6 Best Coastal Fishing Village Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 2, 2026

Drama feel goodthought provoking

Fishing villages come with close-knit routines and quiet dramas. Manchester by the Sea has a withdrawn handyman forced to face his past, Ondine has a divorced Irish fisherman finding a mysterious woman in his net, and The Shipping News sends a grieving widower to his ancestral village. The Perfect Storm, Waking Ned and The Old Man and the Sea show the sea’s many moods.

Manchester by the Sea (2016) 01

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.7

Grief handled with restraint instead of melodrama, which makes it land harder.

Directed by Kenneth Lonergan · 2h 18m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Ondine (2009) 02

Ondine (2009)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A divorced Irish fisherman finds a mysterious woman tangled in his net who may be a mythical sea creature.

Directed by Neil Jordan · 1h 51m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Shipping News (2001) 03

The Shipping News (2001)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A grieving widower moves to his remote ancestral fishing village to rebuild his life and reconnect with his daughter.

Directed by Lasse Hallström · 1h 51m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Perfect Storm (2000) 04

The Perfect Storm (2000)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A commercial fishing crew battles a monstrous, once-in-a-generation storm at sea.

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen · 2h 10m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Waking Ned (1998) 05

Waking Ned (1998)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A tiny Irish village conspires to claim a deceased neighbour's lottery winnings before anyone finds out he's dead.

Directed by Kirk Jones · 1h 31m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Old Man and the Sea (1958) 06

The Old Man and the Sea (1958)

TMDB ★ 6.7

An ageing fisherman's epic battle with a giant marlin tests the limits of his endurance and pride.

Directed by John Sturges · 1h 26m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.