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The Best Pirate Movies

The best pirate movies have us adventuring on the open seas. Who doesn’t love a good action flick about the life of a pirate? The idea of searching the world for hidden treasure is a daydream that most of us have as kids. Some of our favorite literary works tell the story of a pirate and his ship and it’s no wonder so many movies tell these piratey, swashbuckling stories as well. But what are the best pirate movies? Cast your votes below and see which film comes out on top!

The movies featured on this list follow the life of a pirate in one way or another. Some are cartoon versions that are great sources of adventure for children, others are based on classic books such as the famous Treasure Island , while others take a dramatic look at what life on the seas is really like. No matter what kind of pirate you're looking for, the world of film certainly has a salty character for you.

This list has the best pirate movies including, Treasure Planet, The Swiss Family Robinson, Pirates of the Caribbean , Treasure Island, Hook, Blackbeard’s Ghost, The Goonies, The Island, and Captain Phillips . Vote up your favorite pirate film below or add one you love that isn't already on the list.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sets sail in this swashbuckling adventure as he teams up with blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) to rescue Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from cursed pirates led by the fearsome Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Filled with humor, action, and supernatural elements, this film truly captures the essence of pirate life.

• # 19 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 6 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies
• # 26 of 149 on Movies That Should Never Be Remade

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Embark on a thrilling journey as Captain Jack Sparrow seeks out Davy Jones' heart to escape his debt to the monstrous sea captain. Amidst treachery and danger at every turn, our beloved characters reunite for another high-stakes adventure filled with breathtaking special effects and unforgettable scenes - including a battle against a giant kraken.

• # 107 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 9 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies
• # 27 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made

The Princess Bride

This timeless classic combines romance, comedy, and swashbuckling heroics as we follow Westley's quest to rescue Princess Buttercup from her unwanted betrothal to Prince Humperdinck. With memorable performances by Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya ("You killed my father; prepare to die"), it’s no wonder this charming tale remains one of cinema's most cherished pirate stories.

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• # 32 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

As Lord Cutler Beckett tightens his grip on piracy itself, our heroes must unite their enemies under Pirate King Elizabeth Swann’s command to face off against Davy Jones' Flying Dutchman crew – now under Beckett’s control. A whirlwind voyage featuring epic battles on land and sea awaits you in this third installment that delves deeper into pirate lore.

• # 182 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 10 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies
• # 11 of 139 on The Best Movies Of 2007

The Goonies

A thrilling adventure with a group of misfit kids, led by the fearless Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin), as they discover an ancient pirate treasure map and set out to find One-Eyed Willy's hidden fortune. Along the way, they must navigate booby traps, evade villains like the sinister Fratelli family, and forge unlikely friendships in this heartwarming tale of camaraderie and courage. A true classic for all ages.

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• # 16 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) and his ghostly crew seek revenge on Captain Jack Sparrow, who must find the legendary Trident of Poseidon to turn the tide. With new allies, including Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), this adventure is packed with captivating visuals, unexpected twists, and a healthy dose of pirate humor - proving that dead men do indeed tell tales.

• # 14 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies
• # 9 of 17 on The Most Overqualified Villain Performances In Action-Adventure Movies
• # 5 of 15 on Movies That Added Unnecessary Origin Stories To Famous Characters

Dive into a fantastical world where Peter Pan has grown up to become Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a high-powered lawyer who no longer believes in magic or Neverland until his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman). To save them, he must rediscover his inner child and embrace his past as the legendary hero while battling pirates alongside Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) and the Lost Boys. With its imaginative take on J.M Barrie's beloved characters, Hook offers an enchanting perspective on what it means to be forever young.

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• # 137 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Treasure Island

A timeless adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's iconic novel that brings together young Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) and Long John Silver (Robert Newton), one of cinema's most memorable pirates ever portrayed. As they embark on a perilous quest for buried treasure amidst treachery and mutiny upon the Hispaniola ship, viewers are treated to swashbuckling action scenes coupled with moral dilemmas that challenge our notions about loyalty and friendship in this golden age Hollywood classic.

• # 146 of 375 on The Best Movies Based On Books
• # 20 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies
• # 3 of 12 on 12 Children's Movies Where Parents Lived Through A Nightmare While Their Kids Had An Adventure

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Captain Jack Sparrow returns in this fourth installment of Disney’s wildly successful franchise as he searches for the fabled Fountain of Youth alongside Angelica Teach (Penélope Cruz), the enigmatic daughter of the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). In a race against time, they must outwit mermaids, zombies, and rival pirates to claim eternal life. With its blend of humor and high-seas adventure, On Stranger Tides continues to captivate audiences with its swashbuckling spirit.

• # 356 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 15 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies
• # 7 of 78 on The Greatest Movies To Watch Outside

Swiss Family Robinson

In this beloved Disney adaptation of Johann David Wyss' novel, the shipwrecked Robinson family - led by Father (John Mills) and Mother (Dorothy McGuire) - must band together to survive on an uninhabited island teeming with danger and intrigue. As they encounter marauding pirates led by Kuala (Sessue Hayakawa), the family ingeniously uses their newfound surroundings to defend themselves while building a new life amidst breathtaking scenery. A testament to resilience and resourcefulness in the face of adversity, Swiss Family Robinson is a classic tale that showcases both human ingenuity and thrilling pirate action.

• # 22 of 106 on The Best Disney Live-Action Movies
• # 26 of 75 on The Best Movies For Boys To Watch
• # 14 of 33 on The Greatest Classic Films The Whole Family Will Love

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Embark on a thrilling underwater adventure with Captain Nemo and his Nautilus in this Jules Verne classic. Featuring Kirk Douglas as Ned Land, this film explores themes of technology, power, and morality within the realm of pirate life. With its captivating storyline and breathtaking visuals, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remains an unforgettable journey into the depths of imagination.

• # 95 of 375 on The Best Movies Based On Books
• # 46 of 176 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
• # 16 of 52 on The 50+ Best Submarine Movies

Captain Blood

Errol Flynn stars in this swashbuckling tale about Dr. Peter Blood who transforms from a wrongfully convicted English physician to a daring pirate captain. Set sail through action-packed battles against corrupt governments and treacherous seas while discovering romance along the way with Olivia de Havilland's Arabella Bishop character. Captain Blood showcases fearless heroism amidst high-stakes piracy that will leave you cheering for more.

• # 69 of 91 on The 90 Best Black And White Movies
• # 87 of 200 on The 195+ Greatest Adventure Movies
• # 2 of 56 on The 50+ Best Swashbuckling Movies

Blackbeard the Pirate

Robert Newton delivers an iconic performance as Edward Teach aka Blackbeard in this exciting portrayal of one of history's most notorious pirates. Watch as he ruthlessly plunders ships across Caribbean waters while navigating alliances and betrayals among fellow buccaneers such as William Kidd played by Anthony Warde. Blackbeard the Pirate is a riveting cinematic experience filled with cunning schemes, fierce sea battles, and larger-than-life characters that capture the essence of pirate lore.

Muppet Treasure Island

Muppet Treasure Island is a charming retelling of Stevenson's iconic tale through the eyes of our favorite fuzzy friends - The Muppets. Join Kermit as Captain Smollett, Miss Piggy as Benjamina Gunn, and Tim Curry as Long John Silver in their quest for buried treasure filled with humor, catchy songs, and swashbuckling action suitable for all ages. This whimsical take on pirate life captivates audiences while preserving key elements from its source material.

• # 116 of 204 on Musical Movies With The Best Songs
• # 361 of 703 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
• # 40 of 98 on The Best Movies Based On TV Shows

Venture into Robert Louis Stevenson's world where young Jim Hawkins embarks on a perilous quest for buried treasure alongside Long John Silver portrayed by Orson Welles. This timeless coming-of-age story combines intrigue, deception, loyalty—and even parrots—creating an authentic atmosphere steeped in piratical charm. Treasure Island  captures the hearts of both young and old with its memorable characters and enthralling narrative set against stunning locations that evoke dreams of adventure on distant shores.

Treasure Planet

This thrilling, animated adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Treasure Planet takes viewers on an intergalactic adventure with Jim Hawkins as he searches for the legendary treasure trove. Featuring a unique blend of traditional animation and CGI, this film offers a fresh take on pirate lore with its futuristic setting and engaging characters like the cyborg cook John Silver. With stunning visuals and an inspiring coming-of-age story, Treasure Planet has earned its place among the best pirate movies.

• # 79 of 450 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies
• # 108 of 155 on The 150+ Best Classic Tween Movies
• # 30 of 152 on The Best Movies of 2002

Cutthroat Island

A swashbuckling adventure featuring Geena Davis as the fearless pirate captain, Morgan Adams, on a quest to find her father's hidden treasure. With breathtaking stunts and stunning visuals, this film captures the thrill of pirate life while showcasing a powerful female lead.

• Dig Deeper... Inside ‘Cutthroat Island,’ The Cinematic Flop Accused Of Extinguishing The Pirate Genre
• # 90 of 99 on The Best 1990s Action Movies
• # 37 of 73 on The 70 Best 18th Century Period Movies

The Sea Hawk

Errol Flynn stars as Captain Geoffrey Thorpe - a daring English privateer who takes on Spanish armadas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. This thrilling movie combines romance, political intrigue, and high-seas action to create an enthralling portrayal of 16th-century piracy at its finest.

