10 Best Submarine Movies You Probably Haven't Seen

10. U-571 (2000)

Starring Matthew McConaughey and Bill Paxton among others, U-571 follows an American submarine crew who board a German U-boat to steal an Enigma cipher machine. At the time the film was praised for an interesting plot and some impressive cinematography, visuals being a key part of any convincing submarine adventure. Within confined spaces, director Jonathan Mostow and cinematographer Oliver Wood work well together to offer some dynamic, deliberate camera work, the closed walls atmosphere of a submarine being used to full effect.

While the film depicts no specific historical effect, its storyline still came under some criticism. The first enigma machine was captured by the British in 1941, some three years before American forces managed to aquire one. In fact, the first Enigma machine was taken from the Germans months before the Americans ever entered World War Two. Such was the anger that then Prime Minister Tony Blair called the film an "affront" to British sailers.

One of U-571's most memorable aspects is a stellar cast. Asides McConaughey and Paxton, Harvey Keitel, David Keith and Jon Bon Jovi also appear as major characters. Mostow, meanwhile, would go on to direct Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines three years later.