ship travel movies

12 Best Ship Movies of All Time

Ships, yachts, cruisers, there’s something about the open sea that calls to many a person – the adventures of yore, the possibility of taming an untamable force, or maybe just an opportunity to sail out to some quiet and calm waters and enjoy a few moments of silence. Whatever it is, the sea has called out to many people, and they have answered. Cinema has effectively captured the various circumstances that can possibly arise on a ship – the pleasures, the possibility of entrapment, the dangers of the sea, the promise of freedom. Here is the list of top movies ever that take place on a ship. And yes, it does include the Tom Hanks pirate ship movie — if that’s what you were thinking. You can also watch some of these best ship movies on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

12. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

One of Wes Anderson’s finest films, this movie is marked by beautiful storytelling, poignant acting and themes, and breathtaking cinematography. Steve Zissou, the protagonist played by Bill Murray, is an oceanographer who decides to document the movements and destruction of a ‘jaguar shark’ that was responsible for the death of his partner Esteban. Accompanied by a motley crew that includes his estranged wife, Steve Zissou sails into adventures and tries to overcome them. He forms a special bond with Ned, a boy who believes Zissou to be his father. When Ned dies in this quest, Steve undertakes the remainder of the quest alone but decides to let the shark live upon coming face to face with it. A deeply moving film that reveals its subtle nuances on repeated viewing, Bill Murray makes his indelible mark as ‘the Zissou.’ The ship Belafonte serves as the home and refuge that witnesses the development of Zissou’s character and serves as the primary setting of this excellently made film.

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11. The Perfect Storm (2000)

Wolfgang Petersen makes another entry in this list with yet another film adaptation of a non-fictional event of a natural disaster at sea. The film stars George Clooney as the captain of Andrea Gail. He is a proud swordboat captain, and his loyal crew and him embark on a late-season fishing expedition. However, when they decide to brave a storm on their way back, things go awry terribly, and in a tragic turn of events, the crew never makes it back. This movie is a gripping tale of bravery and camaraderie even in the face of death, this movie also remains a testament to the love of sailing.

Read More: Best Submarine Movies of All Time

10. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

Starring the likes of Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, this movie is a retelling of the actual mutiny on HMS Bounty. A lot of people enjoy sailing, but not many enjoy sailing under a cruel captain. Bligh, an unjust and harsh captain, makes life unbearable on HMS Bounty and the movie depicts methodically the mounting atrocities which culminate in the death of Dr. Bacchus and ultimately lead to the mutiny. The crew ultimately save themselves from the grasp of the harsh captain and find their own happiness in this tale of strained relationships and the need for unity at sea.

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9. Ship of Fools (1965)

This film, directed by Stanley Kramer, raised a few eyebrows at the Academy Awards and was nominated in eight categories. The plot follows strained relations at sea and how human relations are formed in an enclosed space over a long period of time. A testament to human conditions with the ship merely serving as a setting, this film still remains one of the finer ship movies to have graced Hollywood and stars Vivien Leigh in her final film role marking an important cinematic moment in film history.

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8. Poseidon (2006)

This disaster film stars Kurt Russell. What’s the worst thing that can happen while you’re enjoying a cruise on a luxury liner – yep, you guessed it, a rogue giant wave that sinks your ship. While the plot line is thin, the visual effects are beautiful and got the film nominated for the same category in the 79th Academy Awards. A well-shot film about a group’s escape from a sinking luxury liner, this movie serves to remind us of the dangers out at sea.

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7. In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

Directed by Ron Howard, this film focuses on the real-life incidents that inspired Melville’s classic literature ‘Moby Dick.’ The film is in a flashback format as Melville interviews Thomas Nickerson the last survivor of the whaling ship Essex. The interview brings out the story of Pollard and Chase, the latter played by Chris Hemsworth. The tale goes on to describe their encounter with an albino sperm whale that causes them trouble and drives some stranded crew members to cannibalism. However, this gripping tale is one of coming to terms with the wildness of the sea and its refusal to be tamed, and the shared bond of compassion and understanding between man and beast. The film also focuses on issues of human self-preservation and makes it one of the finest ship stories in film.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

If anyone loves movies about ships and how they call to the free souls, they will love Jack Sparrow and his love for his vessel, the Black Pearl. The entire franchise is about pirates, so there are numerous ships throughout the films, but I have chosen this film for a particular purpose. The extraordinarily long movie culminates in one of the most satisfying naval battles between the free-spirited pirates and the English navy that seeks to quash them. The fight between Black Pearl and Davy Jones’ the Dutchman remains etched in one’s memory as an old-school naval battle with cannons blazing. Hoist the colors high and watch this tale of free men who refused to conform to the rules.

5. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Starring Russel Crowe as Jack Aubrey in this epic war drama made the right waves at the Oscars and won two awards but lost out on other counts to Lord of the Rings. However, the plot is tightly packed with naval chases with the British navy’s HMS Surprise in the trail of the French privateer’s ship, the Acheron. However, the Acheron gets the upper hand in multiple skirmishes, but Aubrey remains hot on the pursuit, and the movie ends with the chase still going on as Acheron’s captain tricks Aubrey into believing in his victory on the one occasion that the HMS Surprise actually lives up to its name and surprises Acheron. A finely made film, this movie is a must-watch for any lover of ships and war movies.

4. Captain Phillips (2013)

Tom Hanks plays the titular captain of the boat Mv Maersk Alabama, a merchant ship. The story is based on true incidents and recounts the harrowing details of Phillips being kidnapped by Pirates. The movie shows the dark side of the situation and how piracy is really dangerous for those being robbed. A tale of desperation and reserve in the face of danger, Hanks’ role remains impressive and holds the films to extremely high standards.

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3. The Boat That Rocked (2009)

Often also referred to as Pirate Radio, this movie deals with the freedom that the open seas represent in a unique light. Set in a time in 1996 when pirate radio channels broadcasted rock and pop music that the BBC radio did not, this plot focuses on one such ship and the carefree life of the crew members. The tale that shows the nature of music and how music teaches us to rebel and be free, this ship becomes a doyen of free thought and something that will not conform to censorship. A touching tale that will bring tears to the viewers’ eyes in the portrayal of relationships and the love of music, this movie remains one of the finest ship movies ever made.

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2. Titanic (1997)

It was a tough call between Cameron’s best work to date and Eisenstein’s masterpiece, and Titanic comes a close second when it comes to movies about ships. Perhaps the most recognized vessel name, the plot revolves around the actual sinking of the Titanic in the tragic crash against the iceberg. The film typecasts a Hollywood success formula of a boy meets a girl from different walks of life, and an illicit love blossoms against all odds but meets a tragic end. However, the movie gained cult status because of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s performances. Titanic remains the world’s most popular movie about ships and perhaps will for the considerable future.

Read More: Best Cold War Movies of All Time

1. Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Directed by Sergei Eisenstein, this silent-era Soviet film is one of the finest examples of filmmaking and is a foundational stone in the very art of filmmaking in terms of cinematography and direction. The plot revolves around the mutiny on board the vessel Potemkin around June 1905. Part of the Imperial Navy’s fleet, the sailors on board revolt as a sign of support for the revolution taking place in Russia. A stunning visual tale divided into various parts to show the multi-faceted mutiny, this cinema remains one of the most heartwarming narratives of solidarity and is easily the best movie about ships.

CRUISING , FLASHPACKING

Cinematic voyages: 20 unforgettable cruise ship movies.

Are you looking for inspiration to plan your first cruise ? Take a cinematic voyage with my pick of movies set on a cruise ship.

Not all of these cruise ship movies are masterpieces (although some are). A few are utter stinkers. However, each of them showcases aspects of life on the high seas.

Although I have indicated the availability of these films on Netflix and Amazon Prime there may be regional variations. Information here relates to the UK market in March 2024.

hull of norwegian epic cruise ship berthed in port

Some articles on this website contain affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases . Read the full disclosure here .

IN THIS ARTICLE

Classic Movies About Cruise Ships

Let’s start with the best movies about cruise ships, from films from Hollywood’s Golden Age to a science fiction classic.

Now, Voyager (1942)

Now, Voyager is not only one of the best movies set on a cruise ship but it is also one of my favourite films of all time. I blub like a baby each time I watch it.

Cowed by her domineering mother, middle-aged neurotic Boston heiress Charlotte Vale (a stupendous Bette Davis) takes a cruise after a restorative stay in a sanatorium. Whilst on board, she falls in love with the married Jerry (Paul Henreid).

The movie is famous for an iconic scene where Paul Henreid’s character lights two cigarettes and gives one to Bette Davis.

A masterpiece of a movie.

Running time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 90%
Available for streaming on Amazon Prime here .

An Affair to Remember (1957)

This melodrama directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr is considered to be one of the most romantic films of all time.

Playboy Nickie (Grant) and Terry (Kerr) fall in love on a transatlantic cruise to New York. Despite being engaged to other people, they agree to meet in six months at the top of the Empire State Building. But will all go to plan?

An Affair to Remember was introduced to a new generation of cinema-goers when it was featured in the 1993 movie Sleepless in Seattle .

Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 87%
Available for streaming on Amazon Prime here

Death on the Nile (1978)

Agatha Christie’s 1937 murder mystery has been adapted for the silver screen three times but the original film version is the best of the bunch (don’t go near Kenneth Branagh’s woeful 2022 remake).

Directed by John Guillermin, Death on the Nile was Peter Ustinov’s first appearance as Hercule Poirot and perhaps his best. Soon after Poirot boards a ship for a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is discovered murdered on board. Who is her murderer?

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score : 78%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 79%

The Fifth Element (1997)

Welcome to a cruise ship of the future.

For my money, Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is up there with the best science fiction movies of all time. Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis giving one of his finest performances) is a 23rd-century cab driver who is unwittingly pulled into a search for a mysterious fifth element that will prevent an apocalyptic event.

Much of the action in the final third of the movie takes place on Fhloston Paradise, a space cruise ship patronised by the rich and powerful. This superliner features twelve swimming pools with two VIP pools, dozens of high-end restaurants and a concert hall.

A glimpse of the future of cruising? Minus the giant fireball of course.

costume of large alien lifeform from the movie the fifth element

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score : 91%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90%

Disaster Movies Set on a Cruise Ship

The poseidon adventure (1972).

The 1970s was the decade for disaster movies featuring all-star ensemble casts and The Poseidon Adventure gets my vote as the best disaster film set on a cruise ship.

This multi-nominated movie – it went on to win two Oscars – centres on the ageing SS Poseidon on her final voyage from New York to Athens. After it is upended by a tsunami on New Year’s Day, it’s a race against time to bring the survivors to safety.

Spoiler alert; not many passengers make it.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 76%

Titanic (1997)

The Oscar-winning, multi-nominated Titanic is one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Directed by James Cameron and starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, this epic movie about one of the most famous cruise ships in history is also one of the most expensive movies ever made.

The sinking of the Titanic is viewed through the lens of a fictional relationship across the social divide between Rose (Winslet), and Jack (DiCaprio).

Running time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69%

A Night to Remember (1958)

Despite Titanic ’s many gongs, I far prefer this treatment of the sinking of the ill-fated cruise ship.

Filmed in a semi-documentary style, A Night to Remember sticks closely to the facts of the ship’s sinking, unimpeded by fictional sub-plots. This riveting film portrays the events of the fateful night of 15 th April 1912 from the perspective of the luxury liner’s second officer, Charles Lightoller (Kenneth More).

Running time : 2 hours 3 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100%

Movies to Make You Laugh

Monkey business (1931).

lobby card of monkey business one of the best cruise ship movies showing 3 of the marx brotheres

Monkey Business was the Marx Brothers’ third feature comedy and takes place on a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic to the USA.

Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo play four stowaways who are forced to work for a pair of feuding gangsters to evade capture by the ship’s crew. After the ship docks, the zany quartet become unlikely heroes when one of the gangsters kidnaps the other’s daughter.

Running time: 1 hour 18 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84%
Available for on DVD from Amazon Prime here

Out to Se a (1997)

Out to Sea is not Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon’s finest cinematic outing by any stretch of the imagination but it is a harmless bit of escapist fun.

Hunting for lonely women with hefty bank balances, Charlie (Matthau) coaxes his widower brother-in-law Herb (Lemmon) into working with him as a dance host on an all-expenses-paid luxury cruise. Under the watchful eye of the cruise director (played by Brent Spiner from Star Trek ), Charlie pursues wealthy socialite Liz (Dyan Cannon) and Herb unexpectedly falls for Vivian (Gloria DeHaven).

Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score : 36%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 52%

The Parent Trap (1998)

This romantic comedy directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers stars Lindsay Lohan playing the role of identical twins who discover their relationship when they are sent to the same summer camp. The twins then set to work trying to reunite their parents.

While much of The Parent Trap takes place on land, there are some scenes set aboard Cunard’s now-retired Queen Elizabeth 2 (they were actually filmed on Queen Mary , which is docked in Long Beach, California).

Running time : 2 hours 7 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70%

Like Father (2018)

In this predictable rom-com, jilted bride Rachel (Kristen Bell) ends up on her honeymoon Caribbean cruise with her estranged father Harry (Kelsey Grammer).

Like Father is set aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas , so lovingly filmed that it feels like an infomercial at times.

Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 47%
Available for streaming on Netflix

Carry on Cruising (1962)

Carry on films are a guilty pleasure for me. Cinematic masterpieces they are not but they are silly fun from a more innocent time.

Carry on Cruising is very much in this mould.

Sid James plays Wellington Crowther, the captain of SS Happy Wanderer, who is forced to replace five absent crew members at short notice. Not only are these the most incompetent shipmates to set foot on deck, but the passengers are no picnic.

Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51%

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Shot in glorious Technicolor and featuring a razor-sharp screenplay, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of the best musical comedies set on the seven seas.

Showgirl Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) sets sail for Paris with her friend Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell), where she plans to marry her wealthy beau, Gus Esmond Jr. However, her plan is placed in jeopardy by the watchful eye of a private detective hired by Mr Esmund Sr. and by Lorelei’s love of diamonds.

Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83%

Royal Wedding (1951)

screenshot showing fred astaire and jane powell in royal wedding one of the best movies set on a cruise sip

Do you fancy on-board entertainment Hollywood-style?

In the run-up to the wedding between the then Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, an American brother-and-sister song-and-dance team Tom (Fred Astaire) and Ellen Bowen (Jane Powell) set sail for London. Then love intervenes for both siblings.

Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%

Shall We Dance? (1937)

Was there ever a more perfect recipe than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performing to the sublime music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin?

Set on a transatlantic sailing from Paris to New York, Shall We Dance? features Astaire as Pete “Petrov” Peters, a Russian ballet dancer, and Rogers as Linda Keene, a musical-comedy star. As a publicity stunt to prolong Linda’s career, her agent leaks to the press that the two performers are married.

Will a fake marriage turn into the real thing?

This exhilarating musical features some of the greatest songs ever composed, including They Can’t Take That Away From Me and Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off.

Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 84%

Romance on the High Seas (1948)

Starring Doris Day in her film debut and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, Romance on the High Seas is a farce with romantic misunderstandings at its heart. Georgia Garret (Day) is a nightclub singer who is hired to assume the identity of a socialite, Elvira Kent, on a cruise to Rio de Janeiro to allow Kent to remain at home to spy on her suspected unfaithful husband,

Filming locations for Romance on the High Seas included Rio de Janeiro and Cartegena in Colombia.

Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61%
Available to buy on Blu-Ray here

Dramatic Movies

Ship of fools (1965).

This eclectic group of passengers on a cruise ship bound for pre-war Germany from Mexico represents a microcosm of 1930s society. Picking up eight Oscar nominations and directed by Stanley Kramer, Ship of Fools features a stellar ensemble cast including Vivien Leigh (in her final film role), Lee Marvin and George Segal.

Although the action takes place almost entirely on an ocean liner, the movie was filmed on a soundstage at Paramount Studios.

Running time : 2 hours 29 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 77%

Table for Five (1983)

In this poignant melodrama, divorced father J.P. Tannen (Jon Voight) takes his three children on a Mediterranean cruise in an attempt to reconnect with them. However, he quickly realises that this is not that easy and is faced with an impossible decision when he learns of a tragedy back home.

Partly filmed on MS Vistafjord (built for the now defunct Norwegian American Line ), shooting locations for Table for Five included Rome , Genoa, Haifa in Israel , Athens and Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt.

Running time: 2 hours 2 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59%
Not currently for streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime or to buy on DVD or Blu-Ray

Speed 2 Cruise Control (1997)

Keanu Reeves was wise to decline the lead role in this lame sequel to Speed . In his place, Jason Patric teamed up with Sandra Bullock as they battled to get all of the passengers on a Caribbean cruise to safety when disaster strikes.

Seabourn Legend was rented for six weeks to film the movies and its multiple filming locations were used including those in the USA, the Caribbean and France.

Running time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score : 16%

And the Award for the Worst Cruise Movie Ever Made Goes to …

Jack and jill (2011).

If you thought that Speed 2 Cruise Control was bad, this is the cinematic turkey to beat all cinematic turkeys.

Improbably, Adam Sandler plays twins Jack and Jill who join their family on a cruise vacation. Jack and Jill is so unfunny and its plot so preposterous, that I don’t have the will to say any more about it.

This became the first film to sweep the board of the Razzies, winning in each category including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, and Worst Screenplay. The cruise ship scenes were filmed aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas .

Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 3%
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 36%

And that’s a wrap.

Whether you are looking for inspiration to plan a cruise or simply looking for recommendations for a sofa and popcorn night at home, I hope that this cruise ship movies list hits the spot.

Watch, dream and book that cruise.

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About Bridget

Bridget Coleman is a complete cinephile and has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.

Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.

To get in touch, email her at [email protected] or follow her on social media.

12 Top Boat Movies To Inspire Nautical Adventures

Titanic (1997) is one of the Top Boat Movies

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the disclaimer here .

As someone who watches a lot of travel-inspiring films, I love watching movies set in far-flung destinations. But as the saying goes, “It’s about the journey, not the destination” so I’m focusing on a mode of travel in this post. Everyone else might focus on planes, trains, and automobiles but I’ve created a list of the top boat movies instead!

Boating movies, ship movies, sailing movies… They all sound similar but there are so many different types of boat movies!

Many are ship disaster movies with sea creatures, storms, and iceberg crashes. Some of the best boat movies are about the stormy seas within. Others are plain old swash-buckling adventure movies, and we love those too.

