Crimson Tide 1995
The theme-week tie-in; a submarine movie, so it qualifies under the rules.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Top Five
Ahoy! The Top Five Movies Set at Sea
May 12, 2020/ 70 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins · Chris Ryan
Sean, Amanda, and Chris each rank their five favorite movies set at sea, after settling what counts as the sea.
20 films across 4 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
Ground rules: what counts as the seathe setup
Sea Fever 2019
Sean caught it on VOD the week before; proof the sea movie isn't extinct.
Underwater 2020
Kristen Stewart on the deep-sea rig, a recent example.
Crawl 2019
The alligator horror movie, another one that still gets made.
Waterworld 1995
The cautionary tale for directors who wade into a studio tank.
Chris Ryan's Top Fivethe terror within and around you
No. 1
The Hunt for Red October 1990
No. 1 (and Amanda's No. 2). McTiernan directs; Connery's Ramius may be defecting or mad, and Baldwin's Jack Ryan has to find out which.
No. 2
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World 2003
No. 2. Peter Weir, Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey; the on-deck surgery is the all-time look-away scene.
No. 3
The Perfect Storm 2000
No. 3. Wolfgang Petersen, of Das Boot, sends Clooney and Wahlberg out for one last haul.
No. 4
White Squall 1996
No. 4. Ridley Scott's gun-for-hire era; Jeff Bridges runs a sail-training academy for boys.
No. 5
Open Water 2003
No. 5. Divers left behind at sea; made for roughly $120k, based on a true story. Chris misdates it to 2013.
Amanda Dobbins's Top Fiveaquatic blue, mostly optimistic
No. 2
The Hunt for Red October 1990
No. 2, shared with Chris; she woke up thinking it should have been No. 1.
No. 4
The Little Mermaid 1989
No. 4. The Disney movie that opened the Disney Renaissance. Amanda misdates it to 1999.
No. 5
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 2004
No. 5. Wes Anderson riffing on Jacques Cousteau; an affection that grew with age.
Sean Fennessey's Top Fivethe archetypes
No. 1
Jaws 1975
No. 1. Sean's case: the entire third act is at sea, which for him is what makes a sea movie.
No. 2
Mutiny on the Bounty 1935
No. 2. The Gable version; Charles Laughton's Captain Bligh anchors it.
No. 5
The Poseidon Adventure 1972
No. 5. Irwin Allen's disaster template; Hackman rages as the reverend. The 1972 original, not the remake.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Ruled out by the ground rules A River Runs Through ItThe River WildThe Prince of Tides
Other sea movies mentioned All Is LostCast AwayDas BootThe AbyssBeyond the Poseidon AdventureThe SwarmThe Silent WorldFree Solo
In passing Around the World in 80 DaysIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad WorldIndependence DayThe RockAvengers: EndgameThelma & Louise1492: Conquest of ParadiseG.I. JaneGladiatorAquamanSuicide SquadRear WindowDial M for MurderRopeAvatarAvatar: The Way of WaterThe TerminatorAliensTerminator 2: Judgment DayPredatorDie HardMedicine ManCitizen KaneDick TracyThis Boy's LifeThe FanThe UntouchablesSoul SurferCaponeStar Wars
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Better Call SaulMrs. AmericaBillions
Podcasts The RewatchablesBehind the BillionsThe Joe Rogan Experience
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