

Similar Films
Movies Like They Were Expendable
1945·135 min·Dir. John Ford·★ 7.2
DramaWar
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 told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.
Ranked by shared directors, cast, themes, genre, and era — not just generic recommendations.

Up the River
1930·1h 25m·★ 5.9·John Ford
2 shared crewDir. John FordDP: Joseph H. August

Mister Roberts
1955·2h 3m·★ 7.6·John Ford
Themes: navy, pacific warDir. John FordFans also liked

The Black Watch
1929·1h 32m·★ 5.6·John Ford
2 shared crewDir. John FordDP: Joseph H. August

Operation Pacific
1951·1h 51m·★ 6.6·George Waggner
Themes: pearl harbor, pacific warBoth star John Wayne & Ward BondFans also liked

The Informer
1935·1h 31m·★ 7.3·John Ford
2 shared crewDir. John FordDP: Joseph H. August

The Whole Town's Talking
1935·1h 33m·★ 7.3·John Ford
2 shared crewDir. John FordDP: Joseph H. August

Mary of Scotland
1936·2h 3m·★ 6.3·John Ford
2 shared crewDir. John FordDP: Joseph H. August

Back to Bataan
1945·1h 35m·★ 6.6·Edward Dmytryk
Themes: philippines, bataanFans also likedStarring John Wayne

The Brat
1931·1h 5m·★ 6.1·John Ford
2 shared crewDir. John FordDP: Joseph H. August

The Thin Red Line
1998·2h 51m·★ 7.6·Terrence Malick
Themes: pacific theater, pacific warFans also likedDrama & War

Midway
1976·2h 12m·★ 6.8·Jack Smight
Themes: pacific theater, pacific warFans also likedDrama & War

Midway
2019·2h 18m·★ 6.7·Roland Emmerich
Themes: pacific theater, pacific warFans also liked

Pearl Harbor
2001·3h 3m·★ 6.3·Michael Bay
Themes: pearl harbor, pacific warFans also liked

The Final Countdown
1980·1h 43m·★ 6.7·Don Taylor
Themes: pearl harbor, pacific warFans also liked

Apocalypse Now
1979·2h 27m·★ 8.4·Francis Ford Coppola
TMDB recommendsDrama & War

Saving Private Ryan
1998·2h 49m·★ 8.6·Steven Spielberg
TMDB recommendsWar & Drama

The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957·2h 42m·★ 8.1·David Lean
TMDB recommendsDrama & War

Hear the Silence
2016·1h 34m·★ 5.9·Ed Ehrenberg
TMDB recommendsDrama & War

The Great Dictator
1940·2h 5m·★ 8.4·Charlie Chaplin
TMDB recommends

Rosemary's Baby
1968·2h 18m·★ 8.0·Roman Polanski
TMDB recommends
How Good Is They Were Expendable?
Ratings across IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and TMDB, plus our verdict.
Consensus
6.9Well Received
Score Breakdown
★ TMDB6.5
★ IMDb7.2
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes (Critics)N/A
◆ MetacriticN/A
The Verdict
Yes, Worth Watching
Related Collections
Find More