There are honestly too many movies with boats to mention, but I’ve done my best. I feel like that “Boats! Boats! Boats!” character on season six of How I Met Your Mother , I’ve written the word so many damn times.

Without further delay, here is my boat and ship movies list complete with boat movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more.

List of Top Boat Movies

1. lifeboat (1944).

English | 97m | 90% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on a novella written by John Steinbeck, Lifeboat was always going to be a brilliant boat movie.

It’s a story set during World War II about British and American citizens fleeing to lifeboats after their U-boats sink a passenger vessel. Because it was sympathetic to German soldiers and released while the war was still ongoing, many viewers didn’t rate this claustrophobic drama too highly!

Luckily, with the passage of time, the film holds up as one of the great boat films of all time.

2. The African Queen (1951)

English, German, Swahili | 105m | 96% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Winning four Academy Awards including Best Actress for Katherine Hepburn, The African Queen is one of the best movies about sailing. Many think it’s a true story, but it’s a fictional tale set at the start of World War I with Hepburn playing a British missionary in German East Africa .

After the war breaks out, she is forced to flee on a little postal boat named African Queen with boat captain Humphrey Bogart. It’s one of the top classic movies about boats that stands the test of time.

Although set in the former German East African territories ( Burundi , Rwanda , the Kionga Triangle , and parts of Tanzania and Mozambique ), it was filmed in entirely different places.

Studio filming was carried out in Shepperton Studios in the UK . On-location filming was in places like the Ruiki River and Ponthierville Falls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other scenes were shot in Lake Albert, Port Butiaba, and other beautiful destinations in Uganda .

The African Queen (1951) Top Boat Movies

3. Moby Dick (1956)

English | 116m | 84% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Love to watch movies about boats sinking and movies about sailing ships? You’re in luck, Moby Dick is both!

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville is an American classic (one I still need to read). It’s a tale told from the point of view of a sailor called Ishmael. He’s sailing on a Nantucket whaling ship called Pequod run by Captain Ahab. The captain has an obsession with killing a white whale called Moby Dick, even if it puts his crew in danger.

Moby Dick is directed by John Huston and stars Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab and Orson Welles as Father Mapple. There have been several other TV and film adaptations of the 1851 novel, but out of all of these movies about ships at sea, this version is still the best.

4. Jaws (1975)

English | 124m | 97% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Like Jaws wasn’t going to be on the list, right? Sure, it would be more at home on a list of thrillers or monster movies than a list of boating movies, but it definitely falls under the nautical movies banner. And the, “we’re going to need a bigger boat” line is iconic.

Jaws is Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster mega-hit about a great white shark that is terrorising the fictional New England beach town of Amity Island . It was mostly shot at Martha’s Vineyard . Three men (played by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw) hunt down the shark on a boat called Orca .

It was just big enough to accomplish the task of taking down the great white (spoilers, I guess?) but not so big for everyone to survive.

5. Dead Calm (1989)

English | 95m | 83% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Dead Calm is an Australian psychological thriller starring Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman as a couple grieving the loss of their young son. While sailing through the Great Barrier Reef , they pick up a sailor (Billy Zane) who claims he is the sole survivor of a sinking sailboat.

They sail a 23-meter Bermudian ketch although I’m not sure of its name. But Dead Calm is one of the best boat trip movies with sailboats if you’re in the mood for a thriller. Plus, it’s not the only boats movie on this list with Billy Zane playing a bad guy!

6. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

English, Russian | 135m | 88% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

I don’t know if I would’ve put The Hunt for Red October on a list about ships in movies considering it’s about submarines, but it’s just too popular to leave out. Specifically, it’s about an undetectable typhoon-class ballistic missile submarine with a caterpillar drive.

The Hunt for Red October is based on the Tom Clancy novel set during the Cold War. It stars Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan, a CIA agent who suspects the captain of the Red October sub, Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) of being a Russian defector.

He must find the captain and confirm his suspicions before Ramius’s submarine is targeted by either the Americans or Russians.

Many movies about ships are naturally full of suspense and The Hunt for Red October is no different. Hopefully, this is one of the better ship movies so you’ll forgive the fact that it’s a submarine! Unless submarines are ships?! Honestly, I’m not the person to ask.

The Hunt for Red October (1990) Top Boat Movies

7. Captain Ron (1992)

English | 100m | 26% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Here’s one of the few films about ships on this list that is a comedy! Kurt Russel stars as the titular character in Captain Ron . Martin Short’s character inherits a Formosa 51 sailing boat docked in the Caribbean and he enlists Captain Ron to sail the vessel to Miami for him.

The only trouble is that Captain Ron is what I would call a ‘bit of a character’ and not everything is plain sailing when he’s at the steering wheel.

Is this one of the best sailing ship movies of all time? Probably not, but if you’re in the mood to watch lighthearted, travel-inspiring movies on boats then you could do worse.

8. Forrest Gump (1994)

English | 142m | 71% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Okay, so Forrest Gump is a film set on a boat entirely, but in my opinion, it does have one of the most famous boats in movies! Forrest’s Beaufort shrimp boat called Jenny is an icon. And, of course, all of the other Jennys that Forrest adds to his fleet of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. boats.

Forrest is a hapless, affable human who just happens to live an extraordinary life. He becomes a shrimping boat captain after promising his army friend Bubba (who dies while fighting in the Vietnam War) that they would start the company together.

After a rocky start, a storm grounds all of the other shrimping boats in the area allowing the Jenny to thrive.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve watched Forrest Gump. 10 times? Maybe more? It’s not perfect, but I watch it whenever I want to travel around the US or just be inspired by a beautiful story.

9. Titanic (1997)

English | 195m | 88% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

Yes, you knew Titanic would be on this list of movies with ships somewhere! James Cameron directed not only one of the most successful films at the box office (as only James Cameron can) but one of the best Hollywood ship movies ever.

Titanic uses the real-life disaster of the RMS Titanic, a White Star Line passenger liner and now one of the most famous movie ships. It hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean while sailing from Southampton to New York City . The movie follows a wealthy Rose (Kate Winslet) and the lower-class Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) as they find love against the odds.

It really is one of the best ship-sinking movies for many reasons. One is that in the extended cut, the Titanic takes just as long to sink in the film as it did in real life.

10. The Perfect Storm (2000)

English | 130m | 46% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Amazon Prime

One, while it’s not one of the best films with boats, The Perfect Storm is a true story. And despite getting mixed reviews, it was a commercial success at least.

It tells the tale of ‘Andrea Gail’, a commercial swordfishing boat that got caught up in one of the worst storms in modern history back in 1991. Three fierce weather fronts collided creating, some might say, the perfect storm.

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and John C. Reilly lead an all-star cast of fishermen caught up in this monumental storm somewhere between Gloucester, Massachusetts, and the Flemish Cap . Slight spoilers, but The Perfect Storm comfortably falls within the ‘boat sinking movies’ category.

I hope you aren’t an optimist and you hoped that a small fishing boat would be able to survive one of the worst storms ever, right?

11. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

English | 143m | 80% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Disney+

Based on a ride at some of the Walt Disney theme parks, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is the first in a successful (yet mixed) fantasy franchise. Thinking about the movie, it has a much more complicated plot to explain than I first expected!

Basically, Curse of the Black Pearl stars Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, a pirate captain without a ship who arrives in Port Royal in the Caribbean . Orlando Bloom as blacksmith Will Turner and Keira Knightley as the governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swan also star.

The Black Pearl is a ship manned by undead pirates who are in need of Will’s blood, and a coin in Elizabeth’s possession to break their curse.

It’s a family-friendly, fun adventure movie and by far the best of the series. And who doesn’t love a pirate film?!

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

12. True Spirit (2023)

English | 109m | 79% Rotten Tomatoes | Watch on Netflix

You don’t have to resort to watching amateur sailing videos on YouTube to satiate your desire to watch free boat movies. If you have a Netflix subscription, True Spirit is one of the best boating movies on Netflix!

Based on a memoir of the same name, True Spirit is about a 16-year-old Australian sailor. She wants to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone. Naturally, she must deal with tons of challenges and face her greatest faces (one of them being a horrendous death, I assume).

Although there aren’t many sailing movies Netflix has made as an original production, this one is a really great one. She sails a S&S 34 Ella’s Pink Lady and goes through some unbelievably scary moments.

Other Top Boat Movies on Ships: Overboard (1987), Hook (1991), The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004), The Boat That Rocked/Pirate Radio (2009), Life of Pi (2012), All Is Lost (2013), The Mercy (2017), Dunkirk (2017), Adrift (2018)

Top Boat Movies: That’s a Wrap!

Those are some of my favourite boat movies and ship Movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other platforms.

Have you watched any of these films or have any more recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!

75+ Best Travel Movies To Inspire Your Wanderlust

Hey! I wrote this. And I'm the human (and hair) behind Almost Ginger. I live for visiting filming locations, attending top film festivals and binge-watching travel inspiring films. I'm here to inspire you to do the same! Get in touch by leaving a comment or contacting me directly: [email protected] .

4 thoughts on “ 12 Top Boat Movies To Inspire Nautical Adventures ”

Wonderful list Rebecca. So many of these I love. Lifeboat is in my list of top 10 Hitchcock films, and Jaws is an all-time fav of mine. Nice to see Dead Calm make the list – a top-notch, edge-of-your-seat thriller. I must check out Captain Ron, Kurt Russell is great but this one has passed me by.

Thanks, Dan! There are so many great ones, and so many more I need to check out and add to the list!

I love this post. So many good ones. Jaws is by far my favorite on this list. So much of the fun of that film is the boat itself. I feel like I know every detail of it.

I would put Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World on a list like this. Impeccably well-made and almost entirely on a ship. I also have Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo on my mind. That is how you work with a boat on a film set.

Thanks Kevin! 🙂 Funnily enough I’d thought of Fitzcarraldo but I’d JUST included it in a list of movies about Peru so I thought it would be a bit much considering it’s a more obscure film. I can’t say if heard of the others but I do actually need to watch Jaws again, it’s been aaaages

The 18 Best Sailing Movies to Watch on Netflix & Amazon

Watching one of these best sailing movies, you can sail into the ocean from the comfort of your couch.

Watching movies is a great way to take a trip without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. So, if you’re longing to take a voyage on the sea, a sailing movie is a great option!

Our favorite sailing movies include a great story and amazing views! All of the films on our list are available on Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Netflix at this time. So you can watch a great film about setting sail without ever leaving your house!

Most of these options also lend them selves to be a great outdoor movie night or pool party movie choice !

The 18 Best Sailing Movies

From action-packed thrillers set on a boat to inspiring documentaries about real-life sailors, you’re going to love each of the sailing movies in this comprehensive list.

Rated PG-13

A young couple sets sail on an adventure of a lifetime across the open sea together. But as they’re sailing across the ocean, one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in history capsizes their boat, leaving them to fight for their lives in the ocean, in this sailing thriller based on a true story.

2. Life of Pi

After surviving a shipwreck, the young son of a zookeeper is trapped on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger in this Oscar winning sailing movie directed by Ang Lee.

Try Hulu Tonight!

3. deep water (2006).

This sailing documentary tells the true story of the first solo, non-stop boat race around the world. As the film progresses, the filmmakers work to uncover the toll the grueling sea trip took on the race’s participants. The documetary features Simon and Clare Crowhurst.

4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

In this historical drama, Russell Crowe plays a 19th century British ship captain who struggles as he prepares rag-tag team of crew members to attack a French ship.

5. Captain Ron

After a man finds out he’s inherited a yacht, he takes his family on a trip to the Caribbean to bring the ship home in this sailing comedy. When they arrive, the family hires a shady captain to help repair the ship and sail them back to Miami, leading to plenty of trouble on the trip home.

Kurt Russell and Martin Short star in this sailing film.

A group of sailors come together to reclaim the America’s Cup for the American team after a defeat the year before in this action-packed sailing movie starring Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey.

7. White Squall

An educational sailing trip turns into a larger life lesson for a group of prep school students when their boat gets caught in a white squall storm in this Ridley Scott sailing movie classic featuring Jeff Bridges and John Savage.

8. Dead Calm

When a seasoned sailor and his wife, played by Nicole Kidman, take their yacht out on a long vacation trip across the ocean, they come upon a sinking boat in the middle of a calm sea. After rescuing the distressed sailor, the couple uncovers a horrifying sight and works to uncover the mystery behind the capsized vessel.

9. Kon Tiki

This Academy Award winning classic sailing documentary tells the story of a group of sailors who took a 4,300 nautical mile trip across the Pacific ocean on a raft.

10. Maidentrip

Follow 14-year-old Laura Dekker as she achieves her dream of becoming the youngest person to set sail around the world alone in this riveting sailing documentary.

11. The Old Man and the Sea

Based on the classic novel by Ernest Hemingway, this sailing movie follows Santiago on a fishing trip that ends with the biggest catch of his life. But when sharks attack his catch, he must fight to keep his fish and save himself.

12. Morning Light

Watch as 15 young sailors compete to join the crew of the Morning Light, a sleek racing boat bound for the Transpac LA to Hawaii open ocean race in this Disney sailing documentary.

13. The Perfect Storm

To help tide his crew over for the winter, a fishing boat captain insists the group go out for one more fishing trip before the cold weather arrives. But as the crew sets sail, a storm begins to brew directly in their boat’s path in this sailing movie starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.

14. Red Dot on the Ocean

Hoping to become the first person to sail around North and South America alone, Matt Rutherford goes on a death-defying ocean journey in this popular sailing documentary.

15. The Mercy

Leaving behind a loving wife (Rachel Weisz), an amateur sailor named Donald Crowhurst (played by Colin Firth) competes in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race around the world. This movie has some of the prettiest sailing scenes and is based on a true story.

An overworked doctor takes her dream trip sailing alone across the Atlantic. But when she comes across a boat filled with refugees, she jumps in to organize the group and get them to safety.

17. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Famous Steve Zissou sets sail with this crew to find a (possibly nonexistent) Jaguar Shark. This quirky comedy stars Bill Murrary, Owen Wilson, and Cate Blanchett.

18. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Johnny Depp plays Captain Jack Sparrow in this popular Disney franchise about the days of pirates and treasure hunts.

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list of the best sailing movies on a backdrop of an ocean sunset

Whether you’re an experienced sailor or you get sea sick at the sight of water, you can enjoy a vicarious trip across the ocean with the help of a good movie. And these amazing sailing movies won’t disappoint!

If you loved this list of best sailing movies, you may also like:

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20 Best Sailing Movies of all Time

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

If you have been looking forward to curling up on the couch, grabbing a bowl of popcorn, and watching some captivating movies, this can be a good time. A good sailing movie can be perfect given that you'll hear a few lines that you're already familiar with when on the dock or setting sail.

This can be a perfect time to binge-watch some of the best sailing movies.

So in no particular order, we'll highlight 20 of the best sailing movies of all time. From the brutal and dramatic tales of man vs. sea to inspirational explorations and expeditions, we've covered it all. Keep reading and you'll be inspired while waiting to get off dry land when it's safe to do so.

Table of contents

All is Lost (2013)

For lone sailors, All is Lost is probably the best movie to give you a glimpse of what might go wrong for you if you decide to sail the big blue ocean alone. With a near-mute performance as an old man who loves sailing alone, Robert Redford puts in an almost quasi-silent performance by portraying the ordeal of what a lone sailor can undergo when the sea turns on you.

Directed by JC Chandor, there's only one person on the screen throughout the film. He's all alone in the vast sea with his damaged boat. He has to become tough, resourceful, and calm even when things turn against him. Single-character movies are a rarity even today but this is a great survival film that perfectly depicts what could happen even to the hardest lone sailors out there.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Directed by the talented Peter Weir, this critically-acclaimed movie was nominated for 10 Oscars and won for best cinematography and sound editing. Depicting the return of the high-seas adventure, this movie is skillfully and meticulously adapted from the historical novel by Patrick O'Brian set during the Napoleonic Wars and starring Russell Crowe.

Crowe plays an arrogant captain who pushes his ship crew to the limits while trying to capture a French warship. This movie offers action-packed battle scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This movie gives you an insight of what sailors undergo in their struggles to make it through the high-seas alive.

Captain Ron (1992)

With little sailing experience but with an inherited yacht moored on an offshore island Martin Short hires charismatic Captain Ron to take them back to Florida. The voyage isn't as easy as they expected as they have to face pirates, breakdowns, and other obstacles. They all get more than what they bargained for.

Portrayed by Kurt Russell, Captain Ron depicts the misadventures of a nominal sailing character that is hired by an upper-middle-class father to guide a yacht through the Caribbean. From the marine accidents, pirates, guerilla carnivals to malfunctioning equipment, and Russell's croaked absurdities, this movie is just full of double humor and worthy performance.

Wind (1992)

As one of the biggest races in competitive sailing, America's Cup is often associated with rich people competing in weird-looking boats. But this movie changes this as it takes viewers through the eyes of tanned and rugged Will Parker as played by Matthew Modine. He's hired by a self-made millionaire (Cliff Robertson) to lead his crew in the competition.

Together with his girlfriend Kate who is an equally skilled sailor, Parker intends to win America's Cup but Kate is thrown off the crew leaving Parker angry. When the crew loses America's Cup to the Australians, Parker decides to form his own syndicate to win back the cup.

White Squall (1996)

This movie follows a young man's adventure movie that follows a group of high school students who boards the brigantine ship called Albatross for their senior year at sea. They sail to the tip of South America and back. They get to accept responsibility, learn how to be sailors, and grow up.

The skipper of the ship, Christopher Sheldon together with the 13 teenage boys set sail for an eight-month voyage. The boys soon discover Sheldon's psyche gradations, rattling tension, and freak storms that sink the ship. As a sailor, you'll be disturbed by the fact that four students and two crew members drown, leaving skipper Sheldon facing a fierce tribunal, tortured conscience, and grieving parents and students.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

As one of the greatest epic movies of the 1960s, English Captain Bligh is on a sea voyage to transport breadfruit from England to Jamaica. He is so abusive that he gets on the nerves of his crew members, especially 1st Lieutenant, Fletcher Christian.

