The Cruel Sea

Name: The Cruel Sea
Genre: Drama, History, War
Released: 1953-02-24
Duration: 2 h 6 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Jack Hawkins, Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliott, John Stratton, Stanley Baker

1953·Movie·NR·126 min·★ 7.0(81)

DramaHistoryWarMore English titles

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.

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Where to watch The Cruel Sea in United States

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Click a service to open The Cruel Sea there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is The Cruel Sea streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	BFI Player Amazon Channel, Kanopy	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	—	Apple TV Store
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Molotov TV	—
Spain	Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads	—
South Korea	Watcha	—

About The Cruel Sea

The Cruel Sea is a 1953 English-language drama, history and war film directed by Charles Frend. The cast is led by Jack Hawkins, Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliott. It has a runtime of 2h 6m. Viewers rate it 7.0/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on BFI Player Amazon Channel, Kanopy.

The Cruel Sea was produced by Ealing Studios and Michael Balcon Productions and made in United Kingdom. It was released on February 24, 1953, and carries a NR certification.

Director: Charles Frend
Writers: Eric Ambler
Release date: February 24, 1953
Original language: English
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: United Kingdom
Production: Ealing Studios, Michael Balcon Productions

#sea#submarine#atlantic ocean#world war ii#naval officer#commander#royal navy#black and white#docudrama#sinking ship#naval warfare#battle of the atlantic

The Cruel Sea cast & crew

The Cruel Sea was directed by Charles Frend and written by Eric Ambler.

The cast features Jack Hawkins as Ericson, Donald Sinden as Lockhart, Denholm Elliott as Morell, John Stratton as Ferraby, Stanley Baker as Bennett, and Liam Redmond as Watts.

Behind the camera, cinematography is by Gordon Dines and it was produced by Leslie Norman.

Is The Cruel Sea worth watching?

The Cruel Sea holds an audience score of 7.0/10 from 81 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

At 2h 6m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, history, and war, The Cruel Sea is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Cruel Sea

In United States, you can stream The Cruel Sea on BFI Player Amazon Channel and Kanopy, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.