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Movies like A Boat to the Beach (1985)

The best movies like A Boat to the Beach (1985) are Behold a Pale Horse (1964), Jacknife (1989) and Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989). If A Boat to the Beach hooked you with its war, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Behold a Pale Horse (1964)

    Manuel Artiguez, a famous bandit during the Spanish civil war, has lived in French exile for 20 years. When his mother is dying he considers visiting her secretly in his Spanish home town. But his biggest enemy, the Spanish police officer Vinolas, prepared a trap at the hospital as a chance to finally catch Artiguez.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  2. Jacknife (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 war

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  3. Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989)

    During the Iran-Iraq War, young Bashu loses his home and family. Orphaned, he sneaks into a truck leaving the area, and gets off in the Northern country, where everything from landscape to language is different. He meets Naii, trying to raise her two young children on a farm while her husband is away. Despite cultural differences and a language barrier, Bashu and Naii slowly form a strong bond.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  4. Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)

    An American Army officer is recruited by the yet to exist Israel to help them form an army. He is disturbed by this sudden appeal to his Jewish heritage. Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country as soon as partition is granted. He is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  5. Waiting for Anya (2020)

    During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  6. Jarhead: Law of Return (2019)

    Major Ronan Jackson, an accomplished fighter pilot for the Israel Defense Forces and son of a U.S. Senator, is shot down while flying through Syrian airspace. After miraculously surviving the crash, Jackson is taken captive by a group of Hezbollah militiamen. A squad of elite soldiers, led by Gunnery Sergeant Dave Torres, risk their own lives in the hopes of saving an ally they've never met.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  7. The One That Got Away (1957)

    Based on the true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war captured in Britain to escape back to Germany during the Second World War.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  8. Bunker (2023)

    Trapped in a bunker during World War I, a group of soldiers are faced with an ungodly presence that slowly turns them against each other.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  9. The Yellow Birds (2018)

    Two young soldiers, Bartle and Murph, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  10. Hell Hath No Fury (2021)

    Branded a traitor by her countrymen, French national Marie DuJardin is rescued by American soldiers on one condition: to survive, she must lead them to a cache of gold - before the Nazis return to claim it for themselves.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  11. The 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 war

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  12. The Beast of War (1988)

    During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  13. The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970)

    During World War II, Italian villagers hide their wine from the German army.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  14. Outlaws - For Greater Glory (2012)

    A chronicle of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's attempt to secularize the country.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Cloak and Dagger (1946)

    Italian partisans help a professor sent by the OSS to find an atomic scientist held by Nazis.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  16. Battleground (1949)

    Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues, perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  17. The Kill Team (2019)

    When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  18. Stop-Loss (2008)

    A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  19. Men in War (1957)

    In Korea, on 6 September 1950, Lieutenant Benson's platoon finds itself isolated in enemy-held territory after a retreat. Soon they are joined by Sergeant Montana, whose overriding concern is caring for his catatonic colonel. Benson and Montana can't stand each other, but together they must get the survivors to Hill 465, where they hope the division is waiting. It's a long, harrowing march, fraught with all the dangers the elusive enemy can summon.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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  20. Field of Lost Shoes (2015)

    A group of teenage cadets sheltered from war at the Virginia Military Institute must confront the horrors of an adult world when they are called upon to defend the Shenandoah Valley.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war

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Like A Boat to the Beach and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like A Boat to the Beach?

The closest matches to A Boat to the Beach are Behold a Pale Horse (1964), Jacknife (1989) and Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after A Boat to the Beach?

Start with Behold a Pale Horse (1964), the closest match to A Boat to the Beach.

What is the highest-rated movie like A Boat to the Beach?

The Beast of War (1988), rated 7.1/10 by 231 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like A Boat to the Beach?

Bunker (2023) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to A Boat to the Beach chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside A Boat to the Beach, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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