I am not so sure if I believe that the way we assume pirates talk is really the most authentic way to speak on National Talk Like a Pirate Day, which falls on September 19th in 2023. However, thanks to some of the best pirate movies – such as Hook and Treasure Island – we can speak with a thick, gravelly British accent and add “Arghhhh” at the end of every sentence when imagining the life of a buccaneer during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Perhaps instead of trying to adopt the proper affectation ourselves, we can see how well the professionals do it by streaming the following high-seas adventures. We shall start with the franchise that resurrected the pirate genre from Davy Jones’ Locker.
The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies (2003-2017)
Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) helps break the curse upon his old ship’s crew, enlists Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann’s (Keira Knightley) help to break his own curse, battles for the future of piracy, searches for the Fountain of Youth, and then races to find Poseidon’s Trident before a cursed pirate crew can. That’s a lot of adventuring!
Why they are some of the best pirate movies: Inspired by the popular Disneyland attraction of the same name, the five action-packed, visually impressive Pirates of the Caribbean movies are what made swashbuckling adventures cool again after a long dormancy on the big screen.
Stream the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Disney+.
Rent or buy the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Amazon.
Buy the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Cutthroat Island (1995)
A resilient, female buccaneer (Academy Award winner Geena Davis) and her servant (Matthew Modine) race to find the location of famed treasures before her ruthless uncle (Academy Award nominee Frank Langella) can get his hands on it.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: It was been assumed that what caused pirate movies to go dormant on the big screen is director Renny Harlin’s 1995 action-comedy flop, Cutthroat Island, but it is looked back on fondly today for Davis’ heroic lead performance, John Debney’s sweeping score, and the relentlessly fun sequences.
Rent or buy Cutthroat Island on Amazon.
Buy Cutthroat Island on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Captain Blood (1935)
A formerly and wrongfully enslaved Irish doctor (Errol Flynn) seizes the chance to take control of a Spanish ship and lead one of the most feared crews on the seven seas.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Cinema’s original, most iconic “pirate of the Caribbean” was the title character of Captain Blood – director Michael Curtiz’s adaptation of Rafael Sabatini’s seminal novel.
Rent or buy Captain Blood on Amazon.
Buy Captain Blood on DVD on Amazon.
Treasure Island (1950)
A young man (Bobby Driscoll) becomes a cabin boy on a ship that sets course for the alleged location of a long-lost treasure.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: In 1950, long before Disney turned one of its most beloved theme park rides into a blockbuster franchise, they turned one of the most beloved novels of all time, Treasure Island, into a fun, family-friendly classic, which was only their first adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s most iconic work.
Stream Treasure Island on Disney+.
Rent or buy Treasure Island on Amazon.
Buy Treasure Island on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
A human boy (Kevin Bishop) joins a conniving cook (Tim Curry) and a group of Muppets on a hunt for buried loot.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Jim Henson’s iconic characters have made some of the world’s finest literature even better (and funnier), and Muppet Treasure Island (a hilarious, yet equally exciting, twist on the classic) is one of the best examples to support that claim.
Stream Muppet Treasure Island on Disney+.
Rent or buy Muppet Treasure Island on Amazon.
Buy Muppet Treasure Island on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Treasure Planet (2002)
A young man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) joins a cybernetic cook (Brian Murphy), a motor-mouth robot (Martin Short), and others on a spaceship that sets course for a new world on which great riches can allegedly be found.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Disney’s most recent adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel is 2002’s underrated, animated sci-fi epic, Treasure Planet, which takes the story of Treasure Island away from the high seas and into new territory: the stars.
Stream Treasure Planet on Disney+.
Rent or buy Treasure Planet on Amazon.
Buy Treasure Planet on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Peter Pan (1953)
Young Wendy (Kathryn Beaumont) and her brothers are invited to visit a magical land where pirates still roam the seas and children never grow up by the titular, audacious leader of the Lost Boys (Treasure Island’s Bobby Driscoll).
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: One of Disney’s earliest (and most beloved) attempts at bringing a classic pirate story to life through animation was 1953’s Peter Pan, which is still considered by many to be the definitive and most recognizable adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s whimsical stage play.
Stream Peter Pan on Disney+.
Rent or buy Peter Pan on Amazon.
Buy Peter Pan on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Hook (1991)
An overworked lawyer (Academy Award winner Robin Williams) must return to Neverland and rediscover his past as leader of the Lost Boys in order to rescue his children from his old nemesis (Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman).
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Director Steven Spielberg imagines what would have happened if Peter Pan grew up with Hook – which did not get the best reviews in the ‘90s, but has since become a beloved cult classic, with Hoffman’s scenery-chewing performance as Captain Hook being a key reason why.
