10 Best Submarine Movies You Probably Haven't Seen
8. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
One of Wes Anderson's less appreciated films, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou bombed at the box office when it was released in 2004 and received very average reviews from critics. Since then however, while it doesn't hold a candle to Anderson's best works, it nonetheless garnered the acclaim that it deserved.
The film follows Steve Zissou (regular Anderson collaborator Bill Murray) who takes to his submarine to find the "jaguar shark" that ate his partner, and exact revenge. Along the way he meets a variety of colourful characters played by the likes of Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Cate Blanchett.
For fans of Anderson's whimsical sense of irony and delectable style, The Life Aquatic offers up much in the way of entertainment. It often proves insightful as well, the underwater setting used as an opportunity to see how fragile human life can really be. The film is a comedic homage to the famed deep sea diver Jacques Cousteau. Anderson specifically dedicated the film to the French explorer, who died in 1997.
The now cult favourite was written by Anderson and Noah Baumbach, who would work with Anderson again on Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).