Tension eases when they reach Jamaica and the crew indulges in the island's lifestyle but the captain claps some members of his crew in irons as they try to desert. Further abuses lead Fletcher to inspire a mutiny against the Captain. Fletcher and his men set the Captain and his loyal members afloat in a rowboat. This movie offers a realistic depiction of a larger-than-life character that most sailors are known for.

Dead Calm (1989)

Starring Billy Zane, Nicole Kidman, Sam Neil, and a gorgeous 60 ft. ketch, Dead Calm revolves around a mass-murderer who kidnaps and seduces a young beautiful woman after leaving a husband to die on a vessel whose crew he has just murdered.

This movie was filmed in the Whitsundays Islands of Australia, which is one of the best sailing destinations in the world. Bringing forth an epic combination of deadly sailing conditions , complete isolation from the rest of the world, and a skillful villain aboard the vessel, this movie is thrilling and will leave you looking behind your back whenever you're out there on the sea.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

This adventure-comedy follows the high journeys of Steve Zissou, a character adaptation of French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. It follows his ocean expedition when tracking the ‘jaguar shark' that apparently ate his partner, Esteban.

Esteban had been working with Zissou on a documentary about mysterious circumstances by a shark. This is a sharp film with lots of fun and adventure on the sea.

Kon-Tiki (2012)

Legendary Norwegian explorer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl believes that the South Sea Islands were originally colonized by South Americans. Thor, who fears water and doesn't know how to swim, partakes on a voyage in 1947 to prove his belief. Together with five crew members, set sail from Peru on a balsa-wood ancient raft.

Even though their only modern equipment is a radio, they have to navigate through the ocean while relying on stars and ocean currents and they achieve the impossible after exhausting three months at the sea. This is a very spirited adventure that depicts what's possible when we believe in our dreams.

Maidentrip (2013)

A 14-year-old sailor by the name Laura Dekker sets sail on a two-year voyage in pursuit of her dream to become the world's youngest sailor. Laura sets out from Holland and sails throughout the world. Apart from the occasional foul language that Laura uses now and then on the documentary, this is an excellent film that shows what one can achieve when he/she lives her dream and works hard towards achieving it.

The documentary, however, doesn't suggest that Laura is alarmingly young to sail across the unforgiving Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Instead, she's depicted as an independent outsider who is looking for paradise in a never-ending sea.

Adrift (2018)

In most cases, sailors seem to never anticipate that they may sail directly into a catastrophic hurricane and this is exactly what Richard Sharp and Tami Oldham do when they sail directly in one of the worst hurricanes ever recorded in history.

Tami awakes in the aftermath of the hurricane to find their boat in ruins and Richard is badly injured. And because they do not have any hope that they would ever get help or get rescued, Tami is left with two options: sit there and perish or find strength and determination to save herself as well as the only man she's ever loved.

Turning Tide (En Solitaire) (2013)

In this daring tale, this movie portrays how a fearless sailor known as Yann Kermadec finds a lot of obstacles in his biggest race as a two-hander named Turning Tide falls flat. In a nail-biting tension, the story begins when Kermadec replaces the main skipper in the Vendee Globe on short notice.

After some smooth sailing, things go eerily wrong for the sailor as his ship is damaged and he's forced to anchor off the Canary Islands to repair it. When he gets back on his journey, he soon discovers that a Mauritanian teenage boy has sneaked inside the boat and he has no option but to sail with him at least until they cross the Atlantic Ocean.

The Old Man and the Sea (1958)

An old Cuban angler known as Spencer Tracy is so unlucky that he hasn't caught any fish in 84 days. And despite the commitment of a young boy to bring him food, the angler fears that he's forever lucky but catches a small fish on his 85th day, so he decides to keep fishing.

When one of his many fishing lines hooks a large marlin, he decides not to go back to the shore until he reels it in. For almost two days and nights, he has no choice but to sit there and do everything he can to redeem himself from what seems like a perpetual failure.

Morning Light (2008)

By entering the TRANSPAC, which is one of the world's best open-ocean competitions, 15 young men and women prepare for a sailing adventure of their lives. With world-class teachers, these sailors begin intense training in Hawaii but only reach a climax in an elimination process that comes in the form of who-stays-and-who-goes process.

This documentary follows these sailors for six months as they embark on a 2,300-mile sailing ordeal, which starts in Los Angeles and ends in Honolulu.

The Perfect Storm (2000)

Created by Wolfgang Petersen, The Perfect Storm is a blockbuster that's big on visuals and depicts an action-packed escapade on the water as Captain Billy Tyne and his crew set on a fishing expedition aboard a ship known as Andrea Gail.

They're soon caught up in a catastrophic destructive storm when they decide to risk the storm and have to deal with a very powerful hurricane. At the height of their fishing expedition, their ice machine breaks down and the only way to ensure that their catch doesn't go stale is by hurrying back to the shore to sell their catch. This is exactly why they decide to risk their lives and it doesn't turn out as they expected.

Captain Phillips (2013)

When Captain Richard Phillips takes command of an unarmed container ship known as MV Maersk Alabama from the port of Salalah in Oman, they anticipate that they'll be attacked by Somali Pirates on their way to Mombasa, Kenya.

They attack the ship and Captain Phillips has to use his wits and diplomacy to negotiate with the pirates and save his crew.

Maiden (2018)

As the saying goes; what a man can do a woman can do even better. This is exactly what's depicted by this sailing movie that follows the life of Tracy Edwards as she leads the first all-female crew when competing in the Whitbread Round the World Race.

Covering 33,000 miles and lasting for nine months, this is a truly grueling race that depicts the corrosive sexism that still exists in the sailing world as well as the ocean terrors that sailors have to deal with during voyages or competitions.

Chasing Bubbles (2016)

This is a captivating documentary that follows the journey of Alex Rust who is a free spirit who gives the normal life to sail around the world. Alex is brought up as a farm boy but becomes a stock trader in Indiana. At the age of 25, he decides to abandon his life in Chicago, buys a modest sailboat known as Bubbles and embarks on a very unique free-spirited voyage. It takes him three years to sail around the world and to quench his insatiable curiosity while meeting great people and fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a free soul.

This is a breathtaking travelogue that depicts the sailing life of a truly absorbing character.

180° South (2010)

Directed by Chris Malloy, this is a sailing documentary that covers the journey of Jeff Johnson as he travels from Ventura, California to Patagonia in Chile. He does this to retrace the same trip covered by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins in 1968.

While the two initial explorers made the journey on the land, Johnson travels by sea using a small boat.

Deep Water (2006)

This movie follows the true-life story of Donald Crowhurst, an inexperienced British sailor who enters the Golden Globe, which is the first nonstop boat race in the world. Donald puts up his home as collateral to gain financial backing to compete in the race but soon finds himself on the wrong end of things as he enters the race under-prepared.

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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The Ultimate List of the 17 Best Sailing Movies

Nothing can inspire dreamers quicker than an evening of streaming old sailor movies. Sailing adventure movies can be terrifying survival stories or inspirational documentaries about sailors pushing their limits. Unfortunately, Hollywood blockbusters are rarely sailing-related, but there are a few examples out there that will get the seawater in your veins pumping.

Waterworld (1995), white squall (1996), wind (1992) – the story of the world’s biggest sailing prize, captain ron (1992), pirates of the caribbean (2003-2017), black sails (2014-2017) – a series with great sailing scenes, master and commander – far side of the world (2003), kon tiki (2012), the bounty (1984), all is lost (2013), adrift (2018), the mercy (2018), maiden (2018), chasing bubbles (2016), sea gypsies: the far side of the world (2017), red dot on the ocean (2014), maidentrip (2013), which are your favorite top sailing movies.

Feature Films and Big Productions – Best Sailing Films of All Time

In no particular order, here are my top picks for the best sailboat movies. Good sailing movies can be divided into two categories. Most are about survival at sea, less a sailing movie and more of a drama set on a sailboat. Others are feature films, sailor movies complete with sailing action and exploration. Let’s start with those.

It’s the year 2500, and the ice caps have melted, and sea level rise has claimed the world. The Mariner (Kevin Costner) lives as a wandering nomad on the oceans in his custom-built trimaran. Chased by thugs on jet skis, he leads a search for a mystical place called the “Dryland.”

Ok, it’s ridiculous, and it was a complete flop at the box office when it was released. But Costner’s trimaran is pretty cool. And what cruising sailor doesn’t envy him, with his sad little tomato plant and total freedom?

Based on a true story, White Squall is the story of the brigantine Albatross and her crew of college-aged men. Directed by Ridley Scott and staring Jeff Bridges as the salty Skipper, the movie is captivating and authentic.

The Albatross was a teaching vessel, and Skipper was there to teach the men discipline and how to survive as a team. Drama unfolds as the crew gets to know one another, and even more drama ensues when the brigantine encounters a freakish white squall offshore.

Even cruising sailors will love this inspirational story of an underdog attempt to take back the America’s Cup. For the uninitiated, the America’s Cup is the most prestigious trophy in sailing and the oldest trophy in competitive sports.

The movie features incidents taken from real competitions and fictionalized into the plot. Peter Gilmour, who sailed in the 1987 America’s Cup, was the “Sailing Master” for the film. Many of the yachts used in filming were actual boats from America’s Cup races. Best brush up on those points of sail and sailing terms before watching–this movie is as authentic as it gets!

Overall, the movie has the over-the-top romanticism of movies of the era, like Top Gun but set on the water. But just like Top Gun , this movie is as entertaining today as it was back then.

Absolutely no list of sailing movies is complete without including Captain Ron . And love it or hate it, it deserves to be in top place. Sure, it’s goofy, silly, and a bit dated. But this story of a straight-laced midwestern family throwing in the towel to live on a sailboat in the Caribbean resonates with dreamers and sailors like no other film does.

What makes the movie so special is Kurt Douglas’s portrayal of the singular Captain Ron Rico. Who else could’ve given us these quotes, which will live on, quoted repeatedly on sailboats everywhere?

“If anything is going to happen, it’s going to happen out there!” “A diesel loves her oil like a sailor loves his rum.” “If we get lost, we’ll just pull in somewhere and ask directions!” “Yeah, incentives are important. I learned that in rehab.” Captain Ron Rico

And then there’s the boat. The Formosa 51 ketch Wanderer was the perfect boat for this movie. Its dilapidated condition and lack of seaworthiness are sure to make every boat owner laugh out loud. But, like any good boat, with a little elbow grease, she got them through it.

There are tons of rumors and fables surrounding this film in sailing circles. But consider this. It accurately details two real types of characters. The Harvey family, led by the indomitable Martin Short, is like many starry-eyed Americans who fled to the Caribbean for a life afloat. And Captain Ron? He’s based on a real person . The real one even had a peg leg, but the movie producers thought that would be too over the top!

For a movie series based on a hokey 1960’s Disney Land ride, the Pirates of the Caribbean films have made a name for themselves. It’s the 15th highest-grossing film series of all time, and two movies have grossed more than $1 billion. There have been five films to date, but rumors are a sixth may be in the works.

So, Pirates is a fun series of movies, but how’s the sailing connection? Well, the Black Pearl is a sailing ship, sort of. It’s more of a ghost ship. And it’s all set at sea or on pirate-plagued islands in the Caribbean, so that’s neat. Overall, I wouldn’t rate these films as sailing ship movies, but they certainly are fun to watch.

It’s not a movie per se, but who doesn’t like a binge-worthy series? Combine Game of Thrones with a realistic pirate story, and you get the idea. It’s dirty, gritty, and historically accurate. Black Sails aired on Starz Network for four seasons and can be streamed on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others.

The series is a prequel to Treasure Island and provides a backstory for pirates Long John Silver and Captain Flint. Unfortunately, Robert Louis Stevenson didn’t go into much detail about the notorious Flint, so the show used some artistic license to combine these fictional characters with the real pirates of the Caribbean.

More specifically, the stories are set in Nassau during its period as the “Pirate Republic” before England sent Woods Rogers to govern the island in 1718 and drive the pirates out. Yes, this is all there, and many real-life pirates are depicted in the show. The story tells the tales of Anne Bonny, Jack Rackham, Charles Vane, Israel Hands, and even Blackbeard. What a show!

And, of course, the ships and the action packed battle scenes are amazing to watch.

This movie is based on the novels by Patrick O’Brian about Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), commander of the British man-of-war HMS Surprise during the Napoleonic Wars. The story follows the chase and battle with the French privateer Acheron , who they follow around Cape Horn to the Galapagos Islands, where drama ensues.

The characters in the movie and novels are fictionalized, as are the precise events. But the author drew from real events that occurred during the Napoleonic Wars. The film draws from three different novels in O’Brian’s series.

The film is exceedingly accurate, with all shooting taking place on real ships. Ten days of filming were done at sea, while the rest was shot in the same 20-million-gallon seawater tank in Baja California where Titanic was shot.

The Kon-Tiki Expedition was a 1947 raft journey to prove people from South America could have populated the Polynesian Islands. At the time, most theories believed that the Polynesian people settled from west to east, not east to west. The expedition was led by Norwegian writer Thor Heyerdahl, who wrote the book about it. There was also an Academy Award-winning documentary made by the same name in 1950.

The 2012 version is dramatized but follows the events closely. Heyerdahl’s opponents, at the time, countered that no expedition would likely be successful in reaching Polynesia from Chile. To prove them wrong, he builds a balsawood raft with the same materials and techniques that people would have 1,500 years prior. The 4,300 nautical miles journey doesn’t go smoothly, as you might imagine. But then, I don’t want to give away the movie!

You can’t talk about sea stories without including a good mutiny. And while there are plenty of good tails, few stand the test of time better than the character-driven plot of William Bligh and Fletcher Christian of the HMS Bounty . The story was portrayed in the 1962 MGM film Mutiny on the Bounty and again in 1984 in The Bounty starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. Both films used extremely accurate replica ships.

Sailing Movie Stories of Survival at Sea

It can’t be denied that many good sea stories revolve around the conflict of man against the elements. The sea is the ultimate element, so many movies about sailing turn toward a darker survival story.

Most sailors dislike this movie immensely. It has so many flaws that the story takes on more water than the boat in the movie does. But putting those facts aside, it’s a gripping tale of one man (Robert Redford), alone on a sinking cruising boat in the middle of the ocean, struggling to survive.

In 1983, a young couple was asked to ferry a yacht from the South Sea islands, through the sailing routes across the Pacific , to the US. But things go poorly when they run head-first into Hurricane Raymond, a late-season Category 4 storm.

The boat is knocked down and dismasted, and the man is washed overboard. The movie is based on the 2002 book Red Sky in Mourning by Tami Oldham Ashcraft, the sole survivor. In other words, it’s a true story.

Another true story follows amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth), a dreamer who sets out to enter the 1968 Golden Globe single-hand around-the-world race. The only problem? He doesn’t own a boat or know how to sail. So he gets some sponsors, builds a trimaran, and leaves his home and family behind. Then, as you might suspect, drama ensues.

Documentary Sailing Movies

Sailing documentary films aren’t for everyone and seldom make for a light-hearted date night. But there are some great sailing movies in this genre for those looking for inspiring true stories without all the big-movie hubbub.

This movie tells the tale of the all-woman crew in the 1989-1990 Whitbread Round the World Race. It features interviews with Captain Tracy Edwards, who formed the team.

This YouTube documentary is about the true story of the (self-described) worst sailor to ever sail around the world. At 25, Alex Rust left his life as a day trader in Chicago to sail the world. With a sailboat he buys on Craigslist, Rust finds adventure during his four-year journey.

Sea Gypsies is the story of the sailing ketch Infinity , a 120-foot hand-built vessel on a never-ending nomadic voyage. The crew of 16 “wandering miscreants” set out from New Zealand in 2014 during one of the worst winters on record. They stopped in Antarctica on the way to Patagonia, 8,000 miles away. The film has won numerous awards at global film festivals.

You can rent Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World on Venmo or Amazon Prime in the US.

Another story about a young man risking it all to find freedom on the ocean, Red Dot on the Ocean tells the story of Matt Rutherford. At age 17 and in jail, Rutherford became inspired and turned his life around. He bought a pocket cruiser sailboat on the internet and cruised from the US to Europe, West Africa, and back to the Caribbean.

He was then inspired by Artic explorers like Shackleton and set out to transit the Northwest Passage by boat. That led to his desire to become the first sailor to circumnavigate the American continents, a 27,000-mile journey.

You can purchase Red Dot on the Ocean on Venmo, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV. You can also hear some great interviews with Rutherford on the On the Wind podcast from 59 North Sailing .

Maidentrip is a movie about sailing around the world, as done by Laura Dekker. In 2009, Dekker decided she would become the youngest person to circumnavigate single-handedly. At one point, the Dutch courts stepped in and prohibited her from leaving. But with legal hurdles cleared, she departed in 2010 for the 518-day voyage.

Dekker sailed the 40-foot ketch Guppy on her trip. She was inspired by Tania Aebi, author of Maiden Voyage and person who previously held the record as the first American woman and youngest person to circumnavigate solo.

Whether you’re in the mood for hardcore action binging Black Sails or a light-hearted escape to the Caribbean with Captain Ron , there’s a little something for everyone. From docs to laughs, there’s a sailing movie to make everyone in your crew happy.

But the best is Captain Ron , seriously.

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

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Highest-Rated Movies about 'Cruise Ship'

WALL·E (2008), The Heiress (1949), Now, Voyager (1942), Titanic (1997), Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993), Kurenai no buta (1992), A Little Princess (1995), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Cruise Ship movies.

#1. WALL·E (2008)

Rating: 8.4/10
Length: 1h 38min
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family, Science Fiction
Director: Andrew Stanton

Storyline: In a distant, but not so unrealistic, future where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of Earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, EVE, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to Earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with EVE. WALL-E rescues EVE from a dust storm and shows her a living plant he found amongst the rubble. Consistent with her "directive", EVE takes the plant and automatically enters a deactivated state except for a blinking green beacon. WALL-E, doesn't understand what has happened to his new friend, but, true to his love, he protects her from wind, rain, and lightning, even as she is unresponsive. One day a massive ship comes to reclaim EVE, but WALL-E, ...

Plot Keywords: robot , obesity , post apocalypse , social commentary , pollution , cgi animation , light bulb ...

