Overview
Experience the harrowing journey of a crew trapped beneath the waves during a pivotal moment in history.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- claustrophobic
- oppressive
- harrowing
- serious movie night
- historical film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a taut, breathtakingly thrilling, devastatingly intelligent, and exceptionally authentic submarine war film.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nearly the entire mission unfolds inside the cramped, airless U-boat, making machinery, depth, and limited space sources of constant tension.
The crew’s boredom, filth, technical work, panic, and endurance receive as much attention as their attacks and evasive maneuvers.
The submariners strive to maintain professionalism while confronting the ideology and government for which they are fighting.
Creaking metal, machinery, darkness, cramped compartments, and highly detailed submarine sets create an unusually tactile wartime environment.
Films like Das Boot, and why
The Enemy Below
shares claustrophobic military suspense, submarine warfare, and psychologically immersive realism
The Thin Red Line
shares World War II combat realism, moral complexity, and an ensemble under extreme pressure
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
shares ocean-bound military tension, procedural authenticity, and the human cost of duty
Movie Details
- Director
- Wolfgang Petersen
- Release Date
- 1981-09-17
- Runtime
- 150 min
- Rating
- 8.1 / 10 (2648)
Cast
- Jürgen Prochnow
- Herbert Grönemeyer
- Klaus Wennemann
- Hubertus Bengsch
- Martin Semmelrogge
- Bernd Tauber
- Erwin Leder
- Martin May
- Heinz Hoenig
- Uwe Ochsenknecht
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Das Boot about?
- A German U-boat crew endures terror, exhaustion, and ideological conflict during a near-impossible 1942 Atlantic mission.
- What is Das Boot like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Das Boot as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Das Boot violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Das Boot as graphic.
- What did critics think of Das Boot?
- Critics broadly regard it as a taut, breathtakingly thrilling, devastatingly intelligent, and exceptionally authentic submarine war film.
- Which films are like Das Boot?
- Films with a similar feel include The Enemy Below, The Thin Red Line, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
- How long is Das Boot?
- Das Boot runs 150 minutes.
- Where can I watch Das Boot?
- In United States, Das Boot streams on fuboTV, Howdy Amazon Channel.
