Diving Movies: 23 of the Best Underwater Movies

Diving Movies: 23 of the Best Underwater Movies

We list the best diving films of all time, from thrilling underwater epics to Hollywood blockbusters with incredible underwater scenes

With the dark depths of the ocean as a backdrop, the threat of a turbulent sea and an increasingly scarce supply of air, diving should be ripe for spectacularly exciting film plots.

Unfortunately, the underwater world struggles to find a foothold in the glitz, glamor and special effects of the modern Hollywood blockbuster.

Whether it's the latest superhero reboot, a sci-fi thriller, or a historical epic, the effects-driven juggernaut that drives the modern film industry seems to constantly overlook underwater cinema.

This may be because diving films are more expensive to film and involve sinking rather than swimming. Far too many were box office hits, receiving a rotten green mark as opposed to a fresh red rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, this did not deter us. Below, we explore the best diving movies of all time (even if they don't always measure up to non-diving alternatives). The list is an eclectic mix of films from the Hollywood archives that feature the underwater world in one way or another.

BEST DIVING MOVIES

Here are our best diving movies of all time, in no particular order.

The Abyss (1989) An epic adventure film that sends a team of civilian divers and Navy SEALs to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean on a search and rescue mission for a sunken nuclear submarine.

alt=“The Abyss DVD Cover – the best diving films “>

Le Grand Blue (The Big Blue) (1988) The rivalry between Enzo and Jacques, two childhood friends and now world-famous free divers, becomes a beautiful and dangerous journey into the unknown.

alt=“Big Blue DVD cover – the best diving films “>

The Deep (1977)Deep-sea divers compete with a Haitian drug dealer to recover a suitcase load of sunken morphine. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Peter Benchley.

alt=“The deep DVD cover – the best diving films “>

Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014) In James Cameron's dramatic fulfillment of a childhood dream, he pilots a submersible of his design on a dive 11 km (7 miles) below the ocean's surface. Visually one of the best diving films of all time, the film is a celebration of science, courage and human endeavor.

alt=“Deep Sea Challenge DVD cover – the best diving films “>

Thunderball (1965) Classic Bond with Sean Connery. 007 heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTER agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.

alt="Thunderball">

The Frogmen (1951) The new commander of a Marine underwater demolition team - nicknamed the Frogmen - must earn the respect of the men in his unit, who are still grieving the death of their former commander.

alt="frogmen">

Men of Honor (2000) When a Kentucky sharecropper's son joins the newly integrated Navy, his tough training officer wants no part of his ambitions. Inspired by the true story of the US Navy's first African-American master diver.

alt=“Men of Honor DVD cover – the best diving films “>

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) A classic film based on a classic book and the first science fiction film shot with CinemaScope. A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.

alt="2000 Leagues DVD Cover">

Blue Water, White Death (1971) Peter Gimbel and a team of photographers set out to find and film the great white shark for the first time. The expedition lasted over nine months and led from South Africa across the Indian Ocean to South Australia.

alt="Blue Water">

Amsterdamned (1988) A mysterious diver hiding in Amsterdam's canal system embarks on a gruesome series of murders, leaving few clues for the city's best detective. When the body count begins to rise, the detective's daughter ill-advisedly tries to track down the murderer.

alt=“Amsterdamned dvd cover – the best diving films “>

Open Water (2003) Based on the true story of two divers who accidentally become stranded in shark-infested waters after their tour boat leaves. What follows is a reminder to us how much “fun” it is to be afraid of our most primal fears—namely, what we think might linger just beneath the surface.

alt="Open Water ">

Pioneer (Pionér) (2013) At the beginning of the Norwegian oil boom, the authorities want to bring the 500 m deep oil to land. Petter and his brother Knut have the courage to take on the mission, but a tragic accident occurs.

alt="Pioneer is one of the best diving films">

Pressure (2015)Four deep-sea divers are caught in their saturation bell on the seabed off the Kenyan coast. After their boat sinks during a storm, the survivors must figure out how to reach the surface before they run out of air.

alt=“Print”>

Black Sea (2014) A renegade submarine captain (Jude Law) and a crew of misfits go on the hunt for a supposed sunken treasure in this exciting adventure thriller, but greed soon drives the men against each other.

alt="Black Sea">

Diving into the Unknown (Takaisin pintaan) (2016)After a horrific accident deep in an underwater cave, the survivors are forced to risk their own lives to bring the bodies of their friends home. Deeply claustrophobic and unnerving.

alt=“Diving into the unknown DVD cover – the best diving films “>

Aliens of the Deep (2005) In this documentary, James Cameron teams up with NASA scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge, a submerged mountain range that surrounds the Earth and is home to some of the planet's most unique life forms.

alt=“Aliens of the Deep DVD cover – the best diving films “>

Sanctum (2011) A team of cave divers embarks on a deadly expedition to the largest but least accessible cave system in the world. When a storm forces them deep into the caves, they must battle raging waters, deadly terrain, and creeping panic to escape.

alt=“Sanctum DVD cover – the best diving films “>

Ocean Men: Extreme Dive (2001) Join freedivers Pipin Ferreras and Umberto Pelizzari on a journey into the deep blue world with breathtaking underwater photography and insightful animations.

alt=“Ocean Men DVD Cover – the best diving films “>

Ray: A Life Underwater (2011) A documentary about a villain with an eye for salvage - and the ladies. The short film is a loving portrait of one man's deep-sea diving career, told through his extraordinary collection of marine artifacts.

alt="Ray is one of the best diving films">

Lady in Cement (1968)During an ocean dive, Miami detective Tony Rome (Frank Sinatra) finds the body of a woman with her feet trapped in a concrete block and sets out to solve the murder.

alt="Lady in Cement is one of the best diving films">

The Dive (Dykket) (1989) A Norwegian deep diver has completed 524 dives in the North Sea and is planning his retirement when he is persuaded to take one last lucrative but risky job.

alt="Dykket is one of the best diving films">

Last Breath (2019)The true story of a deep-sea diver who was stranded on the seabed of the North Sea in 2012. Diver Chris Lemons accidentally cuts his umbilical cable and is trapped 100 m below the surface with only a small amount of air in his back tank.

alt=“Last Breath Diving Movie Poster”>

Chasing Coral (2017) Coral reefs around the world are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. In Chasing Coral, a team of divers, photographers and scientists embark on an exciting marine adventure to find out why and reveal the secrets of the underwater world to the world.

alt="hunting coral dvd cover">

Reader suggestions

Here's what our readers added to our list of the best diving movies.

• Kugel
• 47 Meter in die Tiefe
• Flughafen 77
• Räuber von Unter dem Meer
• Ins Blaue
• Wrack der Mary Deare
• Septembersturm
• Verbotene Insel
• Narrengold
• Tief blaues Meer
• Der Junge auf einem Delfin
• Unter dem Meer um die Welt
• Die Höhle
• Das Leben im Wasser mit Steve Zissou

*Jaws (1975) gets an honorable mention. Although the underwater scenes were fairly few and far between, this is one of the most iconic films ever set on or underwater.