A timeless adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel that follows young Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver (Charlton Heston) in their pursuit of buried riches. This captivating tale brilliantly intertwines themes of friendship and betrayal in an unforgettable world filled with pirates, parrots, and one-legged seafarers.

Drenched in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere where Earth is submerged underwater, Kevin Costner portrays Mariner – a lone drifter navigating dangerous waters populated by ruthless gangs called Smokers led by Deacon (Dennis Hopper). In this unique spin on traditional piracy tales, survival instincts take center stage amid spectacular aquatic action sequences.

• # 569 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 74 of 166 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 51 of 99 on The Best 1990s Action Movies

Long John Silver

Robert Newton reprises his iconic role as the cunning yet charismatic Long John Silver in this sequel to Treasure Island ; audiences are treated to more adventures brimming with treachery and suspense set against exotic locales teeming with danger.

Angus Macfadyen brings the notorious pirate Edward Teach aka Blackbeard to life in this gripping miniseries that delves into his ruthless rise to power amidst battles against both British authorities and rival pirates alike; it’s an immersive journey through history not easily forgotten.

This enchanting live-action adaptation transports audiences back to Neverland where they follow Wendy Darling and her brothers' extraordinary encounters alongside Peter Pan himself against his nemesis Captain Hook portrayed by Jason Isaacs. Immersed in breathtaking landscapes teeming with mermaids, fairies, and lost boys – not forgetting pirates – it masterfully captures J.M. Barrie's timeless tale of adventure, friendship, and the magic of never growing up.

• # 519 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 78 of 114 on The Greatest Movie Remakes Of All Time
• # 63 of 188 on The 180+ Top Kids Movies

The Black Swan

Tyrone Power stars as a dashing pirate captain who transforms from outlaw to hero in this swashbuckling classic set during the Golden Age of Piracy. With romance, action, and compelling character development, it's no wonder this film remains beloved by pirate enthusiasts.

Captain Kidd

Charles Laughton masterfully embodies the infamous 17th-century pirate in this thrilling tale filled with deception, betrayal, and adventure on the high seas; audiences are captivated as they witness Captain Kidd’s cunning schemes unravel throughout his journey for treasure.

Blackbeard's Ghost

Blackbeard's Ghost is a delightful family comedy that brings to life one of history's most notorious pirates in a lighthearted manner. When track coach Steve Walker accidentally summons the ghost of Blackbeard (played by Peter Ustinov), they embark on an amusing journey to break the curse plaguing the infamous captain. Filled with laughter and supernatural shenanigans, this movie showcases piracy from a comical perspective while still paying homage to classic pirate tropes.

The Buccaneer

Yul Brynner delivers an unforgettable performance as legendary privateer Jean Lafitte in this epic historical drama that chronicles his role in helping General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans during the War of 1812; it's a gripping story of patriotism clashing with piracy.

Journey back to Neverland with this imaginative prequel that explores the origins of Peter Pan (Levi Miller) and Captain Hook (Garrett Hedlund), as they join forces against the malevolent pirate Blackbeard, played by a captivating Hugh Jackman. This visually stunning film offers an enchanting twist on familiar characters and their adventures.

The Crimson Pirate

Burt Lancaster dazzles viewers with his acrobatics and charm while playing Captain Vallo – a roguish yet endearing pirate navigating treacherous waters teeming with political intrigue and danger; its comedic escapades make for an entertaining romp through Caribbean seas.

Captain Phillips

• # 174 of 191 on The Best Movies For Men
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They pillage and plunder; they rifle and loot. Drink up, ye 'earties. Yo ho!

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

May 26, 2017

Action, Adventure, Comedy

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack. Jack's only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

Rated: PG-13 Release Date: May 26, 2017

Directed By

Produced by.

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14 Best Pirate Movies And How To Watch Them

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.

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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! 

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.

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Pirates Of The Caribbean: At The World's End: Soundtrack

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Pirates of the caribbean: swashbuckling sea songs.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Soundtrack

How to Watch the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies in Order: A Complete Streaming Guide

Ghezal Amiri

Official JustWatch writer

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are some of the most commercially successful movies of all time, plundering over $4.5 billion at the box office. Disney's story of swashbuckling pirates made a huge splash in the early 2000s thanks to a riveting score, huge action set pieces and a beloved cast. If you're looking to watch (or rewatch) the adventures of Jack Sparrow and his 'comrades' unfold, we've got you covered with a list of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in order of release. We'll also show you the latest streaming information so you can watch them all online.

Based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer ( Bad Boys , Top Gun ) the franchise is anchored around the mischievous rogue Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp. The ongoing saga pulls from mythology and magic to bring supernatural seafaring adventures to the big screen. It all started with  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , which centers on Will Turner's true family and his mission to save Elisabeth Swan after getting abducted by pirates.

In addition to Johnny Depp's most iconic movie role, the franchise has an array of acting talent including Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem.

Where can I watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies online?

If you're looking for a complete streaming guide to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchises, we've got you covered. Below you will find all the latest streaming information for every movie in the series, including whether they are available to buy, stream or rent in the United States.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Jack Sparrow, a freewheeling 18th-century pirate, quarrels with a rival pirate bent on pillaging Port Royal. When the governor's daughter is kidnapped, Sparrow decides to help the girl's love save her.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Captain Jack Sparrow works his way out of a blood debt with the ghostly Davy Jones to avoid eternal damnation.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Captain Barbossa, long believed to be dead, has come back to life and is headed to the edge of the Earth with Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. But nothing is quite as it seems.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with a woman from his past, and he's not sure if it's love -- or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard, Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt. Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.

The 10 Best Pirate Movies, Ranked

Why couldn't the pirate get into the movie theatre? Because the movie was rated "ARRR!"

Pirates are a subject that fascinates many. They were thieves who prowled the Seven Seas during the Golden Age of Piracy, which lasted from the 1650s to the 1730s. This 80-year period was when lots of trading was going on in the Atlantic, what with the Europeans newly making land there and all. Thus, the Atlantic was ripe for the picking for anyone who wanted to plunder some loot.

Logically, pirates have been the subject of many movies , although some are better than others. There are multiple options to choose from: some offer different twists on the formula, while others prefer to stick to the status quo. While many are good in their own way, a handful of pirate movies have become iconic in the years since their release and are likely to be remembered for generations to come.

10 'Hook' (1991)

Director: steven spielberg.

Hook is a movie that, for some reason, was panned by critics but adored by audiences . Directed by Steven Spielberg , it stars Robin Williams , adored by many as the ultimate comedic icon. The movie is a sequel to J. M. Barrie 's classic play and novel Peter Pan , of which several movies have also been made. While typical adaptations of the work follow Peter as a boy who never grew up, Hook shows Peter as a middle-aged man who is returning to Neverland after spending time in the real world and aging like normal people do.

Silly but well-intentioned and unashamedly fantastical, Hook is a fitting sequel to a classic story and features some great nostalgic moments . Like many other Spielberg movies, Hook is heartwarming and relatable, telling a story about the importance of never losing one's inner child, especially considering adulthood already demands so much from everyone. So what if the critics didn't like it? Like the best pirates, Hook is subversive and unafraid to go against the norm.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Hook stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning, a harried American lawyer who, after his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook, finds out that he is Peter Pan, having lost his memories of Neverland. In order to rescue his children, Peter must find his childlike spirit of adventure and regain his memories as he does battle with Hook and his crew. Dustin Hoffman stars alongside Williams as Captain Hook, along with Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith, and Charlie Korsmo.

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9 'The Pirate' (1948)

Director: vincente minnelli.

The Pirate is a musical film starring the iconic Gene Kelly . In this movie, he stars as Serafin, a fictional circus performer who whisks a young woman named Manuela, played by the equally legendary Judy Garland , away for a life of adventure. While initially resistant, Manuela eventually falls for Serafin. However, a man named Don Pedro ( Walter Slezak ) is determined to stop this, as Manuela is supposed to marry him instead.

While far from Kelly or Garland's best musical, The Pirate still makes for a good time for both musical and pirate fans. The two protagonists are incredible together, sharing a magnetic yet endearing chemistry that elevates what could easily be a simple love story, and Cole Porter 's songs are simply enchanting. The Pirate is innocent, comedic, and uplifting from start to finish . It might not be particularly daring, but at the end of the day, it doesn't need to be.

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8 'Castle in the Sky' (1986)

Director: hayao miyazaki.

Studio Ghibli makes masterpiece after masterpiece , and it doesn't look like they'll slow down any time soon. The beautiful, creative, boundless mind of Hayao Miyazaki has given audiences worldwide a collection of some of the most imaginative and wonderful animated films available. Like his other projects, Castle in the Sky is oozing with quality, featuring sky pirates who fly around on airships rather than regular waterborne ships.

Castle in the Sky is unique, beautifully animated, and comes with the standard whimsical adventure that many expect out of Studio Ghibli . There's a genuine sense of awe and wonder here, a ridiculously contagious and adventurous spirit that leaps from the screen and into the hearts and souls of anyone fortunate enough to allow it. This is a classic story with a cool little twist, which is what makes it one of the best and most daring pirate movies out there.

Castle in the Sky

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7 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' (2003)

Director: gore verbinski.

Pirates of the Caribbean is the pirate movie franchise. It's a go-to option for a lot of people. The franchise spans five movies, with a planned sixth on the way, and gives a fantastical twist to ordinary pirate stories. While the first three movies are often regarded as the best, none of them are as good as the original, The Curse of the Black Pearl . Disney really struck gold with this franchise, which is probably why they keep bringing it back.

