea (2001), Tides of War (2005), Against the Sun (2014), USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016), God of War (2017), Kursk (2018), The Wolf’s Call (2019) and Below the Surface (2022).
Honorable Mentions: Ice Station Zebra (1968), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Murphy’s War (1971), Midway (1976), The Final Countdown (1980), The Imperial Navy (1981), The Bounty (1984), Napoleon and Josephine (1987), Ironclads (1991), Britannic (2000), Submerged (2001), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), In Enemy Hands (2005), Isoroku Yamamoto (2011), Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022) and Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023).
Rank 20-1:
#20 The Arctic Convoy (2023) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#19 Northern Limit Line (2015) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#18 Battleship (2012) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#17 Hunter Killer (2018) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#16 Yamato (2005) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#15 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#14 Greyhound (2020) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#13 U-571 (2000) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#12 Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#11 The Hunt for Red October (1990) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: When naval officers are sent to train overseas, the Nagasaki incident occurs, and Captain Shichang leads his warship into battle against the Japanese fleet.
Year(s): 1894 AD
KBZ’s Take: Like most war films, this Chinese film tends to have a fair amount of propaganda in its depiction of the First Sino-Japanese War. And despite the overt Chinese point of view in the film, it does have a somewhat accurate recreation of the Battle of the Yalu River (1894) which was the largest naval engagement of the war.
It’s a film on our list we’re ranking higher than normal due to exciting naval battle and tactics deployed at the time. Though it’s relatively unknown (outside of China), it’s one of the best films of this warfare era and one of the best overall War Films About Sea Warfare.
Additional Lists: Best Early Industrial Warfare Films #10
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#9
Midway
Plot: The story of the Battle of Midway, and the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome massive odds.
Year(s): 1941 – 1942 AD
KBZ’s Take: The original Midway (1976) uses stock footage for its battle scenes which is a distraction at times. That’s not the case with this Rolan Emmerich-directed update on the Battle of Midway which was one of the major turning points of the World War II.
Emmerich is known for epic war action sequences from Independence Day (1996) to The Patriot (2000) and Midway can be added to (and likely sits atop) that list. This is a spectacle throughout with some of the most exciting aerial and naval war sequences of the entire subgenre.
Additional Lists: Best World War I & World War II Warfare Films #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#8
Dunkirk
Plot: The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th, 1940, during World War II.
Year(s): 1940 AD
KBZ’s Take: Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is an amazing achievement in film as it flips back and forth between the various military mechanisms that made the Dunkirk evacuation possible.
Though the film is lighter on actual naval warfare compared to other films on our list, it’s still one of the best films of this subgenre and the World War II Films subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#7
The Hunley
Plot: Tells the story of the crew of the Hunley – the first manually propelled submarine during the U.S. Civil War.
Year(s): 1864 AD
KBZ’s Take: This is a great film that will appeal to both fans of the Aquatic Thriller subgenre and fans of the Civil War Films subgenre. Though it primarily starts off as a typical Civil War film, it slowly descends into a taught thriller as the Confederacy is looking for a Hail Mary moment to win the war.
That Hail Mary is the Hunley which is basically an underwater coffin with little to no chances of survival. There are quite a few excellent actors and recognizable faces in this film and it’s definitely a film to watch for a thrilling historical ride in naval warfare.
And if you like this film, we would also suggest checking out Ironclads (1991) which you can watch on YouTube.
Additional Lists: Top Aquatic Thriller Films You Haven’t Seen #2
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#6
The Admiral
Plot: When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by England, France and Germany and faces its own civil war no less, only one man, Michael de Ruyter, can lead the county’s strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet.
Year(s): 1652 – 1676 AD
KBZ’s Take: Outside of The Netherlands, Michael de Ruyter is a historical war figure that people know little about. However, Frank Lammers portrayal of the brilliant naval tactician is worth seeing for his performance alone. He breathes life into a forgotten historical figure who should be better known.
As for the film itself, this is arguably the best film that features naval battles between 17th century warships. The action is exciting, and the film’s been noted for its historical accuracy in naval warfare of the period.