#2. The Heiress (1949)

Rating: 8.1/10
Length: 115 mins
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Director: William Wyler

Storyline: In the mid-1800's, the wealthy Sloper family - widowed surgeon Dr. Austin Sloper, his adult daughter Catherine Sloper (Dr. Sloper's only surviving child), and Dr. Sloper's recently widowed sister Lavinia Penniman - live in an opulent house at 16 Washington Square, New York City. They have accrued their wealth largely through Dr. Sloper's hard work. Despite the lessons that Dr. Sloper has paid for in all the social graces for her, Catherine is a plain, simple, awkward and extremely shy woman who spends all her free time alone doing embroidery when she is not doting on her father. Catherine's lack of social charm and beauty - unlike her deceased mother - is obvious to Dr. Sloper, who hopes that Lavinia will act as her guardian in becoming more of a social person, and ultimately as chaperon if Catherine were ever to meet the right man. The first man ever to show Catherine any attention is the handsome Morris Townsend, who she met at a family party. Catherine is initially uncertain as to Morris' intentions, never having been called on before by a gentleman, but she quickly falls in love with him, as he does with her. They plan to be married. Being a romantic, Lavinia does whatever she can to advance their relationship. However, Dr. Sloper does not trust Morris, believing him to be a fortune hunter who is only interested in Catherine for her sizable inheritance. His beliefs are strengthened after a candid discussion with Morris' sister, Mrs. Montgomery. Dr. Sloper does whatever he can to prevent the two from getting married - the entire reason for his disapproval which he does not fully disclose to either Catherine or Morris - including taking Catherine away for an extended European vacation. Ultimately, incidents with both her father and Morris permanently change Catherine's view of life.—Huggo

Plot Keywords: title spoken by character , stethoscope , manhattan new york city , domineering father , male female relationship , famous score , 1840s ...

#3. Now, Voyager (1942)

Rating: 8.0/10
Length: 1h 57min
Genre: Romance, Drama
Director: Irving Rapper

Storyline: Boston spinster Charlotte has had her life controlled entirely by her mother; a wealthy mother, Mrs. Henry Vale. Feeling despondent, she's convinced to spend some time in a sanitarium. Soon, Charlotte's transformed into a sophisticated, confident woman. On a cruise to South America, Charlotte meets, and begins a torrid affair with Jerry Durrance, a married architect. 6 months later, she returns home, and confronts her mother with her independence. One day, after a brief argument, her mother has a heart attack and dies. Charlotte inherits the Vale fortune but feels guilty for her mother's death. She returns to the sanitarium, where she befriends a depressed, young adolescent, named Tina. The young girls' depression brought on by having been rejected by her mother; Charlotte's former lover, Jerry's wife. Charlotte takes Tina home to Boston with her

Plot Keywords: domineering mother , emotional blackmail , mother daughter relationship , mental illness , dysfunctional family , self esteem , nervous breakdown ...

#4. Titanic (1997)

Rating: 7.8/10
Length: 3h 14min
Director: James Cameron

Storyline: 84 years later, a 100 year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell and Anatoly Mikailavich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Caledon Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. And she explains the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning.

Plot Keywords: iceberg , self sacrifice , one word title , ship , shipwreck , sinking ship , told in flashback ...

#5. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Length: 1h 16min
Genre: Action, Thriller, Romance, Drama, Crime, Adventure, Animation, Family, Mystery, Science Fiction
Director: Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm (as Bruce W. Timm) |4 more credits »

Storyline: Batman, the costumed crime-fighter who prowls the night skies in Gotham City, soon finds there's another vigilante in town knocking off prominent mob figures. Despite the scythe-like blade for a hand, a mechanical voice and the cloud of smoke that follows the figure wherever it goes, the police and outraged officials mistake the homicidal crusader for Batman himself and demand that the city's longtime hero be brought to justice. Meanwhile, Andrea Beaumont returns to town. She is the lost love of Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy who is Batman's alter ego, and was an integral part of Wayne's decision ten years earlier to don the cape and cowl. Now, she is back in his life and is no less a disruption than the return of his old archenemy, The Joker, who has a stake in seeing the annihilation of this new vigilante, whoever it proves to be.

Plot Keywords: batman character , dc comics , neo noir , based on tv series , based on comic book , shared universe , debt ...

#6. Kurenai no buta (1992)

Length: 1h 34min
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Storyline: In Early 1930's era Italy air pirates, bounty hunters and high fliers of all sorts rule the skies. The most cunning and skilled of these pilots is Porco Rosso. A former Ace, he now makes a living flying contract jobs, such as rescuing those kidnapped by air pirates. Donald Curtis, Porco's rival in the air and in catching the affections of women, provides a constant challenge to the hero, culminating in a hilarious, action packed finale.

Plot Keywords: hero , mechanic , mission , rescue , transformation , villain , airplane ...

#7. A Little Princess (1995)

Rating: 7.7/10
Length: 1h 37min
Genre: Drama, Family, Fantasy
Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Storyline: When her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin, who attempts to stifle Sara's creativity and sense of self-worth. Sara's belief that "every girl's a princess" is tested to the limit, however, when word comes that her father was killed in action and his estate has been seized by the British government.

Plot Keywords: india , little girl , abuse , based on novel , orphan , father daughter relationship , african american ...

#8. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Length: 2h 6min
Genre: Drama, Biography, Musical
Director: Michael Curtiz

Storyline: A musical portrait of composer/singer/dancer George M. Cohan. From his early days as a child-star in his family's vaudeville show up to the time of his comeback at which he received a medal from the president for his special contributions to the US, this is the life- story of George M. Cohan, who produced, directed, wrote and starred in his own musical shows for which he composed his famous songs.

Plot Keywords: singing , dancing , father son relationship , spanking , fake beard , parade , fourth of july ...

#9. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Rating: 7.6/10
Length: 1h 50min
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Wes Anderson

Storyline: Three grown prodigies, all with a unique genius of some kind, and their mother are staying at the family household. Their father, Royal had left them long ago, and comes back to make things right with his family.

Plot Keywords: family relationships , forbidden love , incest , brother sister incest , dysfunctional family , extramarital affair , father daughter relationship ...

#10. Gojira (1954)

Length: 1h 36min
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama, Science Fiction
Director: Ishirô Honda

Storyline: When seventeen vessels blow-up and sink nearby Odo Island, Professor Kyohei Yamane, his daughter Emiko Yamane and the marine Hideto Ogata head to the island to investigate. Soon they witness a giant monster called Gojira by the locals destroying the spot. Meanwhile Emiko meets her boyfriend, the secluded scientist Serizawa, and he makes she promise to keep a secret about his research with oxygen. She agrees and he discloses the lethal weapon Oxygen Destroyer that he had developed. When Gojira threatens Tokyo and other Japanese cities and the army and the navy are incapable to stop the monster, Emiko discloses Serizawa's secret to her lover Ogata. Now they want to convince Serizawa to use the Oxygen Destroyer to stop Gojira.

Plot Keywords: kaiju , japan , 1950s , giant monster , radiation , japanese , scientist ...

#11. Elling (2001)

Rating: 7.5/10
Length: 1h 29min
Director: Petter Næss

Storyline: When his mother, who has sheltered him his entire 40 years, dies, Elling, a sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and female-obsessed virgin in his 40s. After two years, the men are released and provided with a state-funded apartment and stipend with the hope they will be able to live on their own. Initially, the simple act of going around the corner for groceries is a challenge. Through a friendship born of desperate dependence, the skittish Elling and the boisterous, would-be lover of women, Kjell Bjarne, discover they can not only survive on the outside, they can thrive. But as their courage grows, the two find oddball ways to cope with society, striking up the most peculiar friendships in the most unlikely places.

Plot Keywords: mental illness , cafe , cake , cambodia , car repair , cell phone , champagne ...

#12. An Affair to Remember (1957)

Length: 1h 55min
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director: Leo McCarey

Storyline: Nickie Ferrante's return to New York to marry a rich heiress is well publicized as are his many antics and affairs. He meets a nightclub singer Terry McKay who is also on her way home to her longtime boyfriend. She sees him as just another playboy and he sees her as stand-offish but over several days they soon find they've fallen in love. Nickie has never really worked in his life so they agree that they will meet again in six months time atop the Empire State building. This will give them time to deal with their current relationships and for Nickie to see if he can actually earn a living. He returns to painting and is reasonably successful. On the agreed date, Nickie is waiting patiently for Terry who is racing to join him. Fate intervenes however resulting in misunderstanding and heartbreak and only fate can save their relationship.

Plot Keywords: new york city , holiday , christmas , new year's eve , boat , disability , teacher ...

#13. The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Length: 107 mins
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Director: Mark Sandrich

Storyline: Mimi Glossop wants a divorce so her Aunt Hortense hires a professional to play the correspondent in apparent infidelity. American dancer Guy Holden meets Mimi while visiting Brightbourne (Brighton) and she thinks he is the correspondent. The plot is really an excuse for song and dance. The movie won three Academy nominations and the first Oscar for Best Song: "The Continental", a twenty-two minute production number.—Ed Stephan <[email protected]>

Plot Keywords: resort , customs , cruise ship , chorus line , london england , porter , aunt niece relationship ...

#14. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

Rating: 7.4/10
Length: 1h 24min
Genre: Comedy
Director: Woody Allen

Storyline: Danny Rose is a manager of artists, and although he's not very successful, he nevertheless goes out of his way to help his acts. So when Lou Canova, a singer who has a chance of making a come-back, asks Danny to help him with a problem, Danny helps him. This problem is Lou's mistress Tina. Lou wants Tina to be at his concerts, otherwise he can't perform, but he's married, so Danny has to take her along as if she was his girlfriend. Danny however gets more than he has bargained for when two mobsters come looking for the guy who has hurt their brother by stealing the heart of Tina, the girl he loves.

Plot Keywords: actor , gym , performer , new york city , flashback , stage , hypnotist ...

#15. Love Affair (1939)

Length: 87 mins

Storyline: A French playboy and an American former nightclub singer fall in love aboard a ship. They arrange to reunite six months later, after he has had a chance to earn a decent living.—Diana Hamilton <[email protected]>

Plot Keywords: doorman , snowing , music teacher , audience , wristwatch , lighting a cigarette , cigarette lighter ...

Atlas & Boots

The UK's most popular outdoor travel blog

25 sailing movies for when you’re knot shore what to watch

We share some of our favourite best sailing movies, from Hollywood blockbusters and indie films to illuminating documentaries

I still hang on to the rather fanciful notion of sailing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race . Until I pluck up the courage (and the funds), I’ve been busying myself with more realistic nautical escapades.

From tall ship sailing off the west coast of Scotland to sailing the Whitsunday Islands in Australia , more and more of our travels have taken place on the water.

However, until I make the leap from weekend warrior to blue water sailor, I’ll have to make do with films, books and daydreams.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of the best sailing movies I’ve seen. What follows is a broad mix of modern and classic, indie and feature, drama and documentary film. Whatever their style, these flicks are thoroughly wet and wonderful.

And, I’m sorry about the pun, but you know, ship happens.

best sailing movies

Listed in no particular order, these nautical movies include terrifying ordeals of tragedy, inconceivable stories of survival, turbulent tales of adventure and wild journeys of discovery – perfect for a night in on a dry and comfy sofa.

1. Kon-Tiki (1950) Let’s start with one of the best sailing movies ever made. In 1947, Heyerdahl and five others sailed from Peru on a balsa wood raft. This is the classic Academy Award winning documentary of their astonishing journey across 4,300 miles of the Pacific Ocean.

Kon Tiki is one of the best sailing movies

Watch on Amazon Rotten Tomatoes IMDB

2. Red Dot on the Ocean (2014) Once labelled a ‘youth-at-risk’, 30-year old Matt Rutherford risked it all in an attempt to become the first person to sail solo non-stop around North and South America. Red Dot on the Ocean is the story of Matt’s death-defying voyage and the childhood odyssey that shaped him.

Red Dot movie poster – one of the best sailing movies

3. The Dove (1974) Produced by Gregory Peck, this coming-of-age adventure is based on the true story of Robin Lee Graham . At 16, he set sail in a 23ft sloop determined to be the youngest person to sail around the world.

The Dove – one of the best sailing movies

4. Wind (1992) In over 140 years of competition, the US has lost the America’s Cup just once. This is a fictional story of the American challengers intent on winning back sailing’s top prize. A tale of money, power, love and ambition follows… oh, and some sailing.

5. Morning Light (2008) A riveting true-life adventure aboard the high-tech sloop Morning Light. Fifteen rookie sailors have one goal in mind: to be part of her crew, racing in one of the most revered sailing competitions in the world, the Transpac Yacht Race .

6. Between Home – Odyssey of an Unusual Sea Bandit (2012) An independent filmmaker’s account of his solo voyage from the UK to Australia, negotiating the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans en route. A trip that eventually takes over two years to complete.

Watch on Amazon IMDB

7. Styx (2019) When a lone yachtswoman comes across a sinking ship of refugees, she is torn away from her idyllic trip and tasked with a momentous decision. Should she act when authorities tell her to sail away?

Styx movie poster – one of the best sailing movies

8. Captain Ron (1992) After inheriting a yacht, a Chicago businessman enlists long-haired, one-eyed low-life Captain Ron to pilot the yacht from the Caribbean to Miami. During the voyage, the sailor frequently loses his way while becoming a hit with the businessman’s family. Goofy comedy starring Kurt Russell and Martin Short widely recognised as one of the funniest sailing movies ever made.

9. Maidentrip (2013) This riveting documentary chronicles the life and adventures of 14-year-old Laura Dekker who set out on a two-year voyage in pursuit of her dream to be the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world.

Maidentrip movie – one of the best sailing movies

10. Kon-Tiki (2012) A well-crafted retelling of the epic original and one of the best sailing movies ever made. This dramatised version is a throwback to old-school adventure filmmaking that’s exciting and entertaining in spite of its by-the-book plotting.

Kon Tiki 2012 movie – one of the best sailing movies

“But you can’t navigate a raft,” he added. “It goes sideways and backwards and round as the wind takes it.” – Thor Heyerdahl, Kon-Tiki

11. Abandoned (2015) Four men set sail on the trimaran yacht Rose Noelle . It capsizes in a storm, trapping the crew in a space the size of a double bed. After 119 days adrift, the yacht washes ashore. The crew’s story is extraordinary, but doubt is cast on their claims and they face hostility from the media and authorities.

Abandoned is one of the best sailing movies

12. Adrift (2019) There are far better films on this list, but Adrift is just about worth a watch. Based on true events, a young couple embark on an adventure of a lifetime that brings them face to face with one of the worst hurricanes in recorded history.

13. The Perfect Storm (2000) A skipper insists that his crew go out on a final fishing trip before winter sets in. Unknown to them, a brutal storm is on its way. While the special effects are excellent for the time, the film falls a little short on characterisation.

The Perfect Storm movie – one of the best sailing movies

14. Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World (2016) The vessel is Infinity, a 120ft hand-built sailboat, crewed by a band of miscreants. The journey, an 8,000-mile Pacific crossing from New Zealand to Patagonia with a stop in Antarctica .

15. Turning Tide / En Solitaire (2013) Franck Drevil is a star skipper, having won the latest Vendée Globe , the most prestigious round-the-world single-handed yacht race. However, with this year’s race approaching, a sudden accident forces Franck to withdraw.

16. Knife in the Water (1962) When a young hitchhiker joins a couple on a weekend yacht trip, psychological warfare breaks out as the two men compete for the woman’s attention. A storm forces the small crew below deck and tension builds to a violent climax.

best sailing movies knife in the water poster

17. Dead Calm (1989) This tense thriller tells the story of an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill) whose yacht cruise is violently interrupted by the mysterious lone survivor (Billy Zane) of a ship whose crew has perished.

Dead Calm movie poster – one of the best sailing movies

18. The Riddle of the Sands (1979) A classic British swashbuckling yarn based on the early English spy novel of the same name. In 1901, two British yachtsmen visit Germany’s Frisian Islands and accidentally discover a German plot to invade England.

19. Maiden (2019) The story of Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, who became the skipper of the first-ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989.

20. White Squall (1996) Based on a true incident from 1960, White Squall is the story of the tragic sinking of the Albatross , a prep school educational two-masted schooner, during a Caribbean storm. Starring Jeff Bridges.

21. The Mercy (2017) Starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz, this is certainly no heroic tale. Instead, it’s the dramatisation of the bizarre story of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst and his attempt to pull off one of the greatest hoaxes of our time: pretending to be the first to sail singlehandedly around the world!

22. Deep Water (2006) Following on from the above, Deep Water is a British documentary about the remarkable story of the first Golden Globe round the world yacht race , focusing on the psychological toll it took on its competitors – particularly one Donald Crowhurst.

23. Captains Courageous (1937) A spoiled brat who falls overboard from a steamship gets picked up by a fishing boat, where he’s made to earn his keep by joining the crew in their work. Based on the 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling.

24. Open Water 2: Adrift (2006) A silly premise, but entertaining nonetheless. Six friends jump off a yacht without lowering the ladder first. With no way to climb aboard, it’s only a matter of time before bickering turns to terror.

Adrift is one of the best sailing movies

25. Master and Commander – The Far Side of the World (2003) During the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain (Russell Crowe) pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel.

“Do you not know that in the service one must always choose the lesser of two weevils?” – Capt. Jack Aubrey, Master and Commander

Readers’ suggestions

Here’s what our readers have added to the list of the best sailing movies.

Masquerade (1988)
Violets are Blue (1986)
Kill Cruise (1992)
Message in a Bottle (1999)
High wind in Jamaica (1965)
Caddyshack (1980)
O Mundo em Duas Voltas (The World in Two Round Trips) (2007)
One Crazy Summer (1986)
Coyote: The Mike Plant Story (2018)
The Weekend Sailor (2017)
Harpoon (2019)
Waterworld (1995)
Around Cape Horn (1929)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
The Bounty (1984)
All Is Lost (2013)

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13 Of the Best Sailing Movies, You Can Watch Again and Again

I’m a recreational sailor. I’ve been sailing on Saginaw Bay since I was a little kid. We started off sailing Snarks and Sunfish. Our family loved sailing movies, and we watched them all. In the early 1970s, my dad took advantage of a marketing campaign by Kool cigarettes where we could purchase a Snark with the white and green KOOL logo on the sail. We still have this old boat and manage to bring her out to play with from time to time. One of the things that irk me is the lack of movie entertainment that revolves around my favorite pastime. I’ve managed to collect a few examples of movies with sailboats here.

Sometimes you can find these sailing movies streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.

