On the Beach

1959 "The Biggest Story of Our Time!"
7.1| 2h14m| en
Details

In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!
InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
prateekcertain 'On the Beach' has a great premise to work with - a town ignoring the impending radioactive doom creeping and strolling slowly with the winds of the ocean towards it, and a navy team with a submarine that does not want to suspend the cloak of importance of their duties. The scenes of tranquil and playfulness are especially well-made and has the bittersweet comfort of ignorance in helplessness. The exploration of the vacant landscapes of American shores and harbours is unnerving. I did enjoy the reactions of most of the people to their eventual demise. What really disturbs the story is the ill-paced romance aspects. If they had spent more time with people coping (or not coping) in these strange circumstances instead of the romance plots, this could have been a classic. It was evident that the movie was not about the nuclear catastrophe itself, but how the Australian town reacts to it. But it takes a while to pick up. The party scene at the beginning of the film, for example, is extremely boring and not essential.
halingei I saw this movie when it 1st came out. I was like no other I had ever seen. The cinema was full. We all left in absolute SILENCE! Much better than later versions.
Richie-67-485852 The movie has a sadness to it and it is done very well. You get to see what it is like when there is no hope and pending death caused by humans mishandling the planet and each other. Its talky but if you pay attention, you figure out what is going on even though it is slow at times. A very touching scene of people all enjoying themselves each their own, knowing they are going to die, in a public setting while a bunch of folks sing Waltzing Matilda a cherished Australian folk song. At one poignant scene, it becomes a focal point and if you can hold back your tears from being moved, you are a better man than I but at a loss for it. The stars do their duty, our imaginations are activated, and we realize in the end that if what the movie is saying is true, you are now seeing the last of mankind. Thus, the sadness and loneliness that will now inhabit this part of the Solar System from now on. Snack for sure, always a tasty drink and reflect on the message of the movie
Kendell Davenport I love the book. It is simply told yet deeply moving, and the characters feel like real people we all could know.But the movie, in spite of its skilled cast falls far short. Each of the characters has a unique way of dealing with the crises at hand, which forces their emotions into the background, but only just below the surface. But only the two female leads, Moira and Mary, bring this out in their performances. The male leads are all too uptight, with the emotion which should be boiling just below the surface held too much in check. As the actors themselves are terrific in other roles, I blame the director...But the real failure in this movie is the musical score. It relies nearly entirely on "Waltzing Matilda" and fails miserably to convey any drama or sense of emotion relating to the individual scenes. Worse, it becomes downright annoying by the end.This is a great story, and I hope it gets remade someday because this version was a huge letdown.