The cast is huge and riddled with well-established actors, and the films explore common themes not only in history but also in pirate folklore. The action is stellar, and the characters are all so unique and fleshed out. The Curse of the Black Pearl has everything expected from a great pirate movie: exciting action, sweeping romance, and thrills at high sea . Anyone who's into pirates will have the best time with this movie, even if its successors can't quite match its disruptive energy.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

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6 'Treasure Planet' (2002)

Directors: john musker, ron clements.

This adaptation of Treasure Island decided to opt for a completely different genre and turn the seafaring pirates into space pirates. Despite this radical change, Treasure Planet remains a fantastically underrated movie . Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the voice of Jim Hawkins, this animated film inserts a whole bunch of new problems that ordinary pirates would never face, such as supernovae and space whales.

What's more, it features a ton of really creative alien species, including the adorable Morph ( Dane Davis ), who accompanies Long John Silver ( Brian Murray ) in place of his signature parrot. As the name implies, rather than an island, the treasure is located on a remote planet in the galaxy. The animation is visually stunning; every frame is drawn with so much care that it's a real shame the movie never took off as much as it could have. Treasure Planet is unabashedly wild and daring, willing to completely reinvent its beloved source material . It's a remarkable pirate movie and a truly distinctive entry into the genre that has never received the recognition it deserves.

Treasure Planet

5 'captain phillips' (2013), director: paul greengrass.

Captain Phillips is probably the only pirate movie out there based on a true story. The film follows the titular Captain Phillips ( Tom Hanks ) as his cargo ship is hijacked by Somali pirates. They are nothing like the fun, cutlass-wielding, peg-leg-wearing seafarers—these are pirates with automatic weapons who are out for blood. Piracy is very much still alive, although it is more common in certain regions of the world, particularly off the Horn of Africa, where the film takes place.

This movie is nothing short of a masterpiece. Tom Hanks delivers an incredible performance as Captain Phillips, expertly supported by Barkhad Abdi , who delivers quite a frightening and convincing role in his first on-screen performance. Aside from the acting achievements, Captain Phillips is tense and rewarding, with a great ending and fantastic action based primarily on using wits rather than brute force . It's a truly disruptive entry into the pirate genre, made for a modern audience with higher stakes.

Captain Phillips

4 'muppet treasure island' (1996), directed by brian henson.

Muppet Treasure Island is one of dozens of movie adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson 's classic novel Treasure Island. The catch is that this one, of course, stars the Muppets in a whimsical, musical journey across the sea. The movie features classic characters like Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Rizzo the Rat, Statler and Waldorf, and Gonzo playing different roles, and a handful of new characters, too, such as the legendary Tim Curry playing Long John Silver.

Being the Muppets, there are also some hilarious moments, including Long John Silver carrying around a talking lobster rather than a talking parrot. The songs are super catchy and the movie is endlessly fun right from the get-go. With memorable tunes like "Cabin Fever" and "Shiver My Timbers," Muppet Treasure Island will make audiences laugh and sing right along with the characters . Plus, who doesn't love a good pirate story? Especially one that's been in circulation for so long.

3 'Treasure Island' (1950)

Directed by byron haskin.

Out of all the adaptations of Treasure Island , this one has got to be the best. Even though it's over 70 years old, it still holds up just as much as it did then. No other adaptation of the story has come even close to the amount of quality that this one has. The production value in this movie is honestly really impressive considering the technological limitations at the time of its production, and there isn't a single dull moment to be found throughout.

Treasure Island is the greatest adaptation of Stevenson's novel. It's a shame that people today don't seem to talk about it enough. It features all of the bells and whistles that people think of when they think of the idea of a pirate: eye patches, peg legs, mutiny, pirate booty, swords, and the freedom to do whatever one wants. This movie and the original novel are primarily where most common pirate tropes come from, regardless of how historically accurate they are. It's a must-see for any cinephile, not just for pirate fans.

2 'The Goonies' (1985)

Director: richard donner.

The Goonies features an adventurous group of kids from a small coastal town recently bought by a large corporation that intends to bulldoze their homes to make room for a golf course. Realizing that they will all have to move away and may never see each other again, they decide to search for the long-lost treasure of the infamous pirate One-Eyed Willie, which is supposedly buried nearby.

While the movie doesn't become super pirate-like until the end, it's still a wild ride and a marvelous tale of friendship and childhood. It's one of the most iconic 80s movies because it's so simple yet super effective. The Goonies themselves are all unique and memorable, played by some big names like Ke Huy Quan , Sean Astin , and Corey Feldman . Sweet and earnest, The Goonies is an ode to childhood and the wild sense of hope and excitement that comes with the greatest adventures , an excellent pirate-themed movie that stands as a timeless classic.

The Goonies

1 'the princess bride' (1987), director: rob reiner.

The Princess Bride is the perfect balance between a fairy tale and a thrilling pirate adventure. Framed as a bedtime story told by a grandfather to his sick grandson, the film follows the adventures of former farmhand Westley, who seeks to rescue his love, Princess Buttercup, from the odious Prince Humperdinck. Not much of the movie takes place at sea, but it doesn't have to because it's amazing all the same.

The romance between Westley and Buttercup is heartwarming, and the movie's message about love still holds true nearly 40 years later. The Princess Bride is not only funny and witty, but also adventurous, entertaining, sweeping, and just plain fun , a masterpiece of the fantasy genre that keeps surprising with each turn. This movie has got something for everyone, and it hasn't aged a bit. There isn't a single wasted line of dialogue, and it'll likely go down in history as perhaps one of the greatest movies of all time.

The Princess Bride

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The 18 Best Pirate Movies, Ranked

With the success of the delightfully queer pirate comedy series "Our Flag Means Death," interest in pirate fiction is on the upswing yet again. Pirate movies used to be a Hollywood mainstay, though, and their recurring themes and tropes are a constant source of entertainment for audiences. Identity, betrayal, redemption, love, guilt, and loss — pirate stories contain the full gamut of human conflicts and emotions, revealing new truths about both these seafaring ruffians and ourselves.

Technology and time have changed the way movies are made, but pirate stories endure because they promise adventure and romance on the high seas. No, they're not usually historically accurate, but that's part of the fun. It doesn't matter if a pirate movie is silent film or a talkie, live-action or animator, and black-and-white or Technicolor. As these 18 films prove, swashbuckling never goes out of style.

18. The Black Swan

Featuring the familiar pirate movie tropes of court intrigue and double-crosses, "The Black Swan" follows Captain Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power) as he reluctantly gives up the pirate trade to assist famous buccaneer Henry Morgan (Laird Cregar) in his new role as governor of Jamaica. However, Waring falls in love with Lady Margaret Denby (Maureen O'Hara), and soon discovers that her fiancé is plotting to bring Morgan down. As a result, Waring swings into action, setting up an intricate plan to save his pirate friend and prevent Lady Margaret's wedding in one fell swoop.

One of a few Technicolor swashbucklers on this list, the gorgeous visuals of "The Black Swan" earned Leon Shamroy an Oscar for best color cinematography in 1942. His work highlights O'Hara's beauty and Power's seediness. The pair's chemistry is palpable on screen, though it doesn't quite smooth over the rough edges of their questionable courtship. Though pirate movies often feature reluctant romances between noble women and pillaging scoundrels, some of Waring's ploys to woo Lady Margaret will raise eyebrows among modern viewers.

17. Anne of the Indies

A lean, brisk pirate yarn that goes in some interesting thematic directions, "Anne of the Indies" features a female pirate captain and flirts with BDSM and bisexuality. Jean Peters stars as Anne Providence, who falls in love with mysterious French sailor LaRochelle (Louis Jourdan) and ultimately follows her heart to her doom. Horror and film noir legend Jacques Tourneur directs, and there's a fatalism to Anne's story that will be familiar to fans of Tourneur's work. As in his classics "Out of the Past" and "Cat People," Tourneur does his best work in the shadows, although the scenes that unfold in Technicolor-shot daylight are perfectly fine as well.

"Anne of the Indies" is loosely based on the true story of pirate captain Anne Bonny. Like most pirate movies, The Guardian notes that the film strays quite a bit from historical fact, but the paper still praises Peters' "fierce lead performance." Peters often affects a clipped monotone in the role, which calls to mind Ann Savage's performance as Vera in the noir classic "Detour." Though Savage has more power and ferocity, Peters still brings an intriguing femme fatale energy to her pirate captain, which makes "Anne of the Indies" a fascinating entry in pirate film canon.

16. The Pirates of Penzance

Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, and Linda Ronstadt in a Gilbert and Sullivan production — what more do you need? Evidently, a lot more, at least according to audiences at the time. "The Pirates of Penzance" was a box office flop, which may have partly been due to the studio's controversial decision to air the film on television just prior to its theatrical release. Though it debuted nearly 40 years ago, the home-versus-theatrical-release argument raised by "The Pirates of Penzance" is the very model of a modern major film discourse.

This farcical opera follows Frederic (Rex Smith), a young man mistakenly apprenticed by his nursemaid Ruth (Lansbury) to a band of tenderhearted pirates. Misunderstandings and hilarious leap year shenanigans arise when Frederic falls in love with Mabel (Ronstadt). Though the whole cast is excellent, the movie only really comes to life when Kline's Pirate King is on screen. He steals the show with his elastic face, complete and total commitment to the film's silliness, and knee strength to rival Megan Thee Stallion's. He leaps, spins, and swings across the screen, all while looking dangerously sexy in his low-cut pirate blouse and tight black pants. Kline chews the scenery with delightful verve at every possible moment, making "The Pirates of Penzance" a supremely silly and eminently rewatchable movie.