Additional Lists: Best Early Modern Warfare Films #11
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: In 1926, the USS San Pablo patrols the Yangtze River during the clashes between Chiang Kai-shek’s communists and Chinese warlords. Eight-year veteran machinist Jake Holman (Steve McQueen), new to the self-named “sand pebbles” crew, immediately draws deep suspicion due to his independent streak. Ordered to protect Americans, including schoolteacher Shirley Eckhart (Candice Bergen), Jake and the gunboat crew are unwittingly drawn into a bitter nationalistic feud that holds grim consequences.
Year(s): 1926 AD
KBZ’s Take: The Sand Pebbles covers a historical period in the U.S. that often isn’t covered in history classes. Specifically, U.S. involvement with Yangtze River Patrols in China’s Warlord Era and the beginning of the Chinese Civil War during 1926.
While the film focuses more on the political upheaval in China at the time and Jake Holman’s (Steve McQueen) life aboard the fictional USS San Pablo river gunboat, it does have an exciting final act featuring the San Pablo fighting it’s way through the Yangtze River.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: After an abrupt and violent encounter with a French warship inflicts severe damage upon his ship, a captain of the British Royal Navy begins a chase over two oceans to capture or destroy the enemy, though he must weigh his commitment to duty and ferocious pursuit of glory against the safety of his devoted crew, including the ship’s thoughtful surgeon, his best friend.
Year(s): 1805 AD
KBZ’s Take: This is one of the best films of the subgenre that balances amazing maritime battle scenes against the friendship of Capt. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). Their friendship is the anchor of the story as Maturin’s pacifist views prove counter to Aubrey’s sense of duty and determination to pursue the French frigate, Acheron. It’s also one of the better films showing how life was aboard a ship in the early 19th century.
Though there are some intense and action-packed battle sequences, the film has a deliberate slower pace with a focus on Aubrey, Maturin and the crew. However, when the battle scenes do arrive, they’re a must-see of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Best Early Modern Warfare Films #10
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#3
Crimson Tide
Plot: On a US nuclear missile sub, a young first officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger-happy captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.
Year(s): Early 1990s AD
KBZ’s Take: Tony Scott upped the game for Air Warfare Films with Top Gun (1986), and he applies the same treatment for naval warfare films involving nuclear submarines in Crimson Tide. This is one of the best films that balances the military hierarchy and chain of command with thrilling underwater action.
It also features two of the best performances from the storied acting careers of the late Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. Their adversarial relationship in the film questions how close the military can get to Nuclear Armageddon.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
Das Boot
Plot: A German submarine patrols the Atlantic Ocean during World War II, manned by a crew that must contend with tense conflicts and long stretches of confined boredom. While war correspondent Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer) observes day-to-day life aboard the U-boat, the grizzled captain (Jürgen Prochnow) struggles to maintain his own motivation as he attempts to keep the ship’s morale up in the face of fierce battles, intense storms and dwindling supplies.
Year(s): 1941 AD
KBZ’s Take: Das Boot was the #1 selection in our list of the Top Aquatic Thrillers You Haven’t Seen and it would have been #1 here if not for our current #1 selection.
This is a film that grips you from its opening scene and doesn’t let go for its almost 228-minute ride. It’s the film that put Wolfgang Petersen on the Hollywood map with his future action efforts including Air Force One (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000) and Troy (2004).
For any film fans that have not yet seen this film, it’s one of the few films about sea warfare that should be moved to the top of your queue right away.
Additional Lists: Top Aquatic Thriller Films You Haven’t Seen #1
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: In 1597, Korean Admiral Yi leads 12 warships into the Battle of Myeong-Nyang against the formidable Japanese navy.
Year(s): 1597 AD
KBZ’s Take: We had a hard time not putting Das Boot as #1 here but we couldn’t after seeing the Yi Sun-sin trilogy of films covering the Imjin War featuring the Japanese invasion of Joseon Korea from 1592 – 1598. The first film, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, would have likely been #2 but after including the sequels, Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022) and Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023), it was a shoo-in for our top slot.
This is the best film trilogy involving sea warfare. From the tactics of the time to exhilarating and brutal battles between Korean turtle ships vs. Japanese Atakebune and Sekibune warships, these are three films that stand above most others in the subgenre.
Even if you’re more in tune with modern day naval warfare involving destroyers, aircraft carriers and submarines, these films are can’t miss for many of the early tactics of naval warfare that are still in use today.
Additional Lists: Best Early Modern Warfare Films #6
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
