This World War 2 Movie Masterpiece Is So Good, It Got A 4-Part Sequel 37 Years Later

Published Nov 10, 2026, 11:55 AM EST

Karlis has been obsessing over television and movie news since he first learned how to read. He has worked in tech, as a musician, and in journalism with a well-rounded knowledge base of pop-culture throughout the eras. He claims that he has memorized the entire Internet Movie Database, and to date no one has been able to refute this.
Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University, Karlis loves to examine the intersections of popular science-fiction and culture. His latest novel MASS. is available now on Amazon and examines a world where obesity has become a federal crime.

There have been plenty of great war movies produced over the years, but few have been strong enough to remain so culturally important nearly forty years after release that they spawn a sequel television series. The best war movies generally tell standalone stories, not focusing on the continuations that franchise filmmaking often sees as essential to the industry.

Still, there have been a few strong war movie sequels. Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is arguably the best example of this, presented less as a direct follow-up and more as a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers. With the real-life grounding of war stories, a format like this actually makes sense for continuing these stories.

Another great example is the recent Masters of the Air, a sequel of sorts to HBO's Band of Brothers​​​​​. While the shows are not connected by characters, the shared settings and creative voices behind these projects have been able to lead to some interconnected war storytelling. This has helped to elevate both series.

With all of that said, there is one fantastic example of a perfect war film that has received a powerful follow-up that serves as a strong sequel to its main story.

The legacy of that stunning 1981 West German film has only grown stronger in the decades since its release, which has made both the film and the show essential viewing experiences.

Das Boot Remains A Classic WW2 Movie

The 1981 movie Das Boot remains an influential classic World War II film even all these decades later. Launching the career of Wolfgang Petersen, this stunning film tells the story of a German submarine crew in 1941 during a harrowing fight at sea. Steeped with raw humanity, the film remains beloved.

A smart and thoughtful drama, Das Boot is largely considered to be one of the strongest anti-war films ever made for how it captures the human element of warfare's terrible destruction. The film effectively captures feelings of claustrophobia and terror throughout its story, and does a powerful job of crafting richly textured characters.

War is a terrifying and destructive thing, and the film does not look to valorize any of its participants for their heroism. Instead, the unique submarine setting of Das Boot allows it to tell a harrowing and emotional story that draws from Lothar-Günther Buchheim's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name that depicts the raw intensity of warfare.

A stunning experience, Das Boot is an essential watch for its sharp construction, powerful script, and bold characterizations, even all of these decades later. The film's legacy has remained so important that it has even launched a television series that has only served to make it better.

Das Boot's TV Show Makes It Even Better

Beginning in 2018, a fantastic television series sequel to Das Boot was produced by the German company Bavaria Fiction and initially aired on Sky One. Based on the sequel novel by Buchheim, entitled Die Festung, or The Fortress, the series picked up the action one year later, beginning its story in 1942.

The television series follows another submarine and other conflicts in the war with different characters, but preserves the tone and tension of the original film. Over the course of four seasons, which initially ran until 2023, the series added fantastic additional detail and contemplation that complemented the antiwar outlook of the initial film.

The series was well received and also served as a great introduction to the film Das Boot for many audiences. Adding additional texture, with updated effects and the stunning visuals of a large-scale production, the tremendous series has only served to uplift the original film.

Granted, the show is not yet available in full domestically. After the first season was released on Hulu in 2019, it wasn't until 2026 that Das Boot found distribution for its remaining seasons. The streamer MHz Choice will now release season 3 on the service beginning on November 10, and season 4 will be available there on a future date.

War stories are often difficult to watch, and Das Boot is no exception, with its thoughtful contemplations on the horrors of warfare. However, the overall story that the 1981 film and 2018 television series provide when combined is as compelling as it is important.

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  Herbert Grönemeyer

  Lieutenant Werner

• Jürgen Prochnow

  Lieutenant 'Der Alte'