15. Treasure Planet

Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island" has been adapted for the screen many times, but Disney's ambitious experiment "Treasure Planet" is one of the few films that brings the classic story to outer space. A dying pirate named Billy Bones (Patrick McGoohan) gives young Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a sphere that contains a map to the treasure hoarded by the famous pirate Captain Nathaniel Flint. Jim embarks on a voyage to find the treasure, but he runs into trouble when the ship's cyborg cook, Long John Silver (Brian Murray), leads a mutiny to try to claim the treasure for himself.

Though it wasn't a box office success and was rejected by Disney studio heads more than once, "Treasure Planet" is a beautiful work of animation that may have actually benefited from the time it took its creators to get their project off the ground. As co-writer, producer, and director Ron Clements told IGN , the wait was a blessing in disguise because "the technology had time to develop ... in terms of really moving the camera." The result — an intriguing mix of 2D and 3D animation — features breathtaking shots of dying stars and glittering galaxies that give "Treasure Planet" some of the most breathtaking space scenes in modern animation.

14. Against All Flags

The retina-searing colors in this winning Technicolor pirate picture are just one reason why it belongs on this list. Starring swashbuckler mainstays Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara, and Anthony Quinn, "Against All Flags" is a fun and steamy tale of love and spies. Flynn plays Lieutenant Brian Hawke, who volunteers to infiltrate a dangerous band of pirates. Quinn's Captain Roc Brasiliano is immediately suspicious of Hawke, but O'Hara's Spitfire Stevens — the only woman among the "Captains of the Coast" who decide Hawke's fate — takes a shine to him, stoking Brasiliano's jealousy and raising tensions among the group of buccaneers.

O'Hara steals the movie out from under legendary swashbuckler Flynn, purring romantic overtures and then flashing her eyes in pure rage when Hawke displeases her. She truly lives up to her character's name; just like "Anne of the Indies," "Against All Flags" proves that female pirate captains are often the most intriguing. One bit of fitting trivia: Flynn was hesitant about sword fighting with a woman until O'Hara proved how skilled a female combatant could truly be; Spitfire is just as capable with a sword as she is with a deadly glare or a cutting insult.

13. The Sea Hawk (1940)

You can't talk about pirate movies without mentioning Errol Flynn. The word "swashbuckling" seems to have been invented just for him. One of his last collaborations with director Michael Curtiz, 1940's "The Sea Hawk," stars Flynn as Captain Geoffrey Thorpe, an English privateer favored by Queen Elizabeth I (Flora Robson) who works to protect the Queen's interests against the Spanish armada. Though pirate movies often criticize colonialism, albeit obliquely at times, "The Sea Hawk" is overtly pro-British, which comes as little surprise due to its release date falling so close to the beginning of World War II.

While there are quite a few colorful entries on this list, "The Sea Hawk" proves that black-and-white pirate movies can be just as exciting to modern audiences. As TCM's Robert Osborne said on the film's DVD special features, "People who don't like black and white should always see 'The Sea Hawk.'" Curtiz's dynamic framing and Sol Polito's crisp cinematography combine to make a film that looks gorgeous even when the narrative loses steam. Visual highlights include a climactic sword battle through the Queen's palace that makes breathtaking use of space and shadow; this scene alone earns "The Sea Hawk" its place on this list.

12. Treasure Island

There have been plenty of film adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous adventure novel (a few of them are even on this list!), but few have endured like Disney's 1950 film. It made history for being Disney's first entirely live-action film and for being the first color version of the story. Like the book, "Treasure Island" tells the familiar tale of Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) and Long John Silver (Robert Newton), who search for Flint's treasure during a rousing adventure on the sea.

"Treasure Island" is a classic for many reasons, but one of the most notable is Newton's performance as the definitive Long John Silver. Anyone who has participated in "Talk Like a Pirate Day" or has played a buccaneer with a heavy emphasis on his "Arrr"s owes a debt to Newton. More than 70 years after the film's release, Newton's distinctive vocal delivery and facial expressions are still the basis for what audiences imagine when they think of pirates.

11. The Crimson Pirate

A light-hearted look at life on the high seas, "The Crimson Pirate" stars Burt Lancaster and pokes affectionate fun at classic pirate films. Lancaster plays notorious pirate captain Vallo, who captures Baron Gruda (Leslie Bradley) and comes up with a plan to sell the baron's guns to a group of Caribbean freedom fighters, and then sell their leader El Libre (Frederick Leister) back to Baron Gruda in a profitable double-cross. Lancaster's strong masculine presence, sly humor, and circus skills are on full display in this colorful comedy: Multiple action scenes show off Lancaster's abilities as an acrobat, and he seems equally at home giving orders to a crew of swabs as he does performing impressive pratfalls.

Famed horror actor Christopher Lee plays a military attaché in the movie. In his autobiography " Tall, Dark, and Gruesome," Lee writes that director Robert Siodmak took the original script, which was "serious, nay solemn," and made it a comedy instead. The end result is a delight, finding grace notes in the physical performances of Lancaster and Nick Cravat, who plays first mate Ojo. Their amused grins light up the screen, making "The Crimson Pirate" a joyfully high-energy pirate tale.

10. A High Wind in Jamaica

An intriguing twist on the typical pirate story, "A High Wind in Jamaica" focuses on the supposed innocence of children who have been inadvertently kidnapped by pirates. The Thornton children are headed to their home country to go to school, but when Captain Chavez (Anthony Quinn) and his first mate Zac (James Coburn) raid their ship, they sneak onto the pirates' vessel and become its newest residents. The children do not understand the havoc that they wreak on the crew, causing accidents and injuries while teasing and playing. They do react to shocking tragedies, though, and Chavez worries for their souls.

Due to studio meddling , director Alexander Mackendrick's vision for the film was tainted a bit, resulting in unimpressed contemporary reviews. However, the film has undergone a recent reappraisal and deserves to be better-known. Quinn and Coburn give exemplary performances, and Deborah Baxter shines as Emily Thornton, the child in whom Chavez takes the most interest. Her morally ambiguous depiction of the "kidnapped" youngster is impressive for an actor of any age, and will stick with viewers long after the credits roll.

9. The Black Pirate

This silent two-color Technicolor film stars legendary actor Douglas Fairbanks as a young man who avenges his father's death by posing as a great pirate. The most casually bloody film on this list, "The Black Pirate" is a thrilling depiction of the brutality of a pirate's life and serves as a fine showcase for Fairbanks' skills as both an athlete and a performer. It also features many now-famous pirate tropes, including revenge, elaborate disguises, and a focus on roaring adventure.

Film critic Iris Barry's 1926 book " Let's Go to the Pictures " (later retitled "Let's Go to the Movies") calls "The Black Pirate" "far and away the best color-film made." "The Black Pirate" features stunning visuals, including one incredible sequence in which the Black Pirate single-handedly takes over a merchant ship and performs the iconic (and often-referenced) stunt where he slides down a sail with his knife, cutting it in two.

8. The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Also released as "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!," this pirate comedy is a painstaking combination of stop-motion animation and CGI from Aardman Animations, best known for the beloved "Wallace and Gromit" series. The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) wants to win the annual Pirate of the Year competition. At the same time, when the Captain and his crew run across Charles Darwin (David Tennant) during an attempt at plundering, Darwin realizes that the Pirate Captain's "parrot" Polly is the last living dodo and wants to use her to enter the Scientist of the Year award. Darwin has ulterior motives, though, and the pirates must scramble to defeat his evil plan.

In addition to having beautiful animation, particularly in its lighting and depiction of the sea, "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" features brilliant sight gags, hilarious jokes for kids and adults alike, and a terrific punk and ska soundtrack. The Pirate Captain often remarks on his luxuriant beard (to be fair, it is highly impressive), and he moonwalks as he serves the main dish on "Ham Night." Animated pirates are rarely as funny or as touching as they are in "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," which is just as thrilling and heartwarming as it is comedic.

7. Captain Phillips

Pirate movies are often suspenseful, but few are as nail-bitingly tense as 2013's "Captain Phillips." Based on a real hijacking, the film tells the story of merchant mariner Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) and his experiences after being taken hostage by Somali pirates. Though the film focuses primarily on the intense action of the pirate attack and Phillips' emotional state as he fights to fulfill his duty as captain of the ship, it does make time to comment on the political and economic realities that drove the pirates to their dangerous trade, creating a fascinating dynamic between Phillips and the pirate leader, Muse (Barkhad Abdi).

Both men give stunning performances. "Captain Phillips" was Abdi's acting debut , and for his remarkable work he was nominated for an Oscar and won a BAFTA for best actor in a supporting role. Hanks should have been nominated for an Oscar as well, particularly for the gut-wrenching scenes in which Captain Phillips' ordeal comes to an end. "Captain Phillips" is an intense movie that can be hard to watch, but this list would not be complete without it.

