A harrowing World War II disaster story met with critical failure on the screen

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 2016 film USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage attempted to dramatize the tragic sinking of a heavy cruiser in the Philippine Sea. Despite consulting survivors and using historical vessels for production, the movie was panned by critics for its lack of subtlety, unconvincing effects, and failure to capture the story's gravity.

In July 1945, the USS Indianapolis was returning from Tinian after delivering components for the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima. While crossing the Philippine Sea, the unescorted cruiser was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58. Of the 1,197 people on board, approximately 300 perished during the sinking. The remaining survivors endured five days in shark-infested waters, suffering from exposure, dehydration, salt water poisoning, and shark attacks before being spotted by a PBY Catalina.

The film, directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Nicolas Cage as Captain Charles B. McVay III, sought to honor the crew's bravery. Production involved significant logistical efforts, including filming aboard the museum ship USS Alabama and using vintage aircraft. However, the project struggled with technical mishaps, such as the destruction of a PBY-6A Catalina seaplane during production in Orange Beach, Alabama. Critics ultimately dismissed the final product as slapdash, citing poor special effects and a leaden narrative that failed to do justice to the historical tragedy.

Beyond the cinematic failure, the film highlights the controversial legacy of Captain McVay. Following the disaster, the US Navy court-martialed McVay for failing to zigzag, despite evidence and testimony from the Japanese submarine commander that exonerated him. The pressure from the media and the families of the deceased led McVay to commit suicide in 1968. It was not until 2000 that President Bill Clinton posthumously cleared his name of all charges, a resolution noted in the film's postscript.

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