8 Best Submarine Movies of All Time

By Vlad Zakh · February 8, 2026

Steel hulls and crushing depths turn silence into unbearable tension. K-19: The Widowmaker has a Soviet crew racing to prevent a reactor meltdown, U-571 has American sailors disguising themselves to grab an Enigma device, and Crimson Tide has a captain and his executive officer clashing over a nuclear strike. Hunter Killer, The Hunt for Red October, Das Boot, Ice Station Zebra and Run Silent, Run Deep round out the eight.

Hunter Killer (2018)

TMDB ★ 6.4

An American submarine captain uncovers a coup plot while investigating a lost Russian vessel.

Directed by Donovan Marsh · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel · 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

K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A Soviet submarine crew races to prevent a nuclear reactor meltdown during a Cold War training mission.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow · 2h 18m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, History Vault, Night Flight Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

U-571 (2000)

TMDB ★ 6.5

An American submarine crew takes on a dangerous mission to capture a German Enigma coding machine.

Directed by Jonathan Mostow · 1h 56m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Crimson Tide (1995)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A submarine captain and his executive officer clash over whether to launch a nuclear strike amid a communications breakdown.

Directed by Tony Scott · 1h 56m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A Soviet submarine captain's defection plan sparks a tense standoff between American and Soviet forces.

Directed by John McTiernan · 2h 15m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Das Boot (1981)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 98% Metacritic 85

The crew of a German U-boat endures gruelling claustrophobia and mounting terror during the Second World War.

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen · 2h 30m · Rated R

Nominated for 6 Oscars16 wins & 12 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Ice Station Zebra (1968)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A submarine crew races Soviet forces to recover a crashed satellite's critical film canister in the Arctic.

Directed by John Sturges · 2h 29m · Rated G

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A submarine captain's obsessive quest for revenge against an enemy destroyer puts his crew at risk.

Directed by Robert Wise · 1h 33m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, ScreenPix Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: 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 Submarine Movies of All Time

Hunter Killer (2018)

K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

U-571 (2000)

Crimson Tide (1995)

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Das Boot (1981)

Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

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