Movies Like Norman Alley's Bombing of the U.S.S. Panay

If you liked Norman Alley's Bombing of the U.S.S. Panay (1937), a movie directed by Charles E. Ford, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Sand Pebbles (1966)
★ 7.2/10
Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with…
2
Nanking (2007)
★ 7.1/10
The story of the rape of Nanking, one of the most tragic events in history. In 1937, the invading Japanese army murdered over 200,000 and raped tens of thousands of Chinese. In the midst of this horror, a small group…
3
Shanghai (2010)
★ 6.1/10
An American man returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the death, he falls in love and discovers a…
4
Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
★ 7.2/10
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
5
Seaspiracy (2021)
★ 7.8/10
Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers an alarming global conspiracy.
6
Room 237 (2012)
★ 6.1/10
A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation…
7
Sidney (2022)
★ 6.9/10
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
8
Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
★ 7.1/10
Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).
9
Destination Tokyo (1943)
★ 6.9/10
During World War II, Captain Cassidy and his crew of submariners are ordered into Tokyo Bay on a secret mission. They are to gather information in advance of the planned bombing of Tokyo. Along the way, the crew learn…
10
They Were Expendable (1945)
★ 6.5/10
After a demonstration of new PT boats, Navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are…
11
Ocean with David Attenborough (2025)
★ 8.1/10
David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral…
12
The Trials of Cate McCall (2013)
★ 6.4/10
In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.
13
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
★ 6.6/10
When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.
14
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998)
★ 7.2/10
Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even…
15
A Toxic Love Story (2026)
★ 6.4/10
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
16
Sight (2023)
★ 6.4/10
Ming Wang is an impoverished Chinese prodigy who flees Communist China to become a pioneering eye surgeon in America. When tasked with restoring the sight of an orphan in India, who was blinded by her stepmother, Wang…
17
The Battle of Midway (1942)
★ 5.9/10
The Japanese attack on Midway in June 1942, filmed as it happened. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, in 2006.
18
Overboard (2018)
★ 6.7/10
A spoiled, wealthy yacht owner is thrown overboard and becomes the target of revenge from his mistreated employee.
19
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
★ 7.2/10
In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot…
20
Plunder Road (1957)
★ 6.9/10
A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.