Movies like Search for the Submarine I-52 (2000)
The best movies like Search for the Submarine I-52 (2000) are Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), The Deepest Breath (2023) and The Finest Hours (2016). If Search for the Submarine I-52 hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMy Octopus Teacher (2020)7.9/10 from 1,115 votes
- NewestOcean with David Attenborough (2025)Released 2025
Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
With a team of the world's foremost historic and marine experts as well as friend Bill Paxton, James Cameron embarks on an unscripted adventure back to the wreck of the Titanic where nearly 1,500 souls lost their lives almost a century ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Deepest Breath (2023)
Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Finest Hours (2016)
The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Octopus Teacher (2020)
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisEasy Come, Easy Go (1967)
Navy frogman Ted Jackson balances his time between twin careers as a deep-sea diver and nightclub singer. During a dive, Ted spots sunken treasure and returns with the hope to retrieve it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeep Blue (2003)
Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAtlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
A young linguist named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Navigator (1924)
The wealthy and impulsive Rollo Treadway decides to propose to his beautiful socialite neighbor, Betsy O'Brien. Although Betsy turns Rollo down, he still opts to go on the cruise that he intended as their honeymoon. When circumstances find both Rollo and Betsy on the wrong ship, they end up having adventures on the high seas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMysterious Island (1961)
During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers, and to devise a way to return home. Sequel to '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' .
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLast Breath (2019)
A commercial diver is stranded on the seabed with only five minutes of oxygen supply, but with no chance of rescue for more than 30 minutes. With access to amazing archival footage, this is the true story of one man’s impossible fight for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Sea Wolf (1941)
Shipwrecked fugitives try to escape a brutal sea captain who's losing his mind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cruel Sea (1953)
At the start of World War II, Cmdr. Ericson is assigned to convoy escort HMS Compass Rose with inexperienced officers and men just out of training. The winter seas make life miserable enough, but the men must also harden themselves to rescuing survivors of U-Boat attacks, while seldom able to strike back. Traumatic events afloat and ashore create a warm bond between the skipper and his first officer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLifeboat (1944)
During World War II, a small group of survivors is stranded in a lifeboat together after the ship they were traveling on is destroyed by a German U-boat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Enemy Below (1957)
The crew of the American destroyer escort, the USS Haynes, detects a German U-Boat—resulting in a prolonged, deadly battle of wits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlueback (2022)
Based on the best-selling novel by Tim Winton, Blueback is a timely tale about the ocean, a beautiful marine creature, and a young girl’s power to change the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOcean with David Attenborough (2025)
David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisChronicle Mysteries: Vines that Bind (2019)
The latest edition of Alex McPherson’s true crime podcast leads her and most of the Chronicle staff to nearby Macklin, where they investigate the death of a vintner that was ruled an accident by the local police.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Search for the Submarine I-52?
The closest matches to Search for the Submarine I-52 are Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), The Deepest Breath (2023) and The Finest Hours (2016). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Search for the Submarine I-52?
Start with Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), the closest match to Search for the Submarine I-52.
What is the highest-rated movie like Search for the Submarine I-52?
My Octopus Teacher (2020), rated 7.9/10 by 1,115 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Search for the Submarine I-52?
Ocean with David Attenborough (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Search for the Submarine I-52?
Yes: Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), The Deepest Breath (2023) and The Finest Hours (2016).
How are movies similar to Search for the Submarine I-52 chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Search for the Submarine I-52, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.