6 Best Ferry and Cable Car Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 5, 2026

Enclosed transport suspended over water or dangling from cables is a recipe for claustrophobic thrills. Speed has a cop keeping a bus above fifty miles an hour to avoid a bomb, Unstoppable has two railway workers racing a runaway freight train, and Cliffhanger drops a mountain rescuer into a heist gone wrong. The Guardian, The Poseidon Adventure and A Night to Remember cover the water.

Unstoppable (2010)

TMDB ★ 6.8

Two railway workers race to stop a runaway freight train from causing a catastrophic disaster.

Directed by Tony Scott · 1h 38m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Guardian (2006)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A legendary Coast Guard rescue swimmer trains a talented but arrogant new recruit.

Directed by Andrew Davis · 2h 19m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video · Buy: Apple TV Store

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Cliffhanger (1993)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A mountain rescuer is forced to help criminals recover money lost in the Rockies after a heist goes wrong.

Directed by Renny Harlin · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Speed (1994)

IMDb ★ 7.3 RT 95% Metacritic 78

A bomb rigged to a city bus will explode if it drops below fifty miles per hour.

Directed by Jan de Bont · 1h 56m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars21 wins & 20 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, YouTube TV, FXNow, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

IMDb ★ 7.1 RT 82% Metacritic 70

The survivors of a capsized ocean liner climb upward through the wreckage looking for a way out.

Directed by Ronald Neame · 1h 57m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar5 wins & 13 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Night to Remember (1958)

TMDB ★ 7.6

The sinking of the Titanic told through its crew and passengers on that fateful night.

Directed by Roy Ward Baker · 2h 03m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, 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.

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.

6 Best Ferry and Cable Car Movies

Unstoppable (2010)

The Guardian (2006)

Cliffhanger (1993)

Speed (1994)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

A Night to Remember (1958)

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