8 Best Pirate Movies of All Time

By Vlad Zakh · February 19, 2026

Swashbuckling adventure has been a cinema staple for nearly a century. The Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest have an eccentric captain cheating supernatural debts, The Pirates! Band of Misfits has an incompetent captain chasing Pirate of the Year, and Cutthroat Island has a female captain racing a treacherous relative for a map. Treasure Island, The Crimson Pirate, The Sea Hawk and Captain Blood are the classics.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)

TMDB ★ 6.7

An incompetent pirate captain enters the Pirate of the Year contest against far more fearsome rivals.

Directed by Peter Lord · 1h 28m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A pirate captain must find a way to escape a supernatural debt owed to a legendary sea monster.

Directed by Gore Verbinski · 2h 31m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

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

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 79% Metacritic 63

A blacksmith teams up with an eccentric pirate to rescue a kidnapped governor's daughter.

Directed by Gore Verbinski · 2h 23m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 5 Oscars38 wins & 104 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Cutthroat Island (1995)

TMDB ★ 5.8

A female pirate captain races a treacherous relative to assemble a map leading to buried treasure.

Directed by Renny Harlin · 2h 04m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Treasure Island (1950)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A young boy's treasure map leads him into a dangerous voyage among a crew of mutinous pirates.

Directed by Byron Haskin · 1h 36m

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Crimson Pirate (1952)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A charismatic pirate captain gets caught up in a colonial revolution while chasing hidden treasure.

Directed by Robert Siodmak · 1h 45m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Sea Hawk (1940)

TMDB ★ 7.4

An English privateer battles the Spanish Armada while navigating dangerous court politics at home.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 2h 07m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Captain Blood (1935)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A wrongly enslaved doctor becomes a legendary pirate captain seeking freedom and revenge across the Caribbean.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 1h 59m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · 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.

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.

8 Best Pirate Movies of All Time

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

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

Cutthroat Island (1995)

Treasure Island (1950)

The Crimson Pirate (1952)

The Sea Hawk (1940)

Captain Blood (1935)

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