In the past, Hollywood films have typically been shot on studio lots. Closed sets protected all involved from harsh elements and hazards that could be encountered in everyday life but it lacked realism. This is why many filmmakers opted to shoot on location. The 1975 film “Jaws” was the first movie shot at sea – which led to all sorts of disasters and issues with filming, from “Bruce,” the shark malfunctioning due to salt water corroding its mechanics to rough seas and heavy winds that damaged equipment. But this realism lends credence to a film, and many of the greatest films that take place at sea illustrate how nothing is a substitute for the real thing.
Although they aren’t always filmed at sea. Many dramas, comedies, and other movies featuring ships or boats are typically filmed on a set in Olympic-sized pools, and the visual effects make the viewer feel as though they’re taking place on the ocean. Some feel far more realistic than others and have delighted fans. Safety is a key factor and conditions can be controlled in these environments.
Outside of documentaries and reality shows, it’s unusual to find film crews out on the open water. But these directors threw caution to the wind, which resulted in the greatest films that take place at sea. (Learn more about one of the most famous ships in history by reading about famous people who were supposed to be on the Titanic.)
Methodology
To determine the greatest films that take place at sea, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 1,000 reviews on IMDb were considered, and documentaries were not excluded. Director information is from IMDb.
40. The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980)
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (1,350 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (1,507 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 40% (5 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Jarrott
39. The Island (1980)
- IMDb user rating: 5.3/10 (4,149 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (7,405 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 40% (5 reviews)
- Directed by: Michael Ritchie
38. The Day of the Dolphin (1973)
- IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (2,969 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40% (1,161 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 44% (27 reviews)
- Directed by: Mike Nichols
37. 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (31,693 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 50% (12,334 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 32% (22 reviews)
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
36. The Deep (1977)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (11,898 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (5,437 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (21 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Yates
35. Waterworld (1995)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (188,102 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 43% (230,643 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (61 reviews)
- Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
34. Flipper (1963)
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (1,809 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (26,370 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (6 reviews)
- Directed by: James B. Clark
33. In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (141,155 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (40,602 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 42% (238 reviews)
- Directed by: Ron Howard
32. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (5,784 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 39% (757 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (17 reviews)
- Directed by: Irwin Allen
31. The Perfect Storm (2000)
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (170,090 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (279,249 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 47% (135 reviews)
- Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
30. Lord Jim (1965)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (3,789 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 57% (1,794 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 57% (14 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Brooks
29. White Squall (1996)
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (24,309 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (18,577 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (36 reviews)
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
28. Wind (1992)
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (2,700 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (2,956 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (12 reviews)
- Directed by: Carroll Ballard
27. The Finest Hours (2016)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (67,742 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (23,121 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (200 reviews)
- Directed by: Craig Gillespie
26. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (1,678 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 39% (10,532 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (8 reviews)
- Directed by: Stuart Paton
25. Reap the Wild Wind (1942)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (3,140 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (1,636 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (10 reviews)
- Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
24. Juggernaut (1974)
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (5,294 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (1,793 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (6 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Lester
23. Dead Calm (1989)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (42,512 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (31,428 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (30 reviews)
- Directed by: Phillip Noyce
22. Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (16,759 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (4,480 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (20 reviews)
- Directed by: Lewis Milestone, Carol Reed, George Seaton
21. The Bounty (1984)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (27,919 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (10,369 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (19 reviews)
- Directed by: Roger Donaldson
20. The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (7,529 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (4,435 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (10 reviews)
- Directed by: John Sturges, Fred Zinnemann
19. China Seas (1935)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (2,439 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (585 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (5 reviews)
- Directed by: Tay Garnett
18. All Is Lost (2013)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (78,514 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (40,659 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (240 reviews)
- Directed by: J.C. Chandor
17. Titanic (1953)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (7,216 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (86,447 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (11 reviews)
- Directed by: Jean Negulesco
16. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (102,721 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (61,127 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (55 reviews)
- Directed by: Lewis Gilbert
15. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (42,779 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (47,418 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (25 reviews)
- Directed by: Ronald Neame
14. Robinson Crusoe (1954)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (3,891 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (1,352 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (12 reviews)
- Directed by: Luis Buñuel
13. Moby Dick (1956)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (20,980 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (8,362 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (25 reviews)
- Directed by: John Huston
12. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (15,225 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (41,502 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (22 reviews)
- Directed by: Ken Annakin
11. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (32,250 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (68,939 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (28 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Fleischer
10. Titanic (1997)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (1,181,693 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (35,797,635 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (193 reviews)
- Directed by: James Cameron
9. Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (2003)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (211,366 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (141,196 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (219 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Weir
8. Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (7,231 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (1,201 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (9 reviews)
- Directed by: Raoul Walsh
7. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (23,465 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (8,083 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (42 reviews)
- Directed by: Frank Lloyd
6. Whale Rider (2003)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (43,429 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (49,973 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (156 reviews)
- Directed by: Niki Caro
5. Captain Phillips (2013)
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (465,186 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (152,646 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (279 reviews)
- Directed by: Paul Greengrass
4. Captains Courageous (1937)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (9,280 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (3,818 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (18 reviews)
- Directed by: Victor Fleming
3. The Navigator (1924)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (9,578 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (3,197 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (19 reviews)
- Directed by: Donald Crisp, Buster Keaton
2. Jaws (1975)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (565,147 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (945,011 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (93 reviews)
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
1. Das Boot (1982)
- IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (257,726 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (47,531 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (56 reviews)
- Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen