Movies Like Knife in the Water (1962)

Knife in the Water is a 1962 drama, thriller film from Roman Polanski with a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Dead Calm and White Squall.

Drama Thriller

Dead Calm

1989

An Australian couple takes a sailing trip in the Pacific to get over the recent loss of their son. While on the open sea, they come across a sinking ship with one survivor who is not at all what he seems.

6.6

MagicScore

White Squall

1996

In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.

6.3

MagicScore

Reaper

2014

Criminals and a beautiful but cunning hitchhiker must battle a supernatural force known as the Reaper.

5.4

MagicScore

Mazes and Monsters

1982

Bound together by a desire to play "Mazes and Monsters," Robbie and his four college classmates decide to move the board game into the local cavern. Robbie loses his mind, and the line between reality and fantasy fuse into a harrowing nightmare.

4.2

MagicScore

Double Jeopardy

1999

Libby Parsons, wrongly convicted for her husband Nick's murder, thinks he is still alive and wants to settle the score and find their son. As she has been tried for the crime, she cannot be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills Nick.

6.6

MagicScore

True Spirit

2023

When the tenacious young sailor Jessica Watson sets out to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world, many expect her to fail. With the support of her sailing coach and mentor Ben Bryant and her parents, Jessica is determined to accomplish what was thought to be impossible, navigating some of the world’s most challenging stretches of ocean over the course of 210 days.

7.0

MagicScore

Summer '04

2006

A character study of a family on vacation. The emotional abyss and problems are behind the seemingly nice facade of an intact family as they experience guilt, love, and jealousy.

5.7

MagicScore

The Jewel of the Nile

1985

Joan Wilder is thrust back into a world of murder, chases, foreign intrigue... and love. This time out she's duped by a duplicitous Arab dignitary who brings her to the Middle East, ostensibly to write a book about his life. Of course, he's up to no good, and Joan is just another pawn in his wicked game. But Jack Colton and his sidekick Ralph show up to help our intrepid heroine save the day.

6.2

MagicScore

Purple Noon

1960

Tom Ripley is a talented mimic, moocher, forger and all-around criminal improviser; but there's more to Tom Ripley than even he can guess.

7.6

MagicScore

#10

Wild Things

1998

When teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan and troubled bad girl Suzie Toller accuse guidance counselor Sam Lombardo of rape, he's suspended by the school, rejected by the town, and fighting to get his life back. One cop suspects conspiracy, but nothing is what it seems...

6.4

MagicScore

#11

Summer of 85

2020

What do you dream of when you're 16-years-old and in a seaside resort in Normandy in the 1980s? A best friend? A lifelong teen pact? Scooting off on adventures on a boat or a motorbike? Living life at breakneck speed? No. You dream of death. Because you can't get a bigger kick than dying. And that's why you save it till the very end. The summer holidays are just beginning, and this story recounts how Alexis grew into himself.

7.4

MagicScore

#12

Mutiny on the Bounty

1935

Fletcher Christian successfully leads a revolt against the ruthless Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. However, Bligh returns one year later, hell bent on revenge.

7.4

MagicScore

#13

Charlie St. Cloud

2010

Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud has the adoration of his mother Claire and his little brother Sam, as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. After high school classmate Tess returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made four years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. As he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.

7.0

MagicScore

#14

Adrift

2018

Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp couldn't anticipate that they would be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope of rescue, Tami must now find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.

6.8

MagicScore

#15

The Bounty

1984

The familiar story of Lieutenant Bligh, whose cruelty leads to a mutiny on his ship. This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian to get his men beyond the reach of British retribution, and the epic voyage of Lieutenant Bligh to get his loyalists safely to East Timor in a tiny lifeboat.

6.7

MagicScore

#16

Styx

2018

Rike is forty, a successful doctor whose job demands everything of her. She intends to use her much-needed annual holiday to fulfill her long-cherished dream of sailing alone from Gibraltar to Ascension, a small tropical island in the middle of the Atlantic. Her desire for a carefree holiday seems to be coming to pass but then, after a storm, her beautiful adventure suddenly turns into an unprecedented challenge when she spots a badly damaged, hopelessly overloaded refugee boat nearby.

6.3

MagicScore

#17

Captains Courageous

1996

Harvey Cheyne, Jr., second richest person in the world, orphaned and spoiled rotten, encounters a cigar and the sea on his way to England for boarding school. Seasick, over the rail for real, rescued by Dan Troop of a Gloucester fishing sailboat. Three months at sea, under a firm but fair Captain Troop (fair wages of $10.50 a month, if you don't work you don't eat). A hard life and a dangerous one, and a lot of growing up to do through hardship and tragedy.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Message in a Bottle

1999

A woman finds a romantic letter in a bottle washed ashore and tracks down the author, a widowed shipbuilder whose wife died tragically early. As a deep and mutual attraction blossoms, the man struggles to make peace with his past so that he can move on and find happiness.

6.3

MagicScore

#19

Wind

1992

In 1983, yacht sailor Will Parker leads an American crew financed by millionaire Morgan Weld to defeat during the America's Cup race against an Australian crew. Determined to get the prize back, Will convinces Morgan to finance an experimental boat designed by his ex-girlfriend Kate's new beau, Joe Heisler. When the boat is completed, the Americans head to Australia to reclaim the cup.

6.1

MagicScore

#20

Jaws 2

1978

Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

6.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Knife in the Water?

The top films similar to Knife in the Water by MovieMagicScore are Dead Calm (6.6), White Squall (6.3), Reaper (5.4). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Knife in the Water worth watching?

Knife in the Water holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10 from 452 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Knife in the Water?

Knife in the Water (1962) is a drama, thriller film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, Zygmunt Malanowicz.

Where can I find more recommendations like Knife in the Water?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Dead Calm Movies like White Squall Movies like Reaper Movies like Mazes and Monsters Movies like Double Jeopardy Movies like True Spirit

About movies like Knife in the Water

This ranked list pairs Knife in the Water (1962), a drama and thriller film from Roman Polanski, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Leon Niemczyk take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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