Movies like The Finest Hours (2016)
The best movies like The Finest Hours (2016) are Whalefall (2026), The 33 (2015) and Adrift (2018). If The Finest Hours hooked you with its action and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedTenzing (2026)8.2/10 from 276 votes
- NewestWhalefall (2026)Released 2026
Whalefall (2026)
Following the death of his father, Jay Gardiner goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 33 (2015)
Based on the true story of the collapse of a mine in San Jose, Chile—that left 33 miners isolated underground for 69 days.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdrift (2018)
Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp couldn't anticipate that they would be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope of rescue, Tami must now find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPressure (2015)
Four divers are stuck deep underwater in a vessel after a freak storm destroys their ship. Will they survive?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisAlive (1993)
The amazing true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's plane that crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains, and their immense will to survive and pull through alive, forced to do anything and everything they could to stay alive on meager rations and through the freezing cold.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Heart of the Sea (2015)
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex is assaulted by something no one could believe—a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Night to Remember (1958)
The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKursk (2018)
Barents Sea, August 12th, 2000. During a Russian naval exercise, and after suffering a serious accident, the K-141 Kursk submarine sinks with 118 crew members on board. While the few sailors who are still alive barely manage to survive, their families push for accurate information and a British officer struggles to obtain from the Russian government a permit to attempt a rescue before it is late. But general incompetence are against all their efforts.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeepwater Horizon (2016)
A story set on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOnly the Brave (2017)
Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battle deadly wildfires to save an Arizona town.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisApollo 13 (1995)
The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from Earth, the astronauts work furiously with the ground crew to avert tragedy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAgainst the Sun (2014)
A WWII pilot, bombardier, and radioman find themselves adrift on a lifeboat without food or water after being forced to ditch their plane during a scouting mission.
Why it matches: Fans watch both
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSully (2016)
On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHorizon Line (2020)
A couple flying on a small plane to attend a tropical island wedding must fight for their lives after their pilot suffers a heart attack.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Swimmers (2022)
From war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, two young sisters embark on a risky voyage, putting their hearts and their swimming skills to heroic use.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInfinite Storm (2022)
One woman's journey for self-discovery and turns into a harrowing tale of survival.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Towering Inferno (1974)
At the opening party of a colossal—but poorly constructed—skyscraper, a massive fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the tower and everyone in it.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCaptain Phillips (2013)
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Impossible (2012)
In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisArctic (2018)
A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his long awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his opportunity is lost and he must then decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his camp or embark on a deadly trek through the unknown for potential salvation.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCast Away (2000)
Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Perfect Storm (2000)
In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThirteen Lives (2022)
Based on the true nail-biting mission that captivated the world. Twelve boys and the coach of a Thai soccer team explore the Tham Luang cave when an unexpected rainstorm traps them in a chamber inside the mountain. Entombed behind a maze of flooded cave tunnels, they face impossible odds. A team of world-class divers navigate through miles of dangerous cave networks to discover that finding the boys is only the beginning.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMine 9 (2019)
Two miles into the earth, nine Appalachian miners struggle to survive after a methane explosion leaves them with one hour of oxygen.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisWhite Squall (1996)
In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTenzing (2026)
A determined man embarks on a high-stakes quest—and defies seemingly impossible odds—to fulfill his dream of being the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLadder 49 (2004)
Under the watchful eye of his mentor, Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. However, Jack has reached a crossroads as the sacrifices he's made have put him in harm's way innumerable times and significantly impacted his relationship with his wife and kids.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Guardian (2006)
A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's 'A' School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall teaches him some hard lessons about loss, love, and self-sacrifice.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisValiant One (2025)
With tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North side. The survivors must work together to protect a civilian tech specialist and find their way out without the help of US military support.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChernobyl: Abyss (2021)
The aftermath of a shocking explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station made hundreds of people sacrifice their lives to clean up the site of the catastrophe and to successfully prevent an even bigger disaster that could have turned a large part of the European continent into an uninhabitable exclusion zone. This is their story.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Finest Hours?
The closest matches to The Finest Hours are Whalefall (2026), The 33 (2015) and Adrift (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Finest Hours?
People who watched The Finest Hours most often go on to Whalefall (2026), The 33 (2015) and Adrift (2018).
What is the highest-rated movie like The Finest Hours?
Tenzing (2026), rated 8.2/10 by 276 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Finest Hours?
Whalefall (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Finest Hours?
Yes: Whalefall (2026), The 33 (2015) and Adrift (2018).
How are movies similar to The Finest Hours chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Finest Hours, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.