6. The Sea Hawk (1924)

The sea battles in this 1924 silent film are so impressive that Warner Bros. often reused them in later nautical films (including the 1940 version of "The Sea Hawk"), realizing that it would be difficult to outdo what director Frank Lloyd achieved. The sprawling story follows Sir Oliver Tressilian (Milton Sills), who is sold into slavery and trapped on a Spanish galley after being framed for murder by his brother. He escapes to a Moorish ship and becomes Sakr-el-Bahr, the titular Sea Hawk, and terrorizes the Christian seafaring world.

"The Sea Hawk" is a fascinating look at betrayal, family, and faith. Sir Oliver renounces his Christianity after seeing the cruelty that the slaves endure on the supposedly Christian ship, then converts to Islam and joins the Moorish fleet. The performances in the film are striking, with stirring action scenes and delightful moments of comic relief, especially in the case of a pirate captain played by Wallace Beery and an amorous neighbor "whose conscience was elastic and whose husband was — old."

5. Porco Rosso

While most people think of nautical battles when they think of pirates, Hayao Miyazaki's films about air pirates still qualify for this list. They're filled with a thrilling sense of adventure, and they're quite simply brilliant, even if — as some critics argue — "Porco Rosso" is underrated among them. "Porco Rosso" tells the story of an ace fighter pilot (Shūichirō Moriyama) who does battle with air pirates while cursed to live as an anthropomorphic pig. It's a gentle meditation on identity, loss, grief, and love, all conveyed through an intriguing mixture of politics, pirate adventure, and fairy tale.

Miyazaki's animation is gorgeous, and his air battles are just as exciting as the sea skirmishes found in the other films on this list. The titular character is a classic antihero, turning this adventurous anti-fascist tale ("Better a pig than a fascist") into a fascinating character study of love and forgiveness. "Porco Rosso" never goes where you think it will, which is the most satisfying adventure of all.

4. The Princess Bride

What more can be said about "The Princess Bride"? As Roger Ebert noted in his 1987 review of the film, it's "a sly parody of sword and sorcery movies," but the movie manages to have its cake and eat it too, sending up multiple genres — including the pirate movie — while lovingly recreating them. That mixture of tongue-in-cheek humor and a genuine affection for the act of telling stories is part of the film's winning formula, and ensures it shows up on every possible best-of list.

Farmboy Westley (Cary Elwes) falls in love with Buttercup (Robin Wright) and goes off to seek his fortune so that he can marry her. When his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts and Westley is presumed dead, Buttercup is promised against her will to the evil Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Westley returns, dressed in black and carrying the moniker of the Dread Pirate Roberts, to free his love and defeat the evil prince. Featuring disguises, double-crosses, adventure, sword fights, comedy, and — most importantly — true love, "The Princess Bride" has everything you need in a pirate movie.

3. Castle in the Sky

"Castle in the Sky" is the second Studio Ghibli film on this list, but it was the first movie produced by the famed animation studio. Sheeta (Keiko Yokozawa) and Pazu (Mayumi Tanaka) are on the run from secret agents, the army, and a family of airship pirates who all want the powerful crystal that Sheeta inherited from her family. In order to find the legendary floating castle of Laputa, Sheeta and Pazu join forces with the surprisingly friendly pirates to try to outrun the sinister forces that want to control the crystal.

"Castle in the Sky" is a breathtakingly magical film with beautiful visuals and, just like "Porco Rosso," a fairy tale ending that swerves away from the expected. In addition to being a beautiful work of animated art and one of the best pirate movies of all time, "Castle in the Sky" was also highly influential on the world of steampunk. In "The Steampunk Bible," authors Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers call the film "one of the first modern Steampunk classics."

2. Muppet Treasure Island

Everything's better with Muppets. Add Tim Curry, and you have a bona fide classic. This is the third adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel on this list, and it is by far the most entertaining. Kevin Bishop plays this iteration of Jim Hawkins, while Curry does his best to unseat Robert Newton as cinema's best Long John Silver (and, arguably, succeeds). The vast majority of the rest of the cast is, of course, played by the Muppets, and the classic Muppet ethos is on full display in this joyfully chaotic rendition of the timeless adventure story.

As Kirk R. Thatcher, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jerry Juhl and James V. Hart, told Tough Pigs , "Muppet Treasure Island" was part of an attempt to move the Muppets away from the sweetness of "The Muppet Christmas Carol" and back to a zanier vision of the characters. Sight gags based on Henry Kissinger and Carmen Miranda, along with lavish dance sequences and a pig character named "Spa'am," make sure the film lives up to those wacky ideals . With humor and visual wit to spare, "Muppet Treasure Island" is an imaginative and enduring adaptation of the quintessential pirate story.

1. Captain Blood

It's hard to beat Studio Ghibli or the Muppets, but this crackling pirate adventure deserves the top spot. This early pairing of Errol Flynn and director Michael Curtiz made stars out of Flynn and his onscreen love interest, Olivia de Havilland. Here, Flynn plays Dr. Peter Blood, who is wrongly convicted of treason and sold into slavery in the West Indies. Arabella Bishop (de Havilland) is entranced by Blood's pride and spirit and purchases him at auction, setting off a chain of events that leads to Blood becoming the scourge of England.

Flynn and de Havilland's chemistry is electric, and it's a thrill to watch a star be born as the charismatic Flynn strikes the perfect balance between charm and arrogance. He is absolutely captivating on screen. Curtiz's visuals are as impressive as always, too, with unique framing and compositions that make the action feel that much more alive. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's stirring score also deserves special notice. This film has everything you want in a pirate movie: adventure, romance, thrilling action, narrative twists, plenty of sea and sword battles, betrayal, and redemption. Nearly 90 years after its release, the film that made the swashbuckling Errol Flynn a household name is still the best pirate movie ever made.

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10 Best Torrent Sites for Movies in 2024

Reliable and content-rich repositories of movie torrents have become hard to find. On top of that, torrent sites are often blocked by Internet providers, and P2P users have become easy targets for anti-piracy agencies . Therefore, even in the case of the best P2P repositories, you need to shape your approach to torrenting carefully, as there are serious legal risks .

Aside from that, you need to think about your device's safety. Even some of the most popular torrent sites have been associated with malware on occasion. Also, you must inspect the size of each site's movie library and whether you'll find high-quality video files, which can be time-consuming.

Before you start torrenting, do yourself a favor and think about using a VPN . That's how you'll hide your torrenting activities, bypass ISP throttling, unblock torrent sites to download movies, and allow you to stream anonymously. Of course, you'll want the best VPN for downloading torrents .

Let's start talking about the best torrent sites for movies, how to download torrents safely, how to pick the best movie torrent sites, and we'll also explain why you need to use a VPN. At the end, we'll share some useful FAQs as well.

• How to Download Movie Torrents Safely with a VPN?

Your first step is to sign up for a proven VPN, which is when you download its app, connect to a VPN server, and begin downloading movie torrents anonymously. Go through the following steps:

• Get a VPN suitable for torrenting ( we recommend NordVPN ).
• Download and install the VPN app on your computer.
• Open it, complete the initial set-up, and log in to your account.
• Visit your VPN's settings and make sure to enable its kill switch .
• Check if your VPN is set to use the OpenVPN or WireGuard protocol .
• Connect to a server in a P2P-friendly country (like Switzerland, Spain, or Romania).
• You can now browse torrents and download movies. That's it!

We highly recommend connecting to Switzerland, Spain, or Romania when downloading torrents, as those countries are liberal towards copyrights. Our recommendation is NordVPN because it offers dedicated P2P servers in all those countries, among many other P2P features.

The Best Torrent Sites for Movies in 2024

Before we show you our recommendations, let's first go over the criteria we followed when creating our list. First, you'll want access to a sizable movie library with both brand-new and older films . Then, you'll want an active P2P community with more seeders than leechers , as that's how you'll download torrents using the full speed of your Web connection.

The best P2P repositories are long-standing and reputable sites without any previous association with malware . Video files are rarely infected with malware, but torrents can contain extra files with malicious code, so you'll want access to verified torrents. That means someone has checked all those files at some point.

To help you narrow down your search, you'll want access to advanced search filters . That's how you'll easily separate 720p, 1080p, and 4K movies, as well as get to "healthier" torrents more quickly. And lastly, your P2P online destination should not be filled with ads - but you can also resolve that issue using a powerful ad blocker.

Following the criteria laid out below, these are the 10 best torrenting sites for movies in 2024:

• 1. YTS - Overall Best Site for Movie Torrents in 2024

There are many reasons why we’ve decided to feature YTS in our overview of the best torrent sites to download movies. However, the biggest reason is that YTS is all about movies – specializing in bringing high-quality video files that are quick to download (due to their small file size).

No matter what kind of movies you like to watch, YTS will meet your needs. There are many ways to find something interesting to watch, as this torrent site comes with handy filtering options. On top of that, it lets you check what’s trending, preview video file metadata before downloading, and you can check other users’ comments as well.

• 2. WatchSoMuch - Best-Designed Torrent Site for Movies

Called WatchSoMuch, this P2P repository is all about movies and TV shows. And trust us – it's doing a great job of both organizing and presenting its library. And since this movie torrent site is relatively unknown, there's a big chance that it's available worldwide.

In terms of its movie library, you can search for something on WatchSoMuch in many different ways. For example, you can check the latest movies and the most popular ones, or you can search by language, video quality, year of release, genre, and many other ways. Also, there are no intrusive ads either.

• 3. 1337X - Best All-In-One Torrent Site (Movies + Plenty More)

1337X is more than a movie downloader. It's an online community exchanging all kinds of P2P files since 2007. That's also the reason why this site is blocked in many countries around the world (which isn't something that VPN users should worry about). Also, it's especially popular for Indian movies, bringing an often-updated chart of Tamil and Hindi movies.

