10 80s Movie Hidden Gems You Can Watch On Netflix

There are only a handful of great World War 2 movies which focus the German military forces and seek to humanize their experiences. Sam Peckinpah's 1987 movie Cross Of Iron is one such film; another is Das Boot, Wolfgang Peterson's epic film set almost entirely in the belly of a German U-boat and released in cinemas in 1981.

Das Boot is available in two versions, and it's the truncated theatrical release, rather than the full TV series released in 1985, which is available for viewing on Netflix. Starring Jürgen Prochnow as Kapitänleutnant, it's a claustrophobic fictionalized portrait of life in a U-boat during the war's conflict on and under the waves of the Atlantic ocean in 1943.

Das Boot features some truly breathtaking set pieces, enhanced by crisp cinematography and incredible production design which draws the audiences into the bowels of the boat, heightening the tension as the Allied forces close in on their prey and the crew become increasingly desperate to survive.

Peterson received an Academy Award nomination for his efforts, and would later go on to make a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including The NeverEnding Story and, more appropriately, Poseidon.