There are so many movies out there that you’ll be surprised to find out how many of them feature yachts, and not just in the context you’re probably thinking of. Of course, we usually associate yachts with luxury, leisure, and a certain kind of lifestyle. If you’ve made it to this article, you might be reminiscing about a fun holiday you had some time ago, or considering vacationing somewhere on an island. But in the world of movies, yachts and big boats in general have assumed a variety of different meanings. Think of the ‘J/125’ Sailing Yacht in Top Gun: Maverick, which acts as a backdrop to the pilot’s first outing with a potential love interest and makes for some gorgeous, well-shot scenes in the water. And then, of course, there’s Jaws‘ infamous boat, the Orca, where one of the most famous scenes of the film takes place.
So whether you’re interested in the lifestyles of the rich and famous or considering a vacation on a yacht – for example, to feel like a superhero in an adventure movie on a yacht in the UAE if you charter a crewed yacht with Renty – we have you covered. We made a list of 5 movies that feature yachts that all belong to different genres, and where these boats are used for different purposes. Keep scrolling for the list below, in no particular order, including popular blockbusters, film festival award winners, and lesser known gems.
1. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
The ‘Aquarius’
The second film in Rian Johnson’s popular Knives Out franchise sees Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) join notorious tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) on his private Greek island. With him are four more guests, who’ve known Bron for a long time but who don’t necessarily know each other. Needless to say, a murder occurs, and it falls on Benoit Blanc to find out who did it.
If you’re familiar with the franchise, you know what to expect: the fun comes from watching the Detective investigate and slowly unpeel layers of the guests’ carefully constructed facades – just like the titular Glass Onion! – to finally get to the truth. In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, it ultimately comes down to the real nature of truth, the purpose served by (often self-appointed) disruptors, and how identities can be crafted and lead to deception.
Of course, this is an island, and our guests arrive in style. Miles Bron’s yacht is a real life, 150-foot luxury superyacht called the Aquarius. It was built in 2016, can accommodate 10 guests, and it’s currently operating. Fun fact: its real-life captain, Ali Göksoy, briefly appears in the film. As for the yacht itself, it’s where our guests meet each other for the first time, which serves as the perfect introduction to the themes of a movie whose characters are mostly defined by their wealth.
2. 6 Underground
The ‘Kismet’
This 2019 movie is #3 in our ranked list of films from filmmaker Michael Bay, and for good reason. This popular Netflix released is just as unhinged as the kind of film you’d expect from the Bad Boys II director, with the added benefit of taking place in many different locations around the world. The premise is simple but effective: six individuals, each from a different country and all sharing the same desire to rectify their pasts, join forces and form a vigilante team. Their mission? Staging a coup to take down a ruthless dictator.
Unlike the previous film on this list, you won’t find any in-depth commentary here. But if action movies are what you’re into, then you’ll love the energy and visual spectacle Bay has crafted here. Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco, Corey Hawkins are some of the many names that make up its all-star cast, and they all commit to their roles. As their respective characters, they find themselves in several locations, from Florence, Siena and Rome (Italy) to Dubai (UAE), Utah (USA), Budapest (Hungary) and fictional cities that all heighten the stakes of the movie.
The 95-meter superyacht Kismet is featured in many scenes that mostly take place in Taranto, Italy, making up the final act of the movie. We won’t spoil it here, but you should expect shootouts, mind games, explosions, and stunning interiors. The Kismet was renamed Whisper in 2023 when it was sold after the movie was filmed, but its previous owner, Shahid Khan, built a new yacht that he also called Kismet.
3. The Dark Knight
The ‘Royal Albatross’
It’s hard to keep a superhero’s identity a secret, especially when you’re a notorious billionaire with a reputation for throwing parties and behaving irresponsibly. But part of Bruce Wayne‘s (Christian Bale) strength is precisely that reputation, as not only does his frivolous lifestyle serve as a distraction from his nighttime adventures as Batman, but his wealth also helps fund his high-tech gear and gadgets.