In many ways, 1337X is similar to other recommendations in this article. You'll get to search movies by keywords or names, and then you can filter P2P files by their popularity. For example, you can check what's popular today, this week, or this month. The only annoying thing about 1337X is its ads, which can be pretty aggressive at times.

• 4. The Pirate Bay - Best for Finding Currently Popular Movie Torrents

We're sure that The Pirate Bay (TBP) needs no introduction, as this is one of the longest-standing P2P sites of its kind. Unfortunately, that's also why TBP is blocked in many countries, which seems to be a trend that’s gaining even more traction with each passing year. However, despite the numerous issues this website has had, it still offers a countless list of movie titles.

Considering that we're talking about one of the best P2P repositories here, you already know that plenty of content awaits. However, our recommendation is to manually dive into the website's library instead of filtering its P2P files. Aside from listing the 100 most popular movie files, there's no other option to browse by genre, language, or similar. 

• 5. Torrentz2 - Best Search Engine for Movie Torrents

All of our recommendations offer comprehensive libraries of high-quality movies. However, if you wish to search many of them at once, you need a search engine like Torrentz2. This site indexes dozens of hugely popular torrent sites for movies and then presents your search results in a nice and easy-to-review manner.

You'll get to filter the search results in multiple ways, and you won't encounter any ads. Also, Torentz2 will show you the full file names, so you can easily extract more information from there. For example, you'll see 720p, 1080p, and 4K movies, the name of the uploader, and similar. You can also download torrents without visiting third-party websites.

• 6. TorLock - Best for Downloading Verified Movie Torrents

TorLock might not be as popular as other options in this article, but it comes with something exceptional. This torrent repository is doing its best to keep your privacy protected as much as it possibly can. Aside from having systems to detect and delete fake torrents, TorLock doesn’t log your online activity and uses third-party services that log the least possible amount of data. 

That said, if you’re looking for a torrent site to download movies, you’ll find TorLock to be interesting. It doesn't have the most extensive movie library out there, and it looks like not many 4K movies are available, but that shouldn't stop you from checking this movie torrent site out. 

• 7. LimeTorrents - Best Old-School Torrent Movie Website

Seasoned fans of P2P downloads are well aware of LimeTorrents, one of the oldest websites of its kind. What’s interesting is that LimeTorrents' website hasn't really changed in more than a decade. However, if something isn't broken, why should it be fixed, right? So, even though its UI is somewhat archaic, the truth is you'll hardly find a better library of movie torrent files out there.

In many ways, this is a pretty standard P2P site that brings just about any content imaginable. With that said, there's no way to sort its movies by genre or any other way. However, you can sort them by popularity or search for something specific. In addition, before downloading files, you'll get to check their health, data contents, and other users' comments.

• 8. TorrentGalaxy - Best for Advanced Search Filters for Movies

TorrentGalaxy has come a long way during the last couple of years, adding many enhancements to its torrent library. In terms of movie torrents, the website is trying its best to bring verified files. Before you decide to download any file, you'll get to see its P2P health, the number of seeders and leechers, how many people have it already downloaded, and whether the file has been verified for security.

In terms of its movie-focused library, TorrentGalaxy lets you search it by titles, keywords, or even IMDb IDs. Of course, you're also free to search files by their video quality and specific categories or jump into what's new and trending. This is quite helpful as the site's library grows daily, making it highly suitable for finding trending and popular titles.

• 9. KickassTorrents - Best Ad-Free Torrent Website for Movies

Keep in mind that we’re not talking about the original KickassTorrents here, which went offline due to legal issues. However, this new version of the once-popular KAT repository is just like the original, which is why we've featured it in our overview of the  best KAT alternatives . It comes with a straightforward yet effective interface, and it also comes with an endless library of torrent files.

Due to the website's popularity, you can be sure that something great is always just around the corner, so to speak. This especially applies to movies whose P2P files are uploaded to KAT all the time. Even though there's no specific way to sort those files (which means some manual searching will be needed), KAT is tough to replace due to its library size. So, if you're after torrent sites to download movies, you have to try this one.

• 10. iDope - Search Engine & P2P Community for Movie Lovers

Here, we have another torrent search engine that indexes countless websites. Called iDope, this site allows you to search millions of torrent files in an instant, making it a great option for both popular and niche movie genres. On top of that, iDope comes with handy search filtering and doesn't serve overly aggressive ads.

What's unique about iDope is that it allows you to register and take part in its P2P community. This community used to be quite popular back in the day, but it's still active, especially when it comes to movie torrent files. Also, you can use its Web browser extension for easy access to iDope's huge library, which is something you won't find elsewhere.

Movie Torrent Sites That Went Offline

Some of our previous top recommendations have disappeared overnight, which isn't unusual in the world of torrent sites. You'll want to avoid these and their clones, as they often bring malware. So, let's take a brief look at some of the previous top picks for movie torrents that no longer work.

This used to be a semi-private repository, which came with an unusual sign-up procedure. However, those days are long gone, as RARBG is fully open today. That means you're free to dive into its library and discover a treasure trove of P2P movie files.

We have to say that RARBG isn’t really trying to do things differently. Instead, you’ll get to browse the available movies manually. However, you can also sort that list by date, size, number of seeders and leechers, and more. We also like that RARBG comes with a vibrant community (via the website’s comments section) and is always quick to point to problematic files.

A great thing about Zooqle is that it brings a media streaming-like UI. Instead of presenting the available P2P files via chunks of text, Zooqle presents them via artwork, highlighting the most critical information. That's how you can skim through its movie library rather quickly and find something interesting to watch.

We believe that Zooqle is a great recommendation not only because of its interface. More importantly, this torrent site comes with millions of P2P files, bringing new torrent files daily. So, no matter if you're looking for old or brand-new movies, we don't doubt whether you'll find them here.

• Torrent Cue

Here, we have a very interesting torrent website. Just like our other recommendations, Torrent Cue is filled with Hollywood movies - there are plenty of freshly released and older titles. But there are also a lot of Bollywood movies, which is what this website specializes in, offering a rich selection of Tamil movies, as well as Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Punjabi films.

The website has an easy-to-use interface without annoying ads. It allows you to filter its movies in many different ways, and it offers verified movie torrents only. That means your chances of encountering malware are minimal. It even has a comments section, which isn't as active right now, but we hope that'll change in the future.

• The Importance of a VPN for Safe Movie Torrenting

It's essential to encrypt your P2P data and hide your IP address when downloading movie torrents, which is precisely what VPNs are designed to do. Here are more reasons why VPNs are useful:

• Avoid P2P-Related Copyright Notices: Downloading movies, especially newer ones, could lead to getting a copyright infringement notice, forcing you to pay a hefty fine. To avoid that, use a VPN that's powerful enough to hide your data without leaks.
• Unblock a Whole Host of Sites : VPNs are highly effective at unblocking sites. So, if your country or Internet provider blocks torrent sites, like in the US, the UK, India, and elsewhere, use a VPN to bypass those blocks. The same applies to bypassing firewalls in schools and workplaces.
• Download Movie Torrents Privately : Every time you connect to a VPN server, you ensure the privacy of your outgoing and incoming data. No one will see that you download torrents, and Web trackers won't be able to follow you on the Internet.
• Become Anonymous Online: Did you know that your Internet provider sees everything you do online? It can also see your browsing history, which can be kept up to 6 months in some countries. Prevent that from happening by using your VPN's encryption.
• Increase Your Digital Security : VPNs can prevent malicious actors from getting to your device, and they can also prevent you from visiting malicious websites. Aside from that, many of today's VPNs have antimalware tools, helping you avoid viruses.
• Go Around Bandwidth Throttling: It's not uncommon for Internet providers to throttle their customers who download a lot of data. If you're getting slow speed when downloading torrents, a VPN can help as it fights against selective throttling.
• Download Torrents Even on Public Wi-Fi: Most public Wi-Fi networks are designed to collect sensitive information and track your browsing habits. So, no matter if you download torrents or not, use a VPN to hide what you do when using public Wi-Fi.
• Visit Your Home Sites When Traveling: As you move to a new country, you'll see that most torrent sites are blocked. To continue using your favorite sites, connect to a server back home, and you'll open up the Web.

Very few VPNs are capable enough to meet all the requirements explained above. If you wish to avoid wasting time on research, know that your best option is NordVPN . It's highly suitable for P2P, offers fast speeds, it's easy to use, and it works on any device.

