26 Ocean Movies to Watch in Self-Isolation
BY ALLY HUGHES
Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10 days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...
You all know why I’m writing this article. I don’t even want to mention you-know-what as this article should serve as a catalogue of pure ocean-y escapism to help you get through these days stuck inside away from the salty air, sandy footprints, and soothing sounds of our beautiful oceans. Thank you to everyone in our community who has massively helped my research for this by compiling your own lists and threads online. So pop some popcorn and melt into your couch to enjoy the following movies...
The Classics:
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - An absolute classic based on the novel by Jules Verne. An oldie but a goodie.
Moby Dick - Follow Captain Ahab and his relentless obsession with the whale Moby Dick. Based on the 1851 novel by Herman Melville
Jaws - Go on, you know you want to, the 1970’s CGI should be enough to entice you into reliving this terribly inaccurate series about blood-thirsty and crazy sharks!
The Endless Summer - Another classic for all those missing shredding the gnar!
The Big Blue - 1988 visual spectacle directed by Luc Besson about freediving, friendship, and love.
The Abyss - Ocean Sci-Fi at its best (worst?!) as explorers searching for a lost nuclear submarine discover an alien aquatic species.
Das Boot - This one might hit a little close to home as the crew on board a German WWII submarine must survive boredom, conflict, and confinement.
Sphere - Another one for Sci-Fi fans as a team of scientists are sent to investigate an alien spacecraft found in the Pacific ocean.
The Poseidon Adventure - Based on Paul Gallico’s novel by the same name, the plot focuses on the SS Poseidon which is struck by a tidal wave on route from New York to Greece, leaving only 10 survivors.
The Beach - Who could say no to a young Leonardo DiCaprio searching for a paradise in Thailand.
Animation:
Finding Nemo (and Finding Dory) - No marine movie list would be complete without our favourite little clownfish and all his pals. Cannot guarantee scientific accuracy, can guarantee happy smushy feelings.
Shark Tale - “Fish are friends not food.” Enjoy the unlikely friendship between Oscar, the self-proclaimed shark-slaying fish, and Lenny, the vegetarian son of shark mob leader.
The Little Mermaid - Re-watch it and enjoy having Under The Sea stuck in your head for the rest of this lockdown.
Moana - Disney soundtrack of the decade (yeah Frozen, beat it!) Like many of us, the sea is calling her name and she must explore!
Song of the Sea - Two siblings, one of which can shape-shift into a seal, go on an adventure to free the spirit world and rescue fairies.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire - Milo and his fearless comrades go on an adventure to discover the lost world of Atlantis.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas - The legendary sailor must travel to a foreign realm to retrieve the Book of Peace and save his friend’s life.
Based on True Events:
Free Willy - Not entirely sure this is based on specific events but difficult to ignore the parallels between Jesse’s fight to protect the wild orca, Willy, from evil corporations (read: SeaWorld.)
Shackleton - There are about 100 films depicting the life of Ernest Shackleton as he led the British expedition to Antarctica at the beginning of the 20th century. This is just one of them.
In the Heart of the Sea - Based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s non-fiction book, a massive albino bull sperm whale attacks a whaling ship and the crew are forced to abandon the ship. This story is said to have inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick.
Open Water - Based on the true story of two divers that are abandoned in shark infested waters after their boat returns to shore without them.
Captain Phillips - There had to be some pirates somewhere, right?! This film depicts the story of Captain Richard Phillips (played by Tom Hanks) who uses quick thinking and wit to save his crew after their ship is overtaken by Somali pirates.
The Perfect Storm - After returning with a poor catch, the crew of fishing boat Andrea Gail returns to sea in spite of the tropical storm developing. They end up battling against two powerful weather fronts and a hurricane as they try to return to land.
Big Miracle - Based on the 1988 international effort to rescue a family of grey seals trapped in the ice in Alaska.
The Icebreaker - The Russian Mikhail Somov ship hits an iceberg in Antarctica spent 133 days drifting in ice awaiting rescue in 1985.
A Dolphin’s Tail - Because we all need a happy story! Follow the ambitious story of Winter, a dolphin rescued from a crab trap that gets another shot at life with a prosthetic tail.