White Squall (1999)

The true story of a bunch of boys, a ship, and the sea.

The movie White Squall is based on the 1961 sinking of a brigantine named the Albatross—a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast—White Squall is an exciting tale of adventure, friendship, and tragedy. This sailing movie stars Jeff Bridges as Captain Christopher “Skipper” Sheldon, who takes his charges on an epic voyage around the world on the Albatross.

Along the way, the boys learn how to sail and how to work together as a team. They also develop life-long friendships and forge incredibly tight bonds that they can only get from being in such close quarters with each other.

But then tragedy strikes: A white squall appears out of nowhere, sending massive waves crashing down upon their beloved ship. With their lives on the line and all hope of survival seeming lost, Skipper urges his boys to keep fighting for their lives—and trust each other above all else, no matter what happens next.

Wind (1992)

Wind is a 1992 film directed by Carroll Ballard that follows Will Parker, played by Matthew Modine as he loses America’s Cup, the world’s biggest sailing prize, to the Australians and decides to form his own syndicate to win it back. Will hires Kate Bass, played by Jennifer Grey, to help him with his PR campaign.

The film co-stars Cliff Robertson as Morgan Weld, a businessman who offers to sponsor the team and pays for their yacht. Rounding out the cast is Jack Thompson as Michael “Brue” Brindley, a sailor who found success in racing and now manages an Australian team; Stellan Skarsgård as Bjorn Ericson, a Swedish sailor who sails for an American syndicate; and John McGlinn as Frank Hennessy, an Australian businessman who is investing in the Australian team.

All is Lost (2013)

All is Lost is one of the most harrowing survival stories ever committed to film, All is Lost is a minimalist exploration of a man’s struggle for survival in the face of adversity. In this case, “adversity” means “the Indian Ocean.”

The story begins with Robert Redford waking up halfway through a solo voyage across the Pacific. He finds that he has struck a floating shipping container, and his boat is filling with water.

Redford’s character is never given a name, but we do get to know him through his actions. He doesn’t panic when he discovers the leak; instead, he sets about repairing it as best he can. He rigs a jury-rigged sail to help him stay afloat while he waits out a storm. When the radio fails, there’s no bemoaning his fate; instead, he puts on his best poker face and keeps going. Each time he faces down yet another crisis and finds a solution, we learn more about him—and the stakes just keep getting higher.

Dead Calm (1989)

A young couple on a yacht trip in the South Pacific encounters a damaged ship and its only living inhabitant. He is looking for a ride home, so he can return to his wife and kids. The captain is suspicious and refuses to take him on board. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the stranger was responsible for slaughtering the other crew members and that his wife may not be waiting for him at all.

The director depicts this story in an original way, shot completely on a boat, as it sails through the Pacific Ocean. Although the story is fictitious, it still gives us some real sailing skills and challenges of open water navigation.

This movie Dead Calm stars Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, and Billy Zane.

Morning Light (2008)

Morning Light is a documentary that follows the youngest crew ever to compete in the Transpac sailing race. All crew members were between 18 and 23. The film follows the development of the Morning Light sailing team, their six months of sea training, and finally, the weeklong race across the Pacific between Los Angeles to Honolulu.

The film follows the young sailors as they develop their teamwork and learn to navigate under pressure and in high winds. The film also gives viewers a glimpse of the athletes’ personal lives: one woman struggles to find childcare so she can attend training while several others struggle with homesickness or the physical and emotional toll of leaving their families behind for months at a time.

The young sailors operate under incredible pressure: they are working hard to impress their sponsors (who have provided them with $2 million worth of equipment), they have only six months to learn how to sail, and they are constantly being compared to more experienced crews. They also must contend with a strict coach who pushes them harder than they’ve ever been pushed before.

Adrift (2018)

When you’re out on the open sea, you never know what fate may bring.

For Tami and Richard, it was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure—and one they’ll never forget.

Adrift is the true story of their journey to love and their battle with Hurricane Raymond in 1983, considered one of the most destructive storms ever recorded. Tami wakes up in the aftermath of the storm to find Richard seriously injured and their sailboat in shreds and sinking. Now, Tami must summon all her will and strength to save herself… and Richard, with no possibility of rescue.

Starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin, Adrift is an incredible tale for anyone who’s ever felt like they were fighting against the world.

Kon-Tiki (2012)

It’s not often that you can come away from a movie with a new appreciation for the world around you—but that’s precisely what happened when I watched Kon-Tiki!

The movie is based on an actual expedition led by Thor Heyerdahl, a famous Norwegian explorer, and ethnographer, in 1947. Thor theorized that South Americans had settled parts of the South Sea Islands, and he wanted to prove his point. So, after months of preparation, he and five other guys set sail from Peru on a balsa-wood raft. They planned to use natural elements (like stars and ocean currents) to navigate their way through the sea.

It sounds impossible, right? But they did it! And they didn’t even have modern equipment like GPS or maps—just a radio. It’s one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. You should watch this movie; it leaves you feeling inspired about what you can accomplish if you believe in your aspirations.

Maidentrip (2013)

The documentary, Maidentrip , chronicles the two-year journey of Laura Dekker as she attempts to become the youngest person to sail around the world. The video, directed by Jillian Schlesinger, is a testament to the human spirit and what can be accomplished when one pursues one’s ambition and works hard to attain it.

Dekker is depicted as a free-spirited outsider who finds her utopia in a never-ending sea. She is shown spending time with friends, getting tattoos, and enjoying life on her boat. While she does occasionally use bad language in the video, it never interferes with her message that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to if you are willing to work hard and overcome obstacles that may arise along the way.

The Endurance (2000)

The Endurance tells the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1916 journey to Antarctica, which is considered one of history’s greatest survival stories. Following the terrible death of legendary English polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott on his journey to the South Pole, Shackleton embarked on his third voyage.

Shackleton assembled a 27-man crew aboard his ship, Endurance, and set out in search of a new route across Antarctica from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. The expedition was thwarted by ice near the Weddell Sea, and Endurance was trapped for nearly a year before being crushed by the ice and sinking. The men escaped with their lives onto the floes, where they remained for another five months before reaching Elephant Island. Five men stayed behind at the site of their camp as Shackleton sailed in a small boat with five others in search of help. He sailed 800 miles through dangerous seas to reach South Georgia Island, where he arranged for a rescue ship to save his stranded crew members. All 27 men survived this ordeal, which is considered an epic feat in polar exploration history.

Sea Gypsies: Far Side of the World (2017)

Picture this: a gang of roving miscreants, with no licenses or insurance and an almost non-existent budget, is bound towards the most perilous seas on the planet.

This is almost the polar opposite of what you may have learned in your sailing classes. But for the crew of “Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World,” their story is one of adventure, courage, and determination.

In this heart-pounding documentary, a group of friends takes on the challenge of a lifetime: sailing from New York to Japan without any formal training, using only an old wooden boat that they built themselves.

“We knew it was crazy,” says Timmy Sniffles, one of the participants. “But we threw ourselves at it anyway.”

With three cameras on board to capture every moment and a host of experts who explain the dangers, they faced along the way, “Sea Gypsies” is a real-life thriller that will keep you glued to your seat.

The Old Man and The Sea Return to Cuba (2018)

Finbar Gittleman is a 75-year-old master sailor. He has a mythical position among sailors in Key West and the Caribbean after living a rough and perilous life at sea. As he returns to Havana, Cuba for the first time since Castro’s revolution, this is his narrative.

The Old Man and The Sea Return to Cuba : Finbar Gittleman takes you on an adventure of sailing, perseverance, and self-discovery.

In this video, Finbar recounts his life at sea and how he came to be in Florida. He also shares some of the hardships he faced along the way as he struggled to make a living in the harsh environment of Key West.

He then describes the day when he decided to sail back home – through the dangerous reefs of Cuba – with nothing but his old boat, a compass, and some provisions.

The Mercy (2018)

Featured on the Today Show and in the New York Times, this extraordinary narrative of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst’s effort to solo around the world in the first race of its type, the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, is told in “The Mercy.”

Crowhurst was an amateur sailor who dreamed of winning the race. Struggling with his business and family life, he decided to enter the race. He convinced a local businessman to support him and set about building a boat for the race.

The race was ill-fated from the start: one competitor died at sea and another disappeared without a trace. Crowhurst became increasingly unstable as he sailed around the world; radio transmissions from him became more erratic as he sailed on.

He finally returned to England, where he was declared the winner of the race due to his competitors’ fates. However, it was discovered that he had never made it past the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and had falsified his log entries. He returned home in disgrace and committed suicide shortly after his return

The Weekend Sailor (2016)

It’s not often that a story like this comes along. “ The Weekend Sailor ” is a documentary about Ramon Carln, a Mexican man who, in 1974, wins the first crewed around-the-world sailing race on his boat Sayula II. The race is now known as The Volvo Ocean Race, and it takes place every three years.

The reason this story is so captivating? Carln wasn’t your typical sailor. He had very little experience with sailing, and he won the race with a crew of family and friends.

The film follows Carln’s journey: from his humble beginnings as a young boy when he began to dream of being a sailor, to his later years when he competed in the race and then won it (overcoming many obstacles along the way). It’s an inspiring story of determination and drive that you’ll want to watch with your whole family!

Related to Sailing Movies and Other Stuff

Upper Thumb Boating and Sailing – Here is another wonderfully produced video from LIVE Huron. This one focuses on Huron County boating and sailing opportunities with some great shots of Caseville harbor and breakwall

Interview with Author Jacki Howard – I reached out to Jacki Howard to see what she has done since the book was published 10 years ago. She is still involved with the book, but life has moved on. Like so many in the Thumb region, we are distant cousins. While we have never personally met, we found common ground with our interest in the “Dying Sparlings” Here is our exchange.

Boat Names – Transom Charm – The boat name you select may not seem like an important thing, but most of us feel that selecting the right name for our boat is important.

A Kool Little Cigarette Sailboat – In 1971 KOOL Cigarettes ran a unique marketing campaign. Magazines around the country ran an ad that if you sent in $88 and one box end from a carton of Kool cigarettes that this fully functional sailboat would be shipped to your door.

Michigan Monday – Saginaw Poet Theodore Roethke – Regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation, Roethke won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book The Waking.

The Amazing Michigan Photography of Steven Donahue – Steven was born and grew up on his family farm near Port Hope. He moved away and started studying the arts, including photography, in Chicago. He was in the military during the Vietnam War and became an MP. Part of his job was to photograph deaths and burials. A job I’m sure was not pleasant.

Michael Hardy

Michael Hardy is the owner of Thumbwind Publications LLC. Michael was born in Michigan and grew up near Caseville. In 2009 he started this fun-loving site covering Michigan's Upper Thumb. Since then, he has authored a vast range of content and established a loyal base of 60,000 visitors per month.

Boat Names in Caseville Harbor

Renewed Calls for Marine Sanctuary in Lake Michigan

Sailboats Out on the Hard on Saginaw Bay

2012 Great Lakes Water Levels Drop – Marina’s Scramble

3 thoughts on “ 13 of the best sailing movies, you can watch again and again ”.

Substitute “Captain Ron” for “All is lost” and I am all aboard.

Charlie St Cloud was a recent movie with some sailing focus.

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BEST Cruise Ship Movies List for Cruise Fanatics

By: Author Wandermust Mummy

Do you want to know what the best cruise ship movies are before you head off on your cruise vacation? In this guide we will round up our favorite movies about cruise ships, tell you which ships feature on them and where to watch them from Netflix to Apple TV to Prime and more.

Table of Contents

BEST Cruise ship movies list

Like father (2018).

What Cruise Ship is Like Father set on: Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas

Like Father is one of the newest additions to the cruise ship movie genre. Starring two of Wandermust Family favourite actors in Kristin Bell and Kelsey Grammar. This movie is set almost entirely on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.

This cruise ship movie actually starts out on land where Kristen Bell is left at the alter who then proceeds to head out on her honeymoon cruise with her estranged father – played by the great Kelsey Grammar of Frasier fame.

Of all the movies filmed on cruise ships I think this one is my favourite as the ship really shines in this movie.

Jack and Jill

Cruise Ship in Jack and Jill Movie: The Jack and Jill cruise ship is the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas!

I actually watched Jack and Jill on a cruise ship going round the Caribbean and I think watching it on a ship actually improved the experience

This Adam Sandler film where Adam Sandler plays both the lead roles of Jack and Jill, virtually estranged twins that go on a cruise together has been universally panned. And for its efforts won a record total of 10 Razzie Awards. For those that don’t know the Razzies are basically the polar opposite of the Oscars. They are handed out on the afternoon of Oscars night as a reward (if you can call it that) for the worst films of the year.

Despite all of these accolades (?) it is still a fun film to watch especially for fans of cruise ships who don’t take things too seriously.

Alvin and the chipmunks – Chipwrecked – one of the best kids movies set on cruise ships

Alvin and the chipmunks - one of the best kids movies set on cruise ships

Cruise Ship in Alvin and the Chipmunks Chipwrecked Movie is set on: Carnival Dream

This is one of the more family friendly cruise ship movies. Alvin and chipmunks sequel called Chipwrecked is the second sequel to the 2007 Chipmunks movie.

Whereas the first is set on land this film is set on the Carnival Dream cruise ship. In the movie the Chipmunks and Chipettes are heading to some music awards via cruise ship. As always with the chipmunk films they don’t listen to Dave and stay in the cabin and escape round the ship to cause mayhem which leads them to being shipwreck or as the film would tell you chipwrecked on an island awaiting rescue.

Parent trap

This film from 1998 is actually a remake of the Hayley Mills classic from the 60s. When parents Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson split up they each decide to take one twin to raise each – what a great idea.

Years later siblings reconnect at summer camp and switch places until the parents are reunited onboard a cruise ship.

The ship isn’t specified however we know it was a Cunard ship that the finale was shot on.

Hotel Transylvania 3

My daughter is a huge fan of the Hotel Transylvania franchise which stars Adam Sandler, Andy Sandberg and Selena Gomez about vampires who run a hotel for monsters.

The third instalment in the franchise sees them joined by Kathryn Hahn, of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and WandaVision fame as the captain of a cruise ship for Monsters.

The ship sets sail to some great mythical locations such as the Lost Island of Atlantis and is a lot of fun for the whole family.

An affair to remember 1957

An Affair to Remember - one of the best cruise ship films/ romance cruise ship movies

This has to be one of the best romantic cruise ship films around dating from the romantic cruising age!

Although this film is more commonly associated with New York and the Empire State building as that is where the meeting at the end of the movie takes place, many people forget that the lovers meteor a cruise ship crossing to New York.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953

This is another one of the classic films that features on this list. Gentleman prefers blondes stars the fabulous Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell as they cross the ocean on a luxury liner.

Monroe’s characters is newly engaged and is secretly being investigated by her soon to be father in law who suspects her of marrying for money.

There is a reason this film always features on the top 100 films of all time and as far as I am aware is the only film that makes it into these lists that features a cruise ship.

Royal Wedding 1951

A Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic set on board a ship. Expect big musical numbers, great dancing and fabulous costumes.

Shall We Dance? (1937)

The second film set on a cruise ship starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire that makes it into our list.

Death on the Nile – one of the best detective movies with cruise ships

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and my absolute favorite film based on her books is Death on the Nile.

It has a book that has warranted many adaptions including the recent 2020 version with Gal Godot and Kenneth Branagh. Personally I prefer the older versions but any of the films will delight any murder mystery fan.

Romance on the High Seas (1948)

This was Doris Day’s first ever movie and is set on a cruise that is headed to Rio.

Speed 2 cruise control – one of the best movies about cruise ships

When I was growing up Speed was one of my favorite films. Starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves this film set on a bus quickly became a modern classic.

The sequel, Speed 2 Cruise Control did not receive such rave reviews but it still a fun watch. Sandra Bullock returned for this sequel set on a cruise ship but Keanu did not.

I would say that this film is not one to be watched if you are taking your first cruise and are a bit anxious but will be a lot of fun for seasoned cruises. In my opinion this is one of the best action packed movies that take place on a cruise ship.

Assault on a Queen

Assault on a Queen is a heist film set on a cruise ship starring the great Frank Sinatra. The film was made in the 60s so is one of the older films on the list but it is still well worth a watch.

The Poseidon Adventure 2006

This 2006 remake is another that isn’t for those that are anxious about cruising but is a great action packed film. A New Years Eve Party goes awry when a rogue wave hits a cruise ship on a transatlantic crossing.

Everyone knows what happened to this famous ocean liner but may not be the best film to watch if you are a new or anxious cruiser.

Table for Five

This 1983 comedy starring Jon Voight is another cruise film about an estranged father. This time Voight is estranged from three children and takes them on a cruise around the Med in an effort to reconnect.

Out To Sea 1997

This Walter Mathieu and Jack Lemmon vehicle sees the two posing as dance instructors on a cruise ship.

The film was filmed on an actual Holland America sailing, on a ship that was then called the Westerdam (another ship holds this name currently).

Carry on Cruising

I must admit to not being a fan of the Carry on films despite being British and brought up on these films. I personally find the humour very outdated. However if you like the Carry On series you will love Carry on cruising which has all the classic hallmarks of a carry on movie with the added bonus of being set onboard a cruise ship.

This 2002 Cuba Gooding Junior film was a critical and commercial flop and winner of several Razzies. Cuba Gooding Junior accidentally ends up on a gay cruise.

Unless you are desperate for a cruise ship movie I would personally give this one a pass.

Monkey Business (1931)

An early Marx brother film where stowaways have to avoid staff and being caught on a transatlantic voyage.

TV Shows Set on Cruise Ships

I know this isn’t a film but Frasier is one of my all time favorite sitcoms and one of my favorite episodes is The Voyage of the Damned episode taps into many peoples worst fears about what a cruise is like. It is hilarious and is a much watch for cruise fans.

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From 'Gravity' to '2001: A Space Odyssey': 10 Best "Stuck On a Ship" Sci-Fi Movies

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15 Mind-Bending Movies Like 'Inception'

10 magical quotes that sum up harry potter as a character, the 10 best agatha christie books, according to goodreads, read update.

Director Stanley Kubrick 's sci-fi masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey , celebrates its 55th anniversary today. Despite being made over half a century ago, the iconic sci-fi movie has held up incredibly well, thanks to its stunning visuals, legendary ending, and its "stuck on a ship" premise that continues to inspire its contemporary counterparts.