Stream Hook on Netflix.
Rent or buy Hook on Amazon.
Buy Hook on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Yellowbeard (1983)
A famous pirate breaks out of prison to join his estranged wife and unwitting son on a quest to find a long-lost treasure.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: A fun adventure that takes a more lighthearted and humorous approach to the subject of piracy is 1983’s Yellowbeard – a spoof movie very loosely based on the life of Blackbeard that boasts a star-studded cast of comedy legends, including Blazing Saddles’ Madeline Kahn, Cheech and Chong, and Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, and John Cleese.
Stream Yellowbeard on Freevee through Amazon.
Stream Yellowbeard on Tubi.
Buy Yellowbeard on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Pirates Of Penzance (1983)
An orphaned boy’s life is never the same after he is accidentally made an apprentice on a pirate ship.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Another lighthearted and comical take on the subject of piracy released in 1983 is The Pirates of Penzance – director Wilford Leach’s cinematic adaptation of Joseph Papp’s 1980 theatrical revival of the prolific opera that also featured star Kevin Kline as the Pirate King.
Rent or buy The Pirates of Penzance on Amazon.
Buy The Pirates of Penzance on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008)
A cucumber, a gourd, and a sour grape who work at a pirate-themed restaurant are magically transported to the 17th century, where they are given the chance to be real swashbucklers and help rescue a royal family from an evil band of pirates.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: A fun, animated, musical adventure that takes a far more lighthearted and humorous approach to the subject of piracy is The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, which is basically a feature-length expansion of a music video from the makers of the popular VeggieTales cartoon.
Rent or buy The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie on Amazon.
Buy The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie on DVD on Amazon.
Castle In The Sky (1986)
A young boy and girl must outrun pirates and shady government agents while searching for a lost civilization that exists somewhere above.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Another fun, animated fantasy that takes a slightly more earnest approach to the subject of piracy is 1986’s Castle in the Sky - a Studio Ghibli favorite inspired by a setting from Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels that (similar to Treasure Planet) literally takes the classic swashbuckling adventure concept to new heights.
Stream Castle in the Sky on Max.
Rent or buy Castle in the Sky on Amazon.
Buy Castle in the Sky on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas (2003)
When an evil goddess (Michelle Pfieffer) insidiously frames him for stealing a coveted book, a famed high-seas adventurer (Brad Pitt) sets out to retrieve the tome and hopefully save the life of his childhood friend, a prince (Joseph Fiennes).
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Also one of Catherine Zeta-Jones’ best movies (she voices Marina), DreamWorks’ animated odyssey Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is one of the most fun of many cinematic adventures that feature the iconic titular hero.
Stream Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas on Peacock.
Rent or buy Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas on Amazon.
Buy Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Captain Phillips (2013)
The leader of an American cargo ship crew (two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks) is taken hostage by a Somalian pirate crew who hijack his ship – the first US vessel to fall prey to such matters in over two centuries.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Also one of Tom Hanks’ best movies, director Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips is an immersive, chilling dramatization of the true story that shocked the world in 2009, which earned Somali-born actor Barkhad Abdi an Academy Award nomination for his debut performance.
Stream Captain Phillips on Netflix.
Rent or buy Captain Phillips on Amazon.
Buy Captain Phillips on Blu-ray on Amazon.
BONUS: The Princess Bride (1987)
An elderly man (Peter Falk) reads to his ill grandson (Fred Savage) the exciting story of a chivalrous loner’s (Cary Elwes) mission to rescue his true love (Robin Wright) from the evil prince (Chris Sarandon) she is arranged to marry.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: A film that just barely qualifies as a pirate movie (mainly for Elwes' role as the heroic Dread Pirate Roberts) but is also a thoroughly delightful, undisputed classic of the action-comedy genre is The Princess Bride, which is why we have included director Rob Reiner’s adaptation of screenwriter William Goldwyn’s novel as an extra bonus item from our list to enjoy.
Stream The Princess Bride on Disney+.
Rent or buy The Princess Bride on Amazon.
Buy The Princess Bride on Blu-ray on Amazon.
BONUS: The Goonies (1985)
In hopes of saving their neighborhood from becoming a golf course, a group of close-knit youngsters set out on a dangerous quest to recover fabled loot.
Why it is one of the best pirate movies: Unless you count the classic ‘80s villains, Mama Fratelli and her sons, the definitive “pirates” in this family-friendly favorite are just skeletons, but that does not make the Goonies cast‘s adventure less exciting than any other film on this list, earning it a spot as a bonus item.
Rent or buy The Goonies on Amazon.
Buy The Goonies on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Hopefully, these movies are exactly what you were hoping to find if you're in the mood for a pirate movie!