Naturally, Bruce Wayne owns a private yacht, and it makes an appearance in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, the most acclaimed movie in the trilogy. It’s called the Royal Albatross, and it’s shown in a memorable scene where Bruce hosts a private party with the Russian ballet dancers as a way to find out more about Gotham City’s new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The Royal Albatross is more modest than the other yachts on this list, but it’s been revamped in the 2010s when it was bought by the titolar company after the movie was made, and it’s still operating to this day.
As for the film itself, when it comes to superhero movies, it doesn’t get much better than this. Heath Ledger is flawless as the Joker in his final role, joined by a talented cast of A-Listers such as Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Michael Cane – and, of course, Christian Bale as Batman. Both visually stunning and thematically rich, The Dark Knight excels in characterization and balances its themes really well, with enough rewarding scenes to make up for the darkness of its characters. Not to be missed!
4. The Island (2005)
The ‘Wallypower 118’
Here’s a fascinating one! The Island was a huge flop when it hit theaters in 2005, but it later acquired a cult following as audiences started to appreciate its timely themes and fun genre nods. The premise is intriguing: in a distant future, what’s left of humanity lives in an isolated compound with a strict set of rules to adhere to, and one dream only: leaving the compound and making it to the titular Island – the only place in the world what wasn’t contaminated by a deadly pathogen.
Of course, if you’ve ever seen a dystopian film, you’ll know this isn’t true, but the lies our residents have been told is a compelling one. Protagonists Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), and the people they call their friends, are all clones, bred by a company that was hired by billionaires looking for organs, but who aren’t completely aware of the clones’ existence. Somehow, Lincoln and Jordan manage to escape the facility and find out what’s going on; but how will they stay alive and earn their freedom in an unfamiliar world that wants to lock them back up?
One of the most compelling aspects of The Island is that the clones have somehow managed to retain memories of their original counterparts, despite the compound’s attempts to get rid of them. Lincoln Six Echo is the clone of a billionaire who loves sailing, and he finds himself having visions of a gorgeous, futuristic superyacht. It’s in one of the most interesting scenes of the movie that we found out that the yacht does exist – and of course, it does in real life too. It’s called the 118 WallyPower, and its futuristic design and high speed – conceived by designers Luca Bassani and Stefano Pastrovich, and architects Lazzarini Pickering – is still talked about to this day.
5. Triangle of Sadness
The ‘Christina O’
Let’s end this list with 2022 Cannes Palm d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness, from director Ruben Östlund. This satirical comedy is about a two models in a relationship (Harris Dickinson’s Carl and Charlbi Dean’s Yaya) who are asked to join a luxury cruise in exchange for social media promotion. There, they meet a series of guests, each with their quirks and peculiarities, and most of them not entirely pleasant. But what’s really interesting here is the contrast between the rich guests, who are demanding and spoilt, and the crew members, who are often ask to do things that don’t make sense for the guests’ entertainment.
The real twist takes place when a storm causes the yacht to crash on an island, and mayhem ensues, but we’ll let you discover that part on your own. As for the boat itself, the Christina O is very important in the movie as it sets the scene, acting as a microcosm where a different set of rules applies, almost as an alternative reality of sorts where everything is dictated by wealth.
The 99.15 metre superyacht actually used to be a warship: it was rebuilt by Greek magnate Aristotle Onassis after the Second World War, and has welcomed many movie stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo and Grace Kelly. The Christina O has since then being refurbished many times, but it still contains historical areas, like the bar that features prominently in Triangle of Sadness. Its history imbues the film with even more meaning, proving the importance of setting in film on a symbolic level too.
The five movies listed above all feature yachts. From eat-the-rich satires to entertaining action flicks, dystopian gems, intriguing whodunnits and even a superhero film, there’s something for everyone here, both in terms of storytelling and gorgeous boats with fascinating histories. Enjoy!