Space: the last frontier. Since the dawn of time, humans have looked to the stars and longed to travel among them. To discover what else is out there in this vast universe. Space is the ultimate mystery. The ultimate adventure. Endless potential swirling in the imagination of what it's like out there in the infinite cosmos.

Though we cannot travel the stars, yet, that hasn't stopped filmmakers from bringing our wildest sci-fi imaginations to life on screen. The first film ever made was a sci-fi adventure: A Trip to the Moon (1902) . And since then movies have interpreted what space could be like: the dangers, the wonders, the possibilities. But as much hope and awe space can bring, it also offers terror and vulnerability. Once onboard the trip to space, there's no going back.

Updated on April 3, 2023, by Hannah Saab:

10 'the cloverfield paradox' (2018).

The third film in the Cloverfield franchise takes a different turn from the previous films, setting the story in space. Paradox follows several scientists onboard a spaceship, who are trying to solve an energy crisis on Earth. What they soon discover is a link to a different dimension.

Although connected to the Cloverfield series, Paradox is a contained story centering around the crew and their struggle to get home. Paradox may not be the best in the series, but it does add to the overall universe and has created some interesting fan theories. J.J. Abrams has announced a new Cloverfield movie coming sometime in the future as well.

Watch on Netflix

9 'High Life' (2018)

High Life is a slow-burn sci-fi story by French filmmaker Claire Denis sees a lone astronaut, Monte ( Robert Pattinson ) desperately trying to survive aboard an abandoned space station with his infant daughter. With the use of multiple flashbacks, the film jumps back and forth to show what led to Monte being the sole survivor and the nature of his mission.

The slow pace allows a deeper introspection into Monte's psyche and studies the psychological effects of living alone on a space station. The film is dark, disturbing, and heartbreaking. A perfect combo for a brooding, perceptive, sci-fi flick.

Watch on Showtime

8 'Life' (2017)

Life sees a group of scientists on the International Space Station who discover a strange life form on Mars and decide to bring it onboard. The scientists soon discover that this alien life form can quickly evolve to its surroundings. Soon things take a turn for the worst when the scientists discover this strange life form is responsible for the extinction of all life on Mars.

With great special effects and a star-studded cast including Ryan Reynolds , Rebecca Ferguson , and Jake Gyllenhaal , Life is an exciting, sci-fi adventure that will make viewers terrified of going to space .

Watch on Starz

7 'Event Horizon' (1997)

When a crew is tasked with a new assignment to investigate the long-lost spaceship, Event Horizon, they quickly discover the terrible fates of the Horizon's crew after they entered a black hole. Soon the crew learns that something inside the ship is alive. One by one the crew falls prey to this terrible presence and discovers a horrible truth.

Event Horizon is at its best when dealing with its horror elements. The film can drag at times with a slow opening act but quickly turns into a terrifying tale of terror once the crew arrives at the Event Horizon . Leading to an action-packed but somewhat discombobulated final act.

Watch on Prime Video

6 'Pandorum' (2009)

After two crew members awake from hypersleep, they soon discover that the whole crew is missing, and they could potentially be the only survivors. Suffering from amnesia and a space-related disease known as Pandorum, these two survivors desperately search for a way off the ship.

What makes Pandorum so engaging are the cannibalistic monsters lurking about at every turn. They have overrun the spaceship and constantly hunt down the protagonists, keeping things tense throughout. The dark, claustrophobic sci-fi setting creates a creepy, nail-biting atmosphere that would satisfy any sci-fi and horror fan .

Watch on Tubi TV

5 'Passengers' (2016)

Straying away from the horror elements of being stuck on a ship in the infinite confines of space, Passengers instead focuses more on romance and themes of loneliness and companionship. As a spacecraft soars through the cosmos transporting passengers to their new home, a sleeping pod malfunction causes one passenger, Aurora ( Jennifer Lawrence ), to awake 90 years before she was meant to.

Passengers high point is its two leads, Lawrence and Chris Pratt , and their undeniable chemistry on screen. The film's plot may be average, but the overall themes of companionship and the need for another to survive are heartwarming and uplifting, showing that dread and terror aren't the only things lingering out in space.

Watch on DirecTV

4 'Sunshine' (2007)

Danny Boyle 's Sunshine sees a crew of scientists on board a ship accurately named Icarus II, headed to the sun to drop a nuclear bomb in it. Now that may sound like an evil mustache-twirling super villain plot, but in Sunshine 's case, it's the furthest thing from. The sun is dying, causing Earth to slowly get colder and colder until all life dies out. The only solution: nuke the sun to revive its heat.

This film starts out as "hard sci-fi," dealing more so on the implications of a dying solar system and how human's technological advancements could potentially stop it. However, fans of the film know it's notorious for the movie's sudden genre shift halfway through , turning it into a trippy mystery thriller that leads up to its divisive mind-bending conclusion.

3 'Gravity' (2013)

Beautifully shot, incredible special effects and an engaging protagonist makes Gravity a quintessential "stuck on a ship in space" sci-fi movie. Sandra Bullock 's Ryan Stone is stranded out in space after an accident involving space debris collides with her space station, the Explorer . Stone must now work together with astronaut, Matt Kowalski ( George Clooney ), to survive and get back safely to Earth.

The film is a tale of adversity and perseverance as Stone must rely on her training and quick thinking to survive. Masterfully directed by Alfonso Cuaron , Gravity takes the sci-fi genre to new heights with its outstanding visuals and solid plot that focuses more on character and struggle as opposed to technological advancements.

Watch on HBO Max

2 '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)

There's so much to be said about Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece. How it completely changed the way movies were made, how it altered audience's view of space at the time, or the incredible foresight of future technology. Like all of Kubrick's films , 2001: A Space Odyssey is a heady, philosophical, and oftentimes ambiguous study of the human condition.

2001 sees astronauts traveling through space along with a super-intelligent A.I computer named H.A.L. Lo and behold it turns out this supercomputer isn't exactly the best crewmate to have around and will do anything to complete the mission, even killing the crew. 2001 is hailed as one of the greatest and most influential movies of all time; from its incredible imagery, its realistic take on spacecraft technology, and its introspective look on the evolution of mankind.

1 'Alien' (1979)

Is there anything more iconic in sci-fi horror than the Xenomorph? A truly terrifying killing machine that has two mouths and no weaknesses (except maybe fire). Ridley Scott 's masterpiece opened up a whole new world of terror for sci-fi epics when it was released. When the spaceship Nostromo awakens its crew from stasis after receiving a distress signal, things quickly get out of hand when the crew discovers a new alien life form.

Alien is a slow build of claustrophobic tension as the Xenomorph systematically kills the Nostromo crew one by one. Relying on shadows and quick cuts when revealing the eponymous Alien monster, the film lets the terror build inside the audience's imagination. The practical effects of the Xenomorph are top-notch as well, still holding up several decades later. Alien is a film everyone should see not just sci-fi fans; from its dark, anxious atmosphere, to its iconic killer Alien and awesome female protagonist, Ripley ( Sigourney Weaver ), Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece is a film you don't want to miss.

NEXT: The Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb

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Home / Features / 25 best boat movies ever

25 best boat movies ever

Boats aren’t just good for ferrying people from one mass of land to another or for catching fish, they can provide the backdrop for great films, too. Here are 25 best boat movies ever, in no particular order.

Titanic (1997)

“Jack, this is where we first met.” Well, of all the stupid things to say when your ticket to America starts looking like a one-way fare to a watery grave. Even so, James Cameron’s retelling of the historic Titanic disaster as an epic romance (with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet at Cupid’s helm) turned out to be a big-budget awards magnet and it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer scale of the production.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Peter Weir’s seafaring epic should have made off with a treasure chest of Oscars, but for one pesky detail – it came out in the same year as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. None the less, it flies the flag as one of the best boat movies ever made, with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany leading a stellar crew through stormy waters. A long-expected sequel is yet to materialise.

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Sean Connery goes off-mission in an undetectable Soviet sub – the titular Red October – causing the CIA’s Alec Baldwin to give chase… in person. The Russians are (figuratively) on board with the hunt, but things hot up below deck when Baldwin (literally) joins the Red October and some unlikely alliances are formed. A masterful piece of Tom Clancy-penned sub-aquatic suspense.

The Boat (1921)

Artful out-to-sea comedy from Buster Keaton, who builds a boat in his house without planning how to get it out. The ensuing project to take said vessel (plus wife and two Keaton juniors) to the water leaves the family homeless, carless and barely afloat in a storm. What’s the joke? Damfino. (Yeah, you probably need to watch this 25-minutes short to get that.)

The Perfect Storm (2000)

A nice spot of fishing, this ain’t. George Clooney leads a crew of fishermen, including Mark Wahlberg, on a late season deep sea rod-and-line trip. But things turn nasty when, as they retreat for the shoreline, their boat, the Andrea Gail, gets caught in gale force winds, tempestuous seas and all sorts of bother. Based on a true story, The Perfect Storm’s ominous reviews were stilled by box office success.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

The plot’s in the title, but Mutiny on the Bounty could also have been called Who Moved My Cheese (On My Boat). Marlon Brando and Richard Harris have their patience tested first by their captain’s light-fingered approach to cheddar, but things turn uglier as Captain Bligh (Trevor Howard) drives his crew with increasingly uncompromising fervour. In reality, it was Brando’s on-set antics that nearly caused a mutiny.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Johnny Depp threw away the Errol Flynn book of swashbuckling pirates, instead borrowing heavily from ragged Rolling Stones axeman Keith Richards for the role of Captain Jack Sparrow. Despite his scene stealing antics, the cast was peppered with talent and Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush also turned in ace performances to make Pirates of the Caribbean’s first outing one of the finest pirate movies ever made. Three (disappointing) sequels followed.

The African Queen (1951)

As war breaks out, Humphrey Bogart – a coarse delivery man – rescues prim Methodist missionary Katherine Hepburn and the pair make an unlikely alliance aboard the African Queen. Bogart won an Oscar for his steer on the lead role, though the script had to undergo a rewrite after it transpired he couldn’t pull off the cockney accent the part originally required.

The Abyss (1989)

Although The Abyss is perhaps more at home in our list of the 25 best alien movies ever, it does have lots of boats in it, and we can’t forgo the opportunity to include a bit of sea-borne sci-fi. Fun fact: James Cameron’s original water movie was shot not in the sea, but in an unfinished nuclear power station’s containment building.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Airport, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake… the early 1970s were rich with star-studded disaster movies. The Poseidon Adventure is the icing on that suspenseful cake, with the SS Poseidon running into suitably troubled waters. On board, the Rev Frank Scott (Gene Hackman) asks God to help him deliver survivors into the safe hands of the rescue party. Who he holds accountable for the unfavourable sailing conditions is never properly addressed.

Das Boot (1981)

The ironically dry title (The Boat, in English) belies the epic wetness of this WWII submarine movie, credited with some of the most claustrophic cinematography ever committed to film. Robert Redford and Paul Newman were considered for the lead role, but plans to bring in an American director and star were ditched in favour of an all-German cast directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

Errol Flynn stars as the eponymous Peter Blood, a man with a penchant (funnily enough) for swashbuckling antics. Sold into slavery and at his wit’s end, Blood must plot his escape and avenge his capturer. And get laid, obviously. Boats, naturally, are crucial to the ensuing plot, as they were in many of our other 25 best pirate movies ever.

The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

There’s not much Hollywood hasn’t thought of through the years, and if you thought boats and time travel hadn’t been successfully combined, you haven’t watched The Philadelphia Experiment. Disappearing boats are one thing, but we can’t help feeling the protagonists’ disbelief (on arriving from 1944) that Ronald Reagan is president was shared by plenty of non-time travellers in 1984.

Moby Dick (1956)

Sci-fi don Ray Bradbury was drafted in to pen a screen adaptation of Herman Melville’s novel, with Gregory Peck starring as Captain Ahab. Everyone knows the most famous non-Biblical whale story of all time, but not everyone knows Moby Dick was played in the film by a 12 tonne, 75ft bit of rubber specially made by Dunlop in Stoke-on-Trent. He had an appetite for 80 drums of compressed air and was lost at sea during filming. Pity the fisherman who finds him.

Knife in the Water (1962)

The movies have always taken a dim view of the hitchhiking fraternity, and Roman Polanski’s feature debut is no exception. It’s a taut drama with a cast of three, and a cautionary tale about taking strangers on sailing trips. Especially if you don’t trust your wife.

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

Christopher Columbus sets sail to discover… well, he doesn’t know. That’s sort of the point of Ridley Scott’s discovery movie, in which Gerard Depardieu plays the New World explorer and Sigourney Weaver puts in a turn as Queen Isabella I. It flopped at the box office, but the central motif of the soundtrack was adopted by the Portuguese Socialist Party, which has kept it ever since.

Cape Fear (1991)

Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam all had roles in the original 1962 Cape Fear, and each got a reprisal cameo in the remake starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange. The usual boat and storm combo is drilled up for the finale, with a psychopathic rapist, bent on vengeance, thrown in for good measure. Do not file under rom-com.

The Sea Hawk (1940)

Errol Flynn stars as (guess what?) a privateer. Based around the time of the Spanish Armada, it sees Flynn jacking the Spanish ambassador’s boat and chatting up his wife. Being that it was released during the Second World War, there’s some pretty heavy jingoism going on, but it’s still worth a watch. If you must be a purist, track down the 1924 silent version, which is more faithful to Rafael Sabatini’s novel.

Under Seige (1992)

Steven Seagal cooks up a storm in the galley of the USS Missouri when Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones try to hijack the boat’s weaponry for sale on the black market. But what the baddies don’t realise is that Seagal is (of course) not really a ship’s cook, but a highly trained former Navy SEAL. Uh-oh. Under Seige was a massive success, and so impressed was Harrison Ford with Andrew Davis’ film, he signed up for the director’s next outing, 1993’s The Fugitive, on the strength of it.

The Old Man and the Sea (1958)

Ernest Hemingway’s novella set sail for the big screen with Spencer Tracy at the helm, a role for which he would pick up an Oscar nomination. The story of a down-on-his-luck fisherman looking for one big catch was brought to life with a pioneering new film technology, the bluescreen. Cutting edge stuff.

Waterworld (1995)

It’s the future and rising sea levels have done away with most of Earth’s land. Enter Kevin Costner on his trimaran to become embroiled in a plot about a missing orphan, pirates called Smokers and the search for Dryland (yes, really). Eventually, Cossie upgrades to a jetski for his assault on the pirates home turf (an optimistically intact Exxon Valdez).

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

In boat movies, things generally get out of hand for three reasons: adverse weather (The Poseidon Adventure, The Perfect Storm), petty misdemeanours (Mutiny on the Bounty, Knife in the Water) and war (Master and Commander, The Hunt for Red October, The African Queen). In The Caine Mutiny, it’s all three – with a violent storm, the theft of some strawberries and enemy fire conspiring against the crew’s brief. Throw in an ace performance form Humphrey Bogart, and there’s little reason not to navigate towards the play button.

Dead Calm (1989)

The plot of this Aussie thriller (which also made our list of the 25 best Australian movies ever) has more tacks than the Sydney-Hobart boat race. An idyllic yachting getaway runs aground when a homicidal maniac (Billy Zane) joins the party of two (Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman). Cue the suspenseful action, including novel uses of harpoon and flare guns.

White Squall (1996)

What could possibly go wrong on a school sailing trip? Ridley Scott set out to discover in this based-on-a-true-story retelling of the Albatross, which sank in 1961. Jeff Bridges is the teacher who trains the boys in the ways of the waves. The white squall of the title refers to a sudden sea storm that appears without the usual foreboding clouds.

Lifeboat (1944)

If there was one thing Alfred Hitchcock liked, it was having a small stage (Rope, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window). For Lifeboat, that stage was the particularly cramped titular escape vessel. It all starts off genially enough, but needless to say tempers wear thin when there are limited rations and even more limited chance of rescue. If there was another thing Hitchcock liked, it was a twist. But we wouldn’t like to spoil the ending.

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Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

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15 Movies That Will Inspire You to Travel

Posted: March 6, 2024 | Last updated: March 6, 2024

<p>Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman play brothers on a train trip through India in Wes Anderson’s <i>The Darjeeling Limited</i> (2007).</p><p>Courtesy of Fox Searchlight</p><p>It’s a hard truth to accept: You can’t constantly be on vacation, jetting off to far-flung lands all the time. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to virtually transport yourself through the many streaming services available these days.</p><p>To help bridge the gap until your next adventure—or to get the juices flowing if you don’t know where to go next—we pulled together some recommendations from our staff for the best movies that had us searching for flights as soon as the credits rolled. Hopefully, they’ll inspire you to travel, too.</p>

Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman play brothers on a train trip through India in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited (2007).

Courtesy of Fox Searchlight

It’s a hard truth to accept: You can’t constantly be on vacation, jetting off to far-flung lands all the time. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to virtually transport yourself through the many streaming services available these days.

To help bridge the gap until your next adventure—or to get the juices flowing if you don’t know where to go next—we pulled together some recommendations from our staff for the best movies that had us searching for flights as soon as the credits rolled. Hopefully, they’ll inspire you to travel, too.