• Criteria for Selecting the Best Torrent Sites for Movie Downloads

You need to focus on finding a sizable torrent library, which should be easy to navigate and filled with high-quality files. Here's more info on how to find the best movie torrent sites:

• Inspect the Size of the P2P Library: You'll want a movie torrent site with hundreds, if not thousands, of movies. It should offer both new and old movie titles, nicely presented and easy to search through. There should also be an influx of new content.
• Check the Site's Age and Reputation: There's nothing wrong with using freshly released P2P sites, but it's always better to pick a long-standing one. That's the smartest way to access plenty of seeders and find movie torrents without malware.
• Check What Others Are Saying : Rely on social media and forums to find sites that are worth your time. Articles like the one you're reading now are a good way to pinpoint trustworthy sites, as well as to know which sites, clones, and mirrors you need to avoid.
• You'll Want P2P Search Filtering: Movies come in all shapes and sizes. So, when you set out to search for one, you'll want advanced search filters. Using those, you can filter the files available by their names, size, date of upload, genre, and more.
• See If There Are Enough Seeders: To download torrents as fast as your connection allows, you'll find them to come with plenty of seeders. So, pick a popular torrent website or tracker that's used by many worldwide.
• Torrent File Descriptions Are Helpful: Torrent file descriptions are invaluable when it comes to avoiding fake torrents. So, a reputable website will always have descriptions for each torrent file, where you can preview its contents and maybe even download a sample.
• User-Generated Comments and Ratings: Using comments and ratings is a great way to see the experience of those who have already downloaded the file before you download it, allowing you to spot fake torrents, avoid low-quality video files, and more.
• Final Thoughts

Using any of the torrent sites recommended in this guide, you'll gain access to a vast and ever-growing library of films available in different formats and resolutions. They're all easy to use, bring high-quality files, tons of movie torrents, and more. However, you also need to be responsible when torrenting due to copyright issues, malware, and other dangers.

We'll remind you to use a VPN when downloading movie torrents , especially if you're in a country whose ISPs are against P2P. We recommend you pick NordVPN , as you'll gain access to the best torrent sites for movies in an instant and anonymize your Web traffic. It's the best option available right now, meeting the needs of both beginners and advanced users.

What Is the Best Torrent Site to Download Movies?

The best torrent site to download movies is YTS.mx . You'll find thousands of movies there in 720p, 1080p, and 4K - with new titles released every single day.

What Is the Best Torrent Site for Old Movies?

The best torrent site for old movies is 1337x.to . It's among the most popular all-in-one P2P sites in the world, increasing your chances of finding niche and old movies.

Is it Illegal to Download Torrent Movies in the USA?

Yes, it's illegal to download movie torrents in the USA . Of course, that applies only to copyrighted movies, like recent Hollywood blockbusters, for example. Downloading public domain movies is legal and available free of charge.

Can You Get in Trouble for Downloading Pirated Movies?

Yes, you can get in trouble for downloading pirated movies - if your country has laws that prohibit copyright infringement.

That would be all we’ve prepared for this overview of the best torrent sites for movies in 2024. In case you have any questions, make sure to share them via the comments section below. And finally, thank you for reading!

10 Best Torrent Sites for Comics in 2024

10 best torrent sites for games in 2024, 10 best torrent sites for music in 2024, 10 best torrent sites for mac in 2024, 10 best torrent sites for software in 2024, 10 best torrent sites for textbooks in 2024.

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VPNoverview.com Privacy Downloading The 20 Best Pirate Bay Alternatives That Work in 2024

The 20 Best Pirate Bay Alternatives That Work in 2024

The Pirate Bay is by far the most popular torrenting website, but it’s not always available. In some countries, it’s even blocked .

So, to help you find the best alternatives to The Pirate Bay, we scoured about a hundred torrenting sites. This is our list of the best Pirate Bay alternatives :

• 1337X : Best for movies, shows, and music
• YTS : Most user-friendly torrent client
• EZTV : Lots of TV shows
• LimeTorrents : Great platform for new releases
• Torlock : Torrenting site with a large collection of movies and series that claims to be free of fake torrents
• TorrentDownloads : Best for obscure books, software, and Asian content
• Torrends.to : Most efficient searches
• KickassTorrents : Big library with many seeders
• NyaaTorrents : Extensive collection of anime, manga, and hentai
• GloTorrents : Large interactive community
• DirtyTorrents : Fastest-growing torrent search engine
• WatchSoMuch : Most visually appealing interface
• Demonoid : Tight-knit small community
• YourBittorrent : Lesser known torrenting gem
• IsoHunt : Cleanest looking torrent site
• IPTorrents : Huge private torrenting site
• Bibliotik : Great private torrenting site for books
• RuTracker : Russian torrenting site with an extensive catalog
• Torrentz2 : Largest music library
• FitGirl Repack s : Excellent Pirate Bay alternative for gaming

Note that downloading torrents can be risky business . Between malicious seeders and cybercriminals, your identity and data while torrenting, are always at risk. That’s why you should use a VPN (virtual private network) while torrenting .

We recommend NordVPN because it has top-level encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and dedicated P2P servers for seamless downloads.

Want to take a closer look at each Pirate Bay alternative? In our full article below we take a deep dive into these torrent sites and what they have to offer.

The Pirate Bay is one of the world’s most popular torrenting sites , with thousands of movies, music, TV shows, and game torrents. It’s a reliable torrent site with enough proxies and mirrors to withstand most government shutdown attempts and a huge support community. Even so, looking into Pirate Bay alternatives is worth it.

The Pirate Bay fans may be familiar with visiting the site and not finding the torrent they want or suddenly seeing that the platform is experiencing downtime due to government restrictions.

To help you, we have researched and tested hundreds of torrent sites to reveal the best Pirate Bay alternatives . However, before you access any of these torrent sites, we recommend using NordVPN. This service provider has dedicated P2P servers for faster download speeds and robust security features to protect your anonymity online.

VPNOverview does not condone or recommend illegal downloads on torrent sites.

Why You Need a Pirate Bay Alternative

You’ll need alternatives to Pirate Bay for two main reasons:

• The Pirate Bay website can go down . Torrent sites are often targets for shutdowns, and the Pirate Bay is no exception. You might find that the mirror you’re using no longer works.
• The Pirate Bay might not have the torrents you’re looking for. Although Pirate Bay has a lot of torrent files, it might not have obscure titles and content in certain genres.

The alternatives to Pirate Bay included in this article will offer you all kinds of content, from your favorite movies and TV shows to popular games and eBooks.

The 20 Best Pirate Bay Alternatives

We tested some of the best torrenting sites to compile this list of the 20 best alternatives to Pirate Bay. In this section, we’ll walk through each one of these alternatives, highlighting their pros and cons, standout features, and working mirror sites. Note that most are public torrenting sites, while others are private.

Without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into the best alternatives to The Pirate Bay.

1. 1337X: Extensive torrent library of movies, shows, and music

• Large library of torrent files
• Easy-to-navigate interface
• Good download speeds
• Many recent releases
• Banned in the UK, US, Canada, India, and Australia

We picked 1337X because : It has thousands of movies and TV shows, including some recent Netflix titles.

What We Liked

• Extensive content library with recently released movies and TV shows
• Decent seed/leech ratio
• Good download speeds (approx. 3-4 Mbps)
• Ads are not too intrusive

What We Didn't Like

• Not much video game content
• It is blocked in several countries, including the UK, US, Canada, and India

We consider 1337X the best alternative to Pirate Bay, thanks to its huge content library. We found thousands of movies, shows, games, and music torrents. We like that it’s regularly updated with recent titles , so you’ll surely find a newly released movie or TV show on 1337X.

However, other alternatives, such as NyaaTorrents and The Pirate Bay, definitely have more game torrents, especially regarding older titles. Therefore, 1337X isn’t a great alternative for games.

Nevertheless, we were able to download torrents at blazing-fast speeds compared to most of the platforms on this list. We were also impressed that it has virtually no ads.

Working proxies and mirrors :

2. YTS: User-friendly platform

• Large collection of movie torrents
• Easy-to-navigate platform
• Good variety of older movies
• No distribution rights for the content provided

We picked YTS because : It allows you to download and stream movies in 720p, 1080p, 2160p 4K, and 3D quality.

• Library includes a lot of content in HD quality
• Has some hard-to-find older titles
• Compresses downloads so low bandwidth not a problem
• Download speeds of around 3-4 Mbps
• Limited to movie downloads
• Copyrighted content

YTS is a fantastic site for people who want to download a movie and one of the best Pirate Bay alternatives. Even though the site doesn’t feature any torrents besides movies, we found that it offers the most recent releases and in HD quality.

While testing its interface, we found it very user-friendly compared to other torrenting sites. While most websites tend to have unattractive lists of torrents, YTS structures their torrents by showing movie covers .

Their numbers aren’t bad, either. YTS has 75 million users each month and an average download speed of 3-4 MB/s , according to our tests. Moreover, the overall design of the site is seamless, and ads aren’t that big of a problem.

• yts.io (a mirror with significantly more ads)

3. EZTV: The king of TV shows

• Massive library of TV shows
• Active community that uploads releases instantly
• Recently-released TV shows
• Blocked in the UK and Italy

We picked EZTV because : It has lots of TV shows that are constantly updated.

• Huge library of television shows that is constantly updated
• Countdown option for when next episodes will be aired
• Beginner-friendly interface with latest torrents at the top
• Download speeds can be slow (2-3Mbps)
• Lots of ads

We consider EZTV the king of TV shows in the torrenting world. We found lots of TV show classics , including Doctor Who, Family Guy, and American Dad. You’re also likely to find the full complement of TV shows on EZTV. For instance, EZTV has all 22 seasons of The Family Guy. That said, be ready to deal with ads and drive-by downloads while using the platform.

However, EZTV has a very active community that keeps uploading new releases as soon as they’re live.

• eztv.unblockninja.com

4. LimeTorrents: Great for new releases

• Has a wide range of torrents
• Speedy downloads
• Content divided into categories
• Banned in the UK, France, and Australia

We picked LimeTorrents because : It’s an excellent place to find new releases on movies, TV shows, anime, music, and PDFs.

