We discuss 5 Sea Based Horror Movies like The Rig. Add these worthy recommendations to your watch list!
The Rig is a supernatural base under siege drama that aired on Prime Video on January 6th, 2023. The psychological horror is set on a remote Scottish oil rig, the first Prime series to film in Scotland, and follows the terror of a crew that is stranded on the rig when an unknown mysterious fog rolls in and cuts them off from the mainland.
As whatever force starts to infiltrate the offshore base, the crew starts to spiral into madness. This show looks set to be a real thrill ride, with a great cast and production team on board, including Line of Duty director John Strickland and actor Martin Compston.
We thought we would take a little time to find some similar movie premises to whet your appetite, so welcome to this short list of soggy tales of terror, just like The Rig.
5 Sea Based Horror Movies like The Rig
Ghost Ship (2002)
A salvage crew discovers a lost ship in the Bering Sea and investigates. The ship went missing in 1962 and was a passenger ocean voyager. In the opening scene, a terrible accident leaves the crew and passengers dead, except for young Katie who survives the bizarre incident. When the salvage team makes it on board they find nine crates of gold bullion.
However, there are supernatural forces at work and the team’s own boat is destroyed, stranding them on the ghost ship. Their only option is to repair the stranded liner, but apparitions and specters start to bring havoc and disaster to the crew, and things start to spiral out of control. Like The Rig, we seem to find a crew being attacked by a supernatural force, so although the film was critically panned at the time, this might be a good time for a rewatch.
Sphere (1998)
Directed by Barry Levinson, and with a star-studded cast including Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone, this is a mind-bending sci-fi horror that was based on a book by Michael Crichton. When what looks like a spaceship is found on the bed of the Pacific Ocean, speculation is rife about its origin and purpose.
Is it from the past, the present, or the future? Who made it and why? Is it of alien origin? So many questions, and eventually lots of answers, as a team of investigators are sent to figure out what is going on. There is plenty of twists and turns in this psychological sci-fi thriller, but not many scares. Once again, not critically praised, and the general feeling is the cast may have been wasted on the material.
Dead Calm (1989)
Once again, this sea-based thriller has an A-list cast including Nicole Kidman, Sam Neil, and Billy Zane, with direction from Philip Noyce. John and his wife Rae are spending time away at sea after a personal tragedy.
However, they come across a schooner that is in trouble and end up with a stranger coming on board their yacht in need of help. The man, played by Zane, says the rest of the passengers on board have died from food poisoning.
However, something is not right and when John finds evidence of foul play, a deadly game of cat and mouse on the open sea takes place, as the couple fights for their lives. Based on a book by Charles Williams, this tense thriller has some great performances from the small cast, and a couple of tense moments, worth a watch.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Directed and co-written by Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse is a cult classic that would perplex and fascinate film fans on its limited release. Pretty much a two-hander with Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, it finds two 19th-century lighthouse keepers that are stranded on their lighthouse due to a terrible storm.
The film is hard to define, some would say it is a horror, others argue it is a tale of survival and psychological drama, but it certainly caught the imagination of film fans everywhere. The top-notch performances and striking black-and-white visuals make this a treat visually, and although possibly too dense, this unsettling film experience is one to watch.
The Fog (1980)
John Carpenter and Debra Hill wanted to try something different after Halloween, and The Fog became a labor of love for the team. However, plagued with poor test screenings and a film company that felt it needed more scares, the film was reworked into the classic and claustrophobic horror film we know and love today.
With ghostly pirates, a malignant fog, and a town under siege from supernatural forces, this is very in line with The Rig and possibly our top recommendation in this list. It would be remade in 2005, but please, don’t watch it unless you have to. Stick with the original, then get ready for The Rig on January 6th.
Do you have any other sea-based horror movies that we can add to our list like The Rig? We would love to hear from you below.