<p>It’s a hard truth to accept: You can’t constantly be on vacation, jetting off to far-flung lands all the time. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to virtually transport yourself through the many streaming services available these days.</p> <p>To help bridge the gap until your next adventure—or to get the juices flowing if you don’t know where to go next—we pulled together some recommendations from our staff for the best movies that had us searching for flights as soon as the credits rolled. Hopefully, they’ll inspire you to travel, too.</p> <h2>“Aftersun” (2022)</h2> <ul> <li><b>Watch now: </b><a class="Link" href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=122560X1583085&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fmovie%2Faftersun%2Fumc.cmc.5y4yb2dmuaubbfamqzja4pjry%3Faction%3Dplay&xcust=TravelMovies" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Apple TV</a> ($4), <a class="Link" href="https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=e442_OaCipQ.P" rel="noopener">Google Play </a>($5), <a class="Link" href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=122560X1583085&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2Fmovies%2Fvideo%2FOnSL5xNAf3GUVZXNe_sttIWeS6DgxKPC%2F%3FsearchReferral%3Ddesktop-web%26source%3Dgoogle-organic%26ftag%3DPPM-23-10bfh8c&xcust=TravelMovies" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Paramount+</a> (free with Showtime subscription)</li> <li><b>Genre: </b>Drama</li> </ul> <p>Vacation nostalgia cuts deep in this coming-of-age film. Now an adult, Sophie reflects back on a holiday she took with her father—a single dad played by Paul Mescal—20 years earlier at a Turkish resort. This film earned Mescal an Oscar nomination for best actor, and rightfully so. You’ll never listen to David Bowie and Queen’s “Under Pressure” the same way again after watching him dance to it at the resort on the final night of their trip.</p> <h2>“The Darjeeling Limited” (2007)</h2> <ul> <li><b>Watch now:</b> <a class="Link" href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=122560X1583085&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fmovie%2Fthe-darjeeling-limited%2Fumc.cmc.4xyiyyh0wizp61zyxcq2lw9cr&xcust=TravelMovies" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Amazon Prime Video</a> ($4), <a class="Link" href="https://go.skimresources.com?id=122560X1583085&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fmovie%2Fthe-darjeeling-limited%2Fumc.cmc.4xyiyyh0wizp61zyxcq2lw9cr&xcust=TravelMovies" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Apple TV</a> ($4), <a class="Link" href="https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=KBF-QDDTAqE" rel="noopener">Google Play</a> ($4)</li> <li><b>Genre: </b>Adventure</li> </ul> <p>Set in India, this Wes Anderson flick has all the romanticism of a bygone era of travel—with the opulent train cars, adventures, and misadventures (including acquiring poisonous snakes at a local market, falling in love with train attendants, and joining a sacred Indian funeral). It will make you believe in the transformative and thrilling experience of just moving through a place, taking it in, and letting that movement heal you.</p>

“Aftersun” (2022)

Watch now: Apple TV ($4), Google Play ($5), Paramount+ (free with Showtime subscription)
Genre: Drama

Vacation nostalgia cuts deep in this coming-of-age film. Now an adult, Sophie reflects back on a holiday she took with her father—a single dad played by Paul Mescal—20 years earlier at a Turkish resort. This film earned Mescal an Oscar nomination for best actor, and rightfully so. You’ll never listen to David Bowie and Queen’s “Under Pressure” the same way again after watching him dance to it at the resort on the final night of their trip.

“The Darjeeling Limited” (2007)

Watch now: Amazon Prime Video ($4), Apple TV ($4), Google Play ($4)
Genre: Adventure

Set in India, this Wes Anderson flick has all the romanticism of a bygone era of travel—with the opulent train cars, adventures, and misadventures (including acquiring poisonous snakes at a local market, falling in love with train attendants, and joining a sacred Indian funeral). It will make you believe in the transformative and thrilling experience of just moving through a place, taking it in, and letting that movement heal you.

“Amélie” (2001)

Genre: Romance/Comedy

This whimsical comedy about a Parisian waitress (and set to an enchanting Yann Tiersen soundtrack ) will make you want to move to Montmartre and spend your days skipping stones on the Canal Saint-Martin. As Amélie (Audrey Tautou) makes her way through Paris, nudging her neighbors and family toward their own happiness, she finds love along the way, too.

>> See more: The 15 Best Movies Set in Paris You Can Stream Right Now

“Seven Wonders of the World” (1956)

Watch now: Kanopy (free with a public library card or university login)

Around the World in 80 Days (with David Niven as Phileas Fogg) wasn’t the only great travel movie to come out in 1956: The Cinerama epic Seven Wonders of the World , starring Lowell Thomas as the mellifluous guide to Rio de Janeiro, Athens, New York, and more, also made its debut that year. Unseen theatrically since the early 1970s, this digitally remastered version from its original camera negatives is now available on Kanopy, an on-demand streaming video platform for public and academic libraries.

“Y Tu Mamá También” (2001)

Watch now: Amazon Prime Video (free with AMC+ subscription), Apple TV ($4), Google Play ($4)

Two teen boys (played by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) convince an older woman (Maribel Verdú) to join them on an impromptu road trip to a mystical Mexican beach. The fictitious Boca del Cielo (“Heaven’s Mouth”) was filmed at Oaxaca’s Bahia Cacaluta, which is as remote and untouched as the movie makes it seem. (To access it, you either have to hike in or take a boat.) If you want to see more of Mexico through the point of view of writer-director Alfonso Cuarón, his 2018 film Roma is loosely based on his 1970s middle-class upbringing in Mexico City.

“Sideways” (2004)

Genre: Comedy

A wine geek and his philandering friend mix pinot noir and midlife malaise on a road trip through California’s Santa Ynez Valley wine country near Santa Barbara. After this now-classic movie debuted, tourism in the region boomed and pinot producers multiplied. If you go, stay at the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection , which opened in 2023 in a converted stagecoach stop and tavern.

“The Descendants” (2011)

Watch now: Amazon Prime Video ($4), Apple TV ($4), Google Play ($4), Peacock (free with a subscription)

If you’ve only ever been to the Hawaiian islands of O‘ahu or Maui, The Descendants will inspire you to travel deeper. Shots of Kaua‘i’s raw, jagged cliffs and almost acid-green vegetation are bound to mesmerize you. If you go, make time to hike the Kalalau Trail and have kalua pork at Tahiti Nui , a legendary spot for live music and mai tais in Hanalei, which is featured in the film.

“All About My Mother” (1999)

An Oscar-winning film by Pedro Almodóvar, All About My Mother is a vibrant portrayal of women in Barcelona and beautifully captures the attitude of the Spanish city. Just try watching it and not immediately book a flight to go see every Gaudí site and eat as much tortilla española as possible.

“The Endless Summer” (1966)

Watch now: Amazon Prime Video (free with subscription), Apple TV ($4)
Genre: Documentary

This 1966 documentary that follows two California surfers on a trip to catch waves around the world will tap into your surfer-girl (or boy) fantasies. In fact, after watching it, one former AFAR editor, Jen Murphy, signed up for a week-long surf camp on the North Shore of Hawai‘i.

“Roman Holiday” (1953)

Watch now: Amazon Prime Video ($4), Apple TV ($4), Kanopy (free with a public library card or university login), Paramount+ (free with subscription)

In her major debut U.S. performance, Audrey Hepburn shines as Ann, a sheltered princess who falls for a rakish newspaperman, Joe Bradley, while on a tour of Europe’s capital cities. Drama ensues when Joe (played by Gregory Peck) realizes he can profit financially by becoming close with the princess and enlists his photographer friend to take photos of them to sell to tabloids. Come for the sparkle between the costars, and stay for the dizzying shots of Rome: Although the film was shot on location, doing so meant a greater expense than anticipated—so the film ended up in black and white instead of color. >> See more: 12 Movies Set in Rome to Stream Right Now

“Tracks” (2013)

Watch now: Amazon Prime Video (free with subscription), Apple TV ($4), Google Play ($2)

Based on the true story of Robyn Davidson’s 1,700-mile camel ride through the Australian desert, Tracks will help you pluck up the courage for any adventure you can think of. Davidson, played by Mia Wasikowska, sets a course from Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory, to the Indian Ocean, and along the way meets National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) and engages with local Aboriginal people, during which she learns about sacred customs and ancient traditions. While you may not want to undertake the trip in quite the same way—with four dromedaries and a dog—the Outback setting will certainly draw you in.

“Before Sunrise” (1995)

Genre: Romance/Drama

Cinematic proof that love can pop up anywhere. By the final Vienna train station scene, you’ll be rooting for Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) even if they’ve only known each other for one day. The film is actually part of a trilogy: Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) follow the pair into the future as they reconnect in Paris nine years later and go on vacation in Greece with their children, respectively.

“Lost in Translation” (2003)

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation walks a line between comedy and drama, light and dark. With bustling Tokyo as its backdrop, the film stars Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte, a young wife on location with her photographer husband, and Bill Murray as Bob Harris, a past-his-prime movie star bored in his own marriage. In between Bob’s commitments shooting an ad for Suntory whiskey, the two gallivant around the city, singing karaoke at Karaoke-Kan in Shibuya and eating sushi in Daikanyama. Made most famous by the film, perhaps, is the sleek, sky-high New York Bar at the Park Hyatt Tokyo . (Note that the hotel is set to close for year-long renovations in May.) Though some of the scenes around Japanese culture are dialed up for comedic effect, the film’s theme of existential ennui will ring true for most.

>> See more: 12 Movies Set in Tokyo to Stream Right Now

“Into the Wild” (2007)

Watch now: Apple TV ($4), Google Play ($4), Paramount+ (free with subscription)

Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild is about a young man who gave up his worldly possessions to hitchhike across North America and eventually live in Alaska’s wilderness. It’s a great example of how much there is to discover in our own backyards, and it also embodies the AFAR ethos of traveling to learn something new about a place, see a side you never knew about, and test your own boundaries in the process.

“The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004)

Gael García Bernal plays a young Ernesto “Che” Guevera on his iconic road trip across South America in the 1950s before he became the famous Marxist revolutionary. This movie will not only spark wanderlust but it will also light a fire under anyone seeking their life’s calling.

Lyndsey Matthews contributed reporting to this article, which originally appeared online in 2015; it was most recently updated on March 6, 2024, to include current information.

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Screen Rant

8 best time travel romantic movies.

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Time-travel romance movies have been a popular genre in cinema for decades, with many films exploring the concept of love and destiny through the lens of time travel.
These movies often feature unique storylines and themes, making them stand out from other romantic films.
Here are some of the best time-travel romance movies that you can watch.

The merging of romance and time travel has led to some truly spectacular movies that highlight eternal themes of absence, destiny, and humanity's desire to go back and change the past. From hilarious rom-coms that played into the humorous consequences of those trying to mess with time to deeply nuanced portrayals of the hardship of unwanted distance, the time travel romance subgenre was one rife with thematic and emotional resonance. While these movies may be fantastical in concept, the ideas they laid bare captured something universal about the challenges of love and romance.

The best time-travel romance movies all address the consequences of trying to mess with the past and the unintentional problems those who failed to accept destiny were confronted with. These films included some of the best rom-coms of the early 2000s and even enduring classics from beloved franchises of the past. With incredible concepts, unique storytelling devices, and, in some cases, awe-inspiring animation, the best time-travel romance movies all had something special to offer .

8 When We First Met (2018)

Directed by ari sandel, when we first met.

Noah meets Avery at a Halloween party and falls in love but gets friend-zoned. 3 years later, she's engaged to someone else. Noah returns in a time machine to fix things.

The time-travel rom-com When We First Met starred Adam DeVine as Noah Ashby, a man who never got over being friend-zoned by the love of his life three years before. However, when Noah stumbled across a way to travel back in time, he decided to redo the past and finally get things right with Avery Martin (Alexandra Daddario.) With a heartwarming story about staying true to oneself, When We First Met overcame its genre cliches and tropes through an excellent performance from DeVine .

Directed by Ari Sandel, When We First Met took its Groundhog Day -esque concept and ran with it to deliver a movie packed with charm and charisma. Perhaps the greatest asset of When We First Met was how it subverted the predictability of its concept with twists and turns that viewers won’t see coming. The story was great, the acting was superb, and the script was funny, which, when all taken together, made When We First Met among the best Netflix rom-coms .

7 13 Going On 30 (2004)

Directed by gary winick, 13 going on 30.

*Availability in US

Not available

13 Going on 30 is 2004 fantasy romantic comedy about a 13-year-old girl named Jenna Rink, who, in 1987, dreams of being popular and wishes she were "thirty and flirty and thriving." She later wakes up in 2004 at the age of 30. Jennifer Garner stars as 30-year-old Jenna, while Christa B. Allen plays the role of young Jenna. Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Jim Gaffigan, and Andy Serkis also star.

The Jennifer Garner-led rom-com 13 Going on 30 was a fascinating time-travel story that transported its protagonist from 1987 to 2004. Garner played the grown-up Jenna Rink, a nerdy 13-year-old girl who longed to be popular and secretly loved Matty Flamhaff (Mark Ruffalo), who found herself suddenly 17 years older and living in New York as a successful fashion editor. As a laugh-out-loud story of childhood innocence meeting the incredible potential of adulthood, 13 Going on 30 was as heartfelt as it was humorous.

13 Going on 30 was truly one of the best rom-coms of the 2000s as Garner played a teenager stuck in an adult body to perfection and captured all the awkwardness, anxiety, and earnest innocence of adolescence. Although 13 Going on 30 was filled with plenty of over-the-top fun, it also delivered a powerful message of self-empowerment and the trapping of adult societal expectations. While 13 Going on 30 borrowed a lot from Big , the Tom Hanks movie with a similar premise, its feminist spin added a new dimension to the story and made for a compelling time-travel rom-com.

6 Back To The Future Part III (1990)

Directed by robert zemeckis, back to the future part iii.

The final entry in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's timeless trilogy, Back to the Future Part III wraps up Marty McFly and Doc Brown's adventures through time when Marty travels to 1885's Wild West to save his mentor, meeting Biff Tannen's ancestor "Mad Dog" and almost changing the course of history once again along the way.

While the first Back to the Future movie included the franchise’s most notorious romantic subplot when Marty McFly’s mother found herself unknowingly infatuated with her own son, it was the third entry that could genuinely be described as a time-travel romance movie. This was because Doc Brown finally found love with Clara Clayton in Back to the Future Part III . This came after Doc found himself trapped back in 1885 and altered the original timeline when he saved the schoolteacher Clara from certain death.

Back to the Future Part III was an incredibly romantic movie that featured some of the greatest Doc Brown quotes as he told Marty his “ future hasn’t been written yet ” and that it can be “ whatever you make it .” Throughout the franchise, Doc was seen as a man of science who never allowed his life to be complicated by the stresses of love, only for him to encounter the girl of his dreams in the final installment. While the first two Back to the Future movies told Marty’s story, the final entry focused on Doc’s time-travel love story .

5 The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Directed by robert schwentke, the time traveler's wife.

In the 1970s, Henry DeTamble discovers he's a time traveler after a tragic accident. His life intersects with Clare Abshire's repeatedly, as she's known him since childhood. Despite marrying, their relationship is challenged by Henry's uncontrollable jumps through time, leaving Clare to wait for his return. As they navigate the complexities of love and loss, they confront the limitations of Henry's condition and the impact it has on their family.

The Time Traveler’s Wife was based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel and powerfully addressed themes of love and absence. With Rachel McAdams as Clare Abshire, the wife of the time traveler Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), The Time Traveler’s Wife was a heartfelt exploration of building romance in the most trying of circumstances as Clare’s husband continually involuntarily vanished and reappeared throughout her life. With emotional depth and poignant nuance, this story will surely tug at the hearts of all those willing to forgive its logical fallacies.

From the complex challenges of raising a child together to the couple’s mismatched experiences of their timelines, The Time Traveler’s Wife raised interesting questions regarding a non-chronological love affair. For all its faults, The Time Traveler’s Wife succeeded due to the committed performances of McAdams and Bana, who imbued this fantastical romance with depth and realism. The Time Traveler’s Wife was a worthy adaptation of Niffenegger's novel that’s sure to please lovers of the book.

4 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Directed by mamoru hosoda, the girl who leapt through time (2006).

A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a loose anime sequel to the 1967 novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, which told the story of a teenage girl who gained the power of time travel. As 17-year-old Makoto Konno started to use her powers frivolously to solve her problems, she started to unknowingly impact the lives of those around her. As a sci-fi story packed with plenty of romance, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a highly imaginative coming-of-age tale that used its unique concept to address themes of personal responsibility.

Makoto's use of time travel to solve even the most minute of problems, from school tests to awkward conversations, was a humorous depiction of time travel romance that was soon confronted with the stark reality of the consequences of her actions. With impressive visuals and just the right amount of realism, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a highly engrossing story of time travel and romance . As the perfect mix of somber and lighthearted humor, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was an excellent film and a great entry point for those unfamiliar with anime.

3 Midnight in Paris (2011)

Directed by woody allen, midnight in paris.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris stars Owen Wilson as Gil Pender, a struggling writer who, on a trip to Paris with his fiance, begins traveling back in time to the 1920s every night at midnight, leading him to meet and mingle with some of the city's biggest names of the time. Besides Wilson, the cast includes Rachel McAdams, Tom Hiddleston, Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Corey Stoll, and Adrien Brody.

The romance of Midnight in Paris was primarily related to the love that people can conjure for a place and the alluring appeal of the past. This Woody Allen-directed time travel story involved the screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) confronting his issues with his fiance (Rachel McAdams) as he’s transported back to 1920s Paris. From here, Gil encountered prominent historical artists and writers such as Ernest Hemingway , Salvador Dalí, as well as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, in a powerful homage to the City of Love: Paris, France.

Midnight in Paris was arguably Allen’s greatest work in the 21st century, which perfectly highlighted his ability to blend everyday relationship anxieties with fantastical stories that paid tribute to the enduring legacy of art and literature. Wilson gave an exceptional performance that mimicked the anxious mannerisms and stuttering awkwardness of Annie Hall’s Alvy Singer. Through the use of magical realism, Midnight in Paris captured the charm of Parisian culture and the infectious romance of the city’s rich artistic history.

2 Your Name (2016)

Directed by makoto shinkai, your name (2016).

Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.

Your Name was a complex and emotional anime film by director Makoto Shinkai that may not be immediately recognizable as a time-travel romance. This concept of Your Name involved two Japanese high school students, Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, who suddenly started to switch bodies despite having never met before. As the story progressed, a deeply nuanced tale of time travel set against the backdrop of an impending natural disaster revealed itself with thrilling effect, highlighting the complex intersection between love and destiny.

With beautiful animation, a thrilling script, and emotionally satisfying characters, Your Name received universal acclaim and stood as one of the most beloved non-Studio Ghibli anime movies ever released. While the ending of Your Name may have been somewhat confusing, this was part of its power, and its two timelines made the conclusion all the more effective. With a unique storytelling style, Your Name managed to add something entirely new to the well-worn time-travel romance genre .

Your Name, a 2016 animated film, combines an emotional love story with a sci-fi time travel element in a plot that can be hard to follow.

1 About Time (2013)

Directed by richard curtis.

When Tim Lake learns that he, like all the men in his family, has the ability to travel back in time, he decides to use this ability to help him find love and improve his and his loved ones' lives.

