Movies like PT 109 (1963)
The best movies like PT 109 (1963) are Sands of Iwo Jima (1950), They Were Expendable (1945) and The Gallant Hours (1960). If PT 109 hooked you with its drama and war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Thin Red Line (1998)7.4/10 from 3,489 votes
- NewestThe Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023)Released 2023
Sands of Iwo Jima (1950)
Haunted by personal demons, Marine Sgt. John Stryker is hated and feared by his men, who see him as a cold-hearted sadist. But when their boots hit the beaches, they begin to understand the reason for Stryker's rigid form of discipline.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThey Were Expendable (1945)
After a demonstration of new PT boats, Navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Gallant Hours (1960)
A semi-documentary dramatization of five weeks in the life of Vice Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, Jr., from his assignment to command the U.S. naval operations in the South Pacific to the Allied victory at Guadalcanal.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Away All Boats (1956)
The story of USS 'Belinda', a U.S. naval ship, and its crew during the battle of the Pacific 1943-1945, as it prepares for action and landing troops on enemy beachheads.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
In Harm's Way (1965)
A Naval officer, reprimanded after Pearl Harbor, is later promoted to Rear Admiral and gets a second chance to prove himself against the Japanese.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSubmarine Command (1951)
Submarine commander Ken White is forced to suddenly submerge, leaving his captain and another crew member to die outside the sub during WW II. Subsequent years of meaningless navy ground assignments and the animosity of a former sailor, leave White (now a captain) feeling guilty and empty. His life spirals downward and his wife is about to leave him. Suddenly, he is forced into a dangerous rescue situation at the start of the Koren War.... reassigned to the same submarine where all of his problems began.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Flying Leathernecks (1951)
Major Daniel Kirby takes command of a squadron of Marine fliers just before they are about to go into combat. While the men are well meaning, he finds them undisciplined and prone to always finding excuses to do what is easy rather than what is necessary. The root of the problem is the second in command, Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin. Griff is the best flier in the group but Kirby finds him a poor commander who is not prepared to make the difficult decision that all commanders have to make - to put men in harm's way knowing that they may be killed.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Purple Heart (1944)
This is the story of the crew of a downed bomber, captured after a run over Tokyo, early in the war. Relates the hardships the men endure while in captivity, and their final humiliation: being tried and convicted as war criminals.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
In the early days of daylight bombing raids over Germany, General Frank Savage must take command of a 'hard luck' bomber group. Much of the story deals with his struggle to whip his group into a disciplined fighting unit in spite of heavy losses, and withering attacks by German fighters over their targets.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBack to Bataan (1945)
A U.S. Army colonel leads local fighters in a guerrilla campaign against the Japanese in the Philippines.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOperation Pacific (1951)
During WWII, Duke E. Gifford is second in command of the USS Thunderfish, a submarine which is firing off torpedoes that either explode too early or never explode at all. It's a dilemma that he'll eventually take up personally. Even more personal is his quest to win back his ex-wife, a nurse; but he'll have to win her back from a navy flier who also happens to be his commander's little brother.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)
A U.S. Navy pilot and his squad are assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges deep behind enemy lines during the Korean War.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMidway (1976)
This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fighting Seabees (1944)
Construction workers in World War II in the Pacific are needed to build military sites, but the work is dangerous and they doubt the ability of the Navy to protect them. After a series of attacks by the Japanese, something new is tried, Construction Battalions (CBs=Seabees). The new CBs have to both build and be ready to fight.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDestination Tokyo (1943)
During World War II, Captain Cassidy and his crew of submariners are ordered into Tokyo Bay on a secret mission. They are to gather information in advance of the planned bombing of Tokyo. Along the way, the crew learn about each other as they face the enemy and some of them lose their lives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDestroyer (1943)
Flagwaving story of a new American destroyer, the JOHN PAUL JONES, from the day her keel is laid, to what was very nearly her last voyage. Among the crew, is Steve Boleslavski, a shipyard welder that helped build her, who reenlists, with his old rank of Chief bosuns mate. After failing her sea trials, she is assigned to the mail run, until caught up in a disparate battle with a Japanese sub. After getting torpedoed, and on the verge of sinking, the Captain, and crew hatch a plan to try and save the ship, and destroy the sub.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
The Frogmen (1951)
The new commander of a Navy Underwater Demolition Team--nicknamed "Frogmen"--must earn the respect of the men in his unit, who are still grieving over the death of their former commander and resentful of the new one.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Air Force (1943)
The crew of an Air Force bomber arrives in Pearl Harbor in the aftermath of the Japanese attack and is sent on to Manila to help with the defense of the Philippines.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStand by for Action (1942)
U. S. Navy Lieutenant Gregg Masterman, of The Harvard and Boston Back Bay Mastermans, learned about the sea while winning silver cups sailing his yacht. He climbs swiftly in rank, and is now Junior Aide to Rear Admiral Stephen Thomas.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Here Comes the Navy (1934)
A cocky guy joins the Navy for the wrong reason but finds romance and twice is cited for heroism.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardize his ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCommand Decision (1948)
High-ranking officers struggle with the decision to prioritize bombing German factories producing new jet fighters over the extremely high casualties the mission will cost.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both war & drama
Strategic Air Command (1955)
Air Force reservist Lt. Col. Robert "Dutch" Holland is recalled into active duty at the peak of his professional baseball career.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023)
Barney Greenwald, a skeptical lawyer, reluctantly defends an officer of the navy who took control of the Caine from its captain, Lt. Philip Francis Queeg, while caught in a violent sea storm. As the court-martial proceeds, however, Greenwald increasingly questions if it was truly a mutiny or rather the courageous acts of a group of sailors who could not trust their unstable leader.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJacknife (1989)
A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thin Red Line (1998)
The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDevotion (2022)
The harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. Their heroic sacrifices would ultimately make them the Navy's most celebrated wingmen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHalls of Montezuma (1951)
Richard Widmark leads an all star cast of marine leathernecks including Jack Palance, Robert Wagner, Karl Malden, Richard Boone and Jack Webb into battle on a heavily fortified island. This action-packed story follows the squad as they pick their way through enemy-infested jungles on a time sensitive mission to find the source of the enemy rockets. As the mission progresses, the squad and leader overcome many challenges as they are transformed into an effective and efficient fighting unit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like PT 109?
The closest matches to PT 109 are Sands of Iwo Jima (1950), They Were Expendable (1945) and The Gallant Hours (1960). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after PT 109?
People who watched PT 109 most often go on to Sands of Iwo Jima (1950), They Were Expendable (1945) and The Gallant Hours (1960).
What is the highest-rated movie like PT 109?
The Thin Red Line (1998), rated 7.4/10 by 3,489 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like PT 109?
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like PT 109?
Yes: Sands of Iwo Jima (1950), They Were Expendable (1945) and The Gallant Hours (1960).
How are movies similar to PT 109 chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside PT 109, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.