On his 21st birthday, Tim Lake’s (Domhnall Gleeson) life was changed forever when he learned he was part of a family whose men could travel back in time to change the past and improve their future. As a beautiful pontification on destiny, love, and the need to accept life’s pain and grievances, About Time was a powerful romance from director Richard Curtis that told a complex and unabashedly sentimental story. With his romance with Mary (Rachel McAdams) at the center of its story, About Time was a beautiful depiction of an ordinary man’s extraordinary life .

While many comparisons could be made to The Time Traveler’s Wife , which also co-starred McAdams, About Time captured the poignancy and fragility of tampering with romance in a way that felt far warmer and was delivered with more humor. Although plotholes appear if viewers think too hard about the logic behind time travel in About Time , the movie proceeds with such vibrancy that it is easy to forgive these faults. With plenty of twists and turns, About Time delivered everything a viewer could want from a time-travel romance movie.

A Quiet Place: 7 Questions I Have About The Aliens After Day One

Lots of mysteries in this sci-fi horror franchise.

The Quiet Place movies are not what one would call exposition friendly films. Because characters have to stay almost entirely silent lest they be attacked and mauled to death, there aren’t exactly a lot of opportunities in the stories for people to sit down together and explain everything they know about what’s going on in the world and what’s happening on the planet. This is a relief in some ways, as too many films tend to overburden audiences with explanations, but it also means that we are now three features into the series and still know exceptionally little about the principal antagonists of the canon. It’s been revealed they are sensitive to high frequency sound and don’t function well in water, but that’s about it.

With the newly released A Quiet Place: Day One being a prequel, there was some hope that the franchise would shed some light about the big alien invasion that led to a worldwide reduction in volume… but it didn’t exactly deliver on that front. Instead, I still find myself asking seven key questions about the otherworldly creatures from the popular horror series and wondering if future installments may hold the answers.

Lupita Nyong'o in A Quiet Place: Day One

What Are We Supposed To Call The Aliens?

This one is pretty basic, and I’m actually shocked we don’t have an answer for it yet. From xenomorphs and facehuggers in the Alien franchise to the various species in Star Wars and Star Trek , creating an identifiable name for a new race of extraterrestrial fiends is Pop Culture 101 stuff… and yet, after three movies, there is still no widely accepted name for the otherworldly monsters in the Quiet Place franchise . There is no instance in any of the three movies where characters try to identify them as a group, and nothing has specifically stuck among audience. This would be a nice thing for the series to fix in the next installment, if not just to aide fan conversation.

Do The Aliens Have A Ship In Orbit?

At this point in the Quiet Place franchise, I have zero expectations of learning about the home world of the aliens, as that would be material difficult to tackle in the kinds of stories that are being told. That being said, I do have queries about how the creatures actually got to Earth. In both A Quiet Place : Day One and the prologue in A Quiet Place Part II , we see the aliens fall to the sky like a global meteor storm, but did they fly in from a ship? Is there some kind of massive interstellar vehicle parked above the Earth’s atmosphere that they deployed from?

Lupita Nyong'o on the street looking forward in A Quiet Place: Day One

If The Aliens Don’t Have A Ship, How Did They Travel Through The Vacuum Of Space?

I actually hope that there is an alien ship out in orbit in the Quiet Place films, as a lack of one opens up multiple more questions. For example: how did they survive flying around in the vacuum of space? Clearly they have an adaptable biology working in their favor, as they are seemingly able to do quite well living in Earth’s atmosphere, but if we’re honing even a little close to reality (and yes, I realize this is science-fiction), it doesn’t make any sense that the monsters could fly around without any kind of protective equipment or special resources.

Djimon Hounsou and Lupita Nyong'o in A Quiet Place: Day One

If The Aliens Can’t See, How Did They Find Earth?

Here is another issue that crops up if the aliens don’t have a ship: how did they find Earth and initiate a coordinated attack? Even if they can somehow survive in the vacuum of space and propel themselves through it, the standout thing we know about them is that they can’t see but have hyper-sensitive hearing. There is no sound in space, so how could they find our planet without the ability to perceive light?

Djimon Hounsou putting his hand over Lupita Nyong'o's mouth in A Quiet Place: Day One

How Did The Aliens End Up In Space?

For the sake of argument, let’s say that the aliens can naturally exist in space and also have special planet-hunting senses that allow them to seek out worlds without sight. But how did they get into space to begin with? The fact that they crash land like meteors suggests that they don’t have some kind of propulsion system built into their carapaces, and they don’t fly; they crawl and climb. So how did they actually leave their home world and get to Earth?

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Are The Aliens Sentient?

Are the aliens in the Quiet Place franchise intelligent? That seems like kind of a weird question to ask about an antagonist three movies into a series, but it’s a question that doesn’t presently have an answer. Executing a coordinated attack on Earth suggests that the creatures do have some kind of intelligence, but they otherwise seem pretty mindless – instinctively going after any sound they hear and instantly going into attack mode. They don’t seem to communicate with one another, but we can’t take extraterrestrial telepathy off the table. We also can’t totally rule out the idea that the creatures are merely weapons of another more intelligent species that is hanging out in orbit until all of humanity is wiped out.

Lupita Nyong'o stars in A Quiet Place: Day One.

Why Are The Aliens Actually On Earth?

There is no questioning that the aliens in the Quiet Place movies pose an extreme, extinction-level threat to Earth… but we don’t really know why any of it is happening. Are they hunting humans as food? (Because these are PG-13 movies, we don’t actually see what the aliens are doing to the people they attack). Are they getting all life out of the way so that they can start mining for some kind of special resource the planet has? Are they empire-builders setting up a new base of operations in an intergalactic war? Not knowing the answer is arguably scarier – and this is a horror franchise, after all – but I have to admit to my own curiosity.

A Quiet Place: Day One is now playing in theaters, having just had a terrific opening weekend at the box office. It’s pretty hard to believe that this will be the last installment of the series, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for news about more projects from this franchise (projects that will perhaps find ways to answer one or more questions posed above). To learn about all of the other scary films that are on their way to theaters in the coming weeks and months, check out our Upcoming Horror Movies guide.

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.

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Spirited ‘Funny Girl’ captures excitement of early musical theater

The show that made Barbra Streisand famous is playing at Maine State Music Theatre through July 13.

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Jenna Lea Rosen as Fanny Brice with the cast of “Funny Girl” at Maine State Music Theatre. Photo by MSMT/Jared Morneau Photography

Who are the luckiest people in the world? At least for theater fans, the answer is “people who need people,” a line made famous well over half a century ago by Barbra Streisand in the original production of the musical “Funny Girl.”

THEATER REVIEW

WHAT: “Funny Girl: the Musical” by Maine State Music Theatre

WHERE: Pickard Theater, Bowdoin College Campus, Brunswick

REVIEWED: June 28 (matinee); continues through July 13

TICKETS: Starting at $93

CONTACT: 207-725-8769, msmt.org

On the heels of the show’s recent Broadway revival, the Maine State Music Theatre has opened a spirited production of the classic musical on its home stage at the Pickard Theater on the campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

The show primarily captures the rousing excitement of early musical theater while unavoidably making us think about how it launched the career of Streisand. At a lengthy but enjoyable two-and-one-half hours, plus intermission, it’s a show that still charms with its memorable songs, old-style comedy and bittersweet love story.

The impressive production, directed and choreographed by Kenny Ingram and with the time-honored music of Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, tells the semi-fictionalized story of Fanny Brice, a real-life figure who rose from humble origins to showbiz stardom as a give-it-everything-you’ve-got performer in the early 20th century.

At first socially awkward and vulnerable, but with a unique talent and an admirable determination to succeed, Fanny gained the attention of famed impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. and went on to star in many of his glitzy stage shows. At the same time, Fanny’s personal life was a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

Jenna Lea Rosen takes the lead role and scores comedically with her initially wide-eyed approach to Fanny’s personal and professional challenges. Armed with a feisty “New Yawk” accent, the actress easily takes charge of backstage, front stage and offstage scenes. Her vocals are compelling on both comic numbers (“Sadie, Sadie” and “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat”) and in more intimate moments (“People” and “Don’t Rain On My Parade”). Advertisement

Douglas Raymond Williams plays Fanny’s handsome rogue of a love interest who brings her to a fuller life but fails her in the end. His opera-trained vocals alongside Rosen (“I Want to be Seen With You” and “You are Woman, I am Man”) establish both the heat and uncertainties within their relationship.

Among the many standout secondary actors and choristers, Tyler Johnson-Campion is a tap-dancing whiz. His work with Sue Cella, who plays Fanny’s mom, is a treat on “Who Taught Her Everything.” Cella also has some fun moments squabbling with a competitive friend played by Maine State favorite Charis Leos.

Tommy Betz shines as a Tenor and David Girolmo returns to the Pickard stage as the stern but supportive Mr. Ziegfeld. Jeremiah Valentino Porter gets to toot a hot horn on “Cornet Man.”

The Maine State Music Theatre Orchestra, led by Jason Wetzel, mixes up the period flavors with a newer Broadway expansiveness. The costumes designed by J. Theresa Bush and scenic design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec take the audience back to a distant era when musical theater and its early stars were on the rise.

Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.

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Ukraine war latest: Putin says he will take Trump 'seriously' on ending war

Vladimir Putin has said Russia takes Donald Trump's declaration that he could end the war "completely seriously", although he doesn't know the details of the proposals. The US presidential candidate previously claimed he could create peace in 24 hours if he makes it to the White House.

Thursday 4 July 2024 22:05, UK

Putin says he will take Trump 'seriously' on ending war | Zelenskyy challenges former US president to reveal peace plan
Kremlin dismisses idea that Turkey could help end war
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Number killed in Dnipro attack rises - as city observes day of mourning
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Your questions answered: Has the West been honest about Ukraine's failures? | Is Kyiv next?
Listen to the Daily above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts
Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel

We'll be back soon with more updates on the war in Ukraine.

Russian strikes killed two people and wounded 26 in Ukrainian regions stretching from the south to the east and northeast today, local authorities have said.

A missile strike in southern Odesa region killed a woman, injured seven people and damaged port infrastructure, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, in the northeastern Kharkiv region, a second woman was killed and a man wounded in a strike by a Russian guided bomb on the village of Ruska Lozova, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Nine others, including four children, were wounded in a drone attack and shelling in the town of Novohrodivka, in the frontline Donetsk region, governor Vadym Filashkin said.

Elsewhere, Dnipro regional governor Serhiy Lysak reported seven wounded in the southern town of Nikopol.

All the affected regions have been subjected to repeated attacks since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, but thousands of people have been killed and wounded.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that he wants Turkey-China ties to continue improving.

He has also said steps taken to improve such ties would benefit both countries.

Both the Turkish and Chinese leaders met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the Kazakh capital Astana today and discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and the fighting in Gaza.

During the meeting, Mr Erdogan called for "effective measures" by the international community to prevent either conflict from spreading.

One civilian has been killed after a ballistic missile struck the southern port city of Odesa.

Governor Oleh Kiper said at least seven others had been injured after the attack on the region and houses and port facilities had been damaged.

"The civilian port infrastructure is under attack," Mr Kiper said on Telegram .

Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian forces in the war, with many attacks aimed at the city's port facilities.

Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.

The Hungarian prime minister will meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow tomorrow, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) .

Viktor Orban will be accompanied by Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto, the outlet reports, citing an unnamed Hungarian government source.

The reported visit comes days after Mr Orban urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire to accelerate an end to the war with Russia.

Mr Orban, who is an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine and has the warmest relations of any EU leader with Mr Putin, held talks with Mr Zelenskyy during his first trip to Kyiv in more than a decade yesterday.

Mr Orban said he asked the Ukrainian leader to think about a ceasefire before the follow-up international summit Kyiv hopes to hold later this year.

Apple has removed 25 VPN mobile apps from its AppStore in Russia, following a request by Russia's state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, Interfax reports.

Demand for VPN services soared in Russia after Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022 and the authorities restricted access to some Western social media.

Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor has already blocked access to some large VPNs, but others remained available.

Images are emerging of the damage inflicted on Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine after months of Russian assault.

The Ukrainian army said today they had retreated from an area on the outskirts of the strategically important city in the Donetsk region after a 10-month battle there.

Months of relentless Russian artillery strikes have devastated Chasiv Yar, leaving homes charred.

Ukrainian commanders in the area say their resources remain stretched, largely due to a months-long gap in military assistance from the US which threw Ukraine's military onto the defensive.

Around 190,000 recruits have signed contracts to join the Russian military so far in 2024, the state-run RIA news agency reports, quoting former president Dmitry Medvedev.

Mr Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said the current average recruitment rate was about 1,000 people a day.

For context : Russia is encouraging people to sign up for the war in Ukraine by paying them above average wages.

Vladimir Putin has said Moscow has no need to enforce a new round of compulsory mobilisation because so many men are signing up on voluntary contracts.

A duo of Russian pranksters who often target and compromise people the Russian state is interested in have been given a top state award in the Kremlin, the RIA state news agency reports.

Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, who use the aliases "Vovan and Lexus", were presented with the award by the Kremlin at a ceremony yesterday.

The award is given to Russian and foreign nationals for strengthening peace, friendship, cooperation and understanding between Moscow and other nations, among other criteria.

There was no immediate word from the Russian pranksters, who last month released footage of a video call they had with UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron after tricking him into thinking he was speaking to a former Ukrainian president.

During the hoax call, Lord Cameron thought he was speaking with former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.

The duo are well-known inside Russia, having duped a string of politicians over the years, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and, in 2022, Britain's then-defence minister, Ben Wallace.

Vladimir Putin has said his preference for Joe Biden remains unchanged after watching fragments of the debate between the US president and Donald Trump.

Asked by a state television reporter if Mr Biden or Trump was better, if his publicly stated preference for Biden had changed after the debate, and if he had seen it, Mr Putin said: "Nothing has changed."

"Did we not know what could come? We knew," the Russian president added.

Mr Putin has several times said he feels Joe Biden is preferable as the future US president to Trump, even after Mr Biden cast the Kremlin chief as a "crazy SOB".

Mr Putin said he had seen parts of the debate between both Mr Biden and Trump but he had other things to attend to.

"I saw some fragments," Mr Putin said. "But I have enough to do."

Asked about Trump's statements that he could end the Ukraine war swiftly if he won the presidential election, Mr Putin said Russia took him seriously but had no sense of the details of any of Trump's peace proposals.

"The fact that Mr Trump, as a presidential candidate, declares that he is ready and wants to stop the war in Ukraine, we take this completely seriously," he said.

What else did Putin say today?

The Russian leader also reiterated that Moscow would not declare a ceasefire in Ukraine until Kyiv takes steps that are "irreversible" and acceptable to the Kremlin.

He said it was pointless for Russia to attempt to appeal to the Ukrainian parliament when it came to Moscow's ideas to end the conflict between the two countries.

Mr Putin said last month that Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow, demands Kyiv swiftly rejected as tantamount to surrender.

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Top 100 Time Travel Movies

Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future (1985)

1. Back to the Future

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)

3. The Terminator

Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart in The Butterfly Effect (2004)

4. The Butterfly Effect

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future Part II (1989)

5. Back to the Future Part II

Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Madeleine Stowe in 12 Monkeys (1995)

6. 12 Monkeys

Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in Groundhog Day (1993)

7. Groundhog Day

Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans, Sean Gunn, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Danai Gurira, and Karen Gillan in Avengers: Endgame (2019)

8. Avengers: Endgame

Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Elliot Page, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Cudmore, Bingbing Fan, and Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

9. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar (2014)

10. Interstellar

11. Predestination

Adriana Ugarte, Álvaro Morte, Chino Darín, and Julio Bohigas-Couto in Mirage (2018)

13. Palm Springs

14. Midnight in Paris

15. Timecrimes

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

16. Edge of Tomorrow

Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson in About Time (2013)

17. About Time

Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

18. The Time Traveler's Wife

Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Mary Steenburgen in Back to the Future Part III (1990)

19. Back to the Future Part III

20. Time Sweep

21. Star Trek

Joey Cramer in Flight of the Navigator (1986)

22. Flight of the Navigator

24. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, and Josh Brolin in Men in Black³ (2012)

25. Men in Black³

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The trip inspired the rest of Guevara's incredible life. The movie will inspire you to learn more about the incredibly beautiful continent. 3. The Beach. 2000 1h 59m R. 6.6 (255K) Rate. 43 Metascore. On vacation in Thailand, Richard sets out for an island rumored to be a solitary beach paradise.
Top 100 Time Travel Movies
1. Back to the Future. 1985 1h 56m PG. 8.5 (1.3M) Rate. 87 Metascore. Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

12 Best Ship Movies of All Time

12. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

11. The Perfect Storm (2000)

10. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

9. Ship of Fools (1965)

8. Poseidon (2006)

7. In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

5. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

4. Captain Phillips (2013)

3. The Boat That Rocked (2009)

2. Titanic (1997)

1. Battleship Potemkin (1925)

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Classic Movies About Cruise Ships

Now, Voyager (1942)

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Death on the Nile (1978)

The Fifth Element (1997)

Disaster Movies Set on a Cruise Ship

Titanic (1997)

A Night to Remember (1958)

Movies to Make You Laugh

Out to Se a (1997)

The Parent Trap (1998)

Like Father (2018)

Carry on Cruising (1962)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Royal Wedding (1951)

Shall We Dance? (1937)

Romance on the High Seas (1948)

Dramatic Movies

Table for Five (1983)

Speed 2 Cruise Control (1997)

And the Award for the Worst Cruise Movie Ever Made Goes to …

And that’s a wrap.

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12 Top Boat Movies To Inspire Nautical Adventures

List of Top Boat Movies

2. The African Queen (1951)

3. Moby Dick (1956)

4. Jaws (1975)

5. Dead Calm (1989)

6. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

7. Captain Ron (1992)

8. Forrest Gump (1994)

9. Titanic (1997)

10. The Perfect Storm (2000)

11. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

12. True Spirit (2023)

Top Boat Movies: That’s a Wrap!

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The 18 Best Sailing Movies to Watch on Netflix & Amazon

The 18 Best Sailing Movies

2. Life of Pi

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4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

5. Captain Ron

7. White Squall

8. Dead Calm

9. Kon Tiki

10. Maidentrip

11. The Old Man and the Sea

12. Morning Light

13. The Perfect Storm

14. Red Dot on the Ocean

15. The Mercy

17. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

18. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

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