• Features movie, game, software, and book torrents
• Good download speed (3-4Mbps)
• User-friendly interface with one-click torrent downloads
• Invasive ads
• Older torrents have fewer seeders

L imeTorrents is an excellent choice for finding new releases , making it one of our best Pirate Bay alternatives. With a seamless interface and a very good seeder/leecher ratio on new torrents, most titles will download fairly quickly.

Our tests showed that the average download speed is 3-4 MB/s. Moreover, it has just under 20 million users a month across all mirrors and offers plenty of search options. However, it’s lower on our best torrent sites list because you won’t find a lot of seeders for older torrents .

Also, keep in mind that it’s currently banned in the UK, France, and Australia but can still be accessed with a good VPN .

• limetorrents.lol
• limetor.com
• limetor.pro

5. Torlock: Great interface with a wide range of movies

• Verified torrents
• Large collection of movies and series
• User-friendly interface

We picked TorLock because : It prioritizes verified torrents, which means you’re less likely to download harmful torrent files.

• Campaign to remove fake torrents (verifies all torrents)
• Great interface with lots of movie, anime, app, and game torrents
• Has a News tab that includes anything tech-related
• Agressive ads

Torlock offers verified torrents that are safe and contain what they promise. In fact, Torlock got its reputation as a safe torrenting platform because it used to run a campaign that promised users $1 for every fake torrent they reported. It’s unclear if Torlock is still doing this, but it sure sounds like a great initiative.

Torlock specializes in movies and series and currently has an impressive catalog in both. The platform features close to 50,000 movie torrents and almost 7,000 torrents for series, making this site a great alternative to The Pirate Bay. The platform also has a useful and easy-to-navigate interface .

What we don’t like at all about the platform, however, is the intrusive ads .

Working proxies and mirrors:

• torlock.com
• torlock2.com
• torlock.unblockit.bio

6. TorrentDownloads: Library with media from Asian countries

• Massive library of eBooks
• Lots of Asian content
• Ad-free platform
• Blocked in many countries

We picked TorrentDownloads because : It has one of the largest collections of reading content, including eBooks and magazines.

• Good site for hard-to-find books
• Extensive library with a wide variety of software packs
• Well-organized interface with categories for movies, TV shows, books, and more
• Slow download speeds (2-3 Mbps)
• Geo-blocked in many areas

TorrentDownloads is the torrent site to go to if you’re looking to download free books. We found thousands of books covering every genre, from fiction to memoirs. It’s also a good choice if you’re interested in Asian movie shows and anime . We liked that TorrentDownloads is an ad-free platform and exceptionally easy to navigate.

Moreover, it is a good option for more hard-to-find titles in all categories. Hence, if you’re on the hunt for an old video game on some other popular game torrent sites and you can’t find it, check out TorrentDownloads.

• torrentdownloads.me
• torrentdownloads.unblocknow.space
• torrentdownloads.g3g.cam

7. Torrends.to: Torrent meta-search engine

• Tracks multiple torrent sites
• Fast torrent search engine
• Downloads speeds vary

We picked Torrends.to because : It makes it easy for users to find torrents across multiple sites.

• Gathers content from different torrenting sites
• Offers an overview of trending torrents
• User-friendly interface with categories of torrent sites
• Download speed depends on which site you use

Torrends.to isn’t a torrenting site in the classic sense of the word, as it doesn’t have its own library. Rather, it keeps track of torrents uploaded on popular sites , such as YTS and The Pirate Bay. In that sense, it’s more like a torrent meta-search engine.

This platform is a good choice if you constantly check multiple sites to find torrents. Torrends.to allows users to be more efficient with their searches since the trackers from multiple other websites are all gathered in one place .

Working proxies and mirrors : None (This website used to be called torrents.io, but as is the case with many torrent sites, the domain name changes from time to time).

8. KickassTorrents: Good download speeds

• Extensive content library
• Updated torrents
• Large torrenting community

We picked KickassTorrents because : You can find lots of torrent files and download them at lightning-fast speeds.

• Extensive library with movies, TV shows, anime, music, eBooks, apps, and games
• Regular updates, latest movies and shows available
• Active torrenting community with many seeders
• Invasive advertising

KickassTorrents has been around since 2010 and was once the most popular torrenting site on the internet. While the alleged owner was arrested in 2016 — and seven domains connected to Kickass were seized by US authorities — moderators and torrenting enthusiasts have created copycat sites, which may also contain illegal torrents.

The library is extensive, and seeders are plentiful for newer releases, making KickassToreents one of our best Pirate Bay alternatives . Download speeds are also pretty good. However, when we started browsing recently updated torrents, an invasive pop-up ad opened in another browser, which we’re never too fond of.

This newer version of KickassTorrents makes downloading harder than it probably could be, and we can’t guarantee its safety. Therefore, this once very popular website has dropped significantly on our list.

• thekat.info
• kickass.onl

9. NyaaTorrents: Great for anime shows

• Torrent site for anime content
• Fast download speeds
• Anime is regularly updated
• Intrusive ads

We picked Nyaa because : It has thousands of anime torrents, and it’s the best place to find recent anime releases.

• Great site for anime fans looking for recent releases
• User-friendly interface with a category filter that includes anime, live action, literature, an more

NyaaTorrents is a mecca for anime TV shows , movies , photos , games , and music , which makes it a great alternative to Pirate Bay. It has quite a large assortment of varying anime titles, though the seeders tend to be on the low end. However, the download speeds are surprisingly fast , especially for such a little-known website.

This torrent site has two sides to it: Fun (safe for work anime) and Fap (NSFW). These are technically two websites that run under the same umbrella, with Fun being your standard anime affair while Fap offers hentai and mature content.

• nyaa.iss.one
• nyaa.iss.ink

10. GloTorrents: Extensive torrent collection

• Wide range of torrent files
• Active community forum
• Decent download speeds
• Many pop-ups

We picked GloTorrents because : It has an assortment of torrent files, including movies, TV shows, games, anime, music, software, and tutorials.

• All-purpose torrent site with an extensive torrent library
• Can upload your own torrents by asking for permission
• Good download speeds because of decent seed/leech ratio
• Site tries to open tons of pop-ups
• Shows a lot of graphic porn ads (NSFW)

GloTorrents has a vast library that includes movies , shows, music , PC software , games , books , and more. It even has a streaming option for those who don’t want to download files. Hence, GloTorrents is a worthy contentender in our best Pirate Bay alternatives list.

It also has an active community forum where you can apply for permission to upload torrent files to the site, discuss issues with already uploaded torrents, engage in conversation about new and upcoming features, blow the whistle on fake torrents, and a whole list of other topics. GloTorrents is also one of the best alternatives to RARBG , too.

• glotorrents.nocensor.art

11. DirtyTorrents: Good search engine for torrents with regular updates

DirtyTorrents Discontinued:

As of April 2024, DirtyTorrents.com has been discontinued by the owners.

• A functional torrent search engine
• Easy-to-use interface
• Wide range of torrents
• Not many seeders

We picked DirtyTorrents because : It’s an automated torrent search engine that has collected more than eight million torrents, making it easy for you to find the content you’re looking for easily.

• Easy to find torrents as user interface is very simple to use
• Regularly updated content
• Few seeders

DirtyTorrents is another torrent search engine on the list similar to Torrends.to. It pulls its torrents from other popular torrent websites, making it easier to find what you need. It has amassed more than eight million torrents in its short lifespan but does not save any torrents nor host them directly.

Even though the search engine pulls its results from other torrent sites, we noticed that the seeding is still on the low end. However, we do consider it one of the better Pirate Bay alternatives if you’re in need of a torrent file that you can’t seem to find on your regularly used torrent site.

• dirtytorrents.nocensor.world
• dirtytorrents.g3g.guru
• dirtytorrents.mrunblock.fun
• dirtytorrents.proxybit.cfd
• dirtytorrents.unblockproject.sbs

12. WatchSoMuch: Multiple torrent categories

• A vast library of torrents
• Easy-to-navigate website
• Files in many resolutions, including HD
• Pop-ups in both the streaming and torrenting sections

We picked WatchSoMuch because : It has over a million torrents in multiple resolutions, including HD.

• Library includes 1.5 million files
• Offers a dedicated streaming site with the most recent releases
• Thumbnails for movies include IMDb rating, user comments, and how many times the torrent was donwloaded
• A lot of advertising
• Must pay to enjoy no ads and faster streaming

WatchSoMuch has two separate sites: one for streaming and one for torrenting . The streaming site will allow you to watch movies and TV shows for free at 720p or lower. However, to watch content in HD (1080p) or 3D, you’ll need to pay for a VIP membership. Nonetheless, the options there are quite good, and we were also able to find torrents for some of the best Netflix shows on there.

We also liked that the website is visually pleasing, well-organized, well-categorized, and easy to navigate. Searching for torrents is simple, and results are displayed from many of the large torrenting sites. You can also request movies and TV shows , but in order to do so, you’ll need to create a member account . You can create a basic member account for free.

• watchsomuch.nocensor.art
• watchsomuch.g3g.cam
• watchsomuch.mrunblock.guru
• watchsomuch.proxybit.ink
• watchsomuch.unblockproject.lol

13. Demonoid: Extensive torrent collection with search filters

• Intuitive search function and filters

We picked Demonoid because : Its intuitive search filters make it easy for anyone to search for torrent files.

• Over a million torrents available
• Offers TV shows, movies, documentaries, books, anime, games, and software
• Blocks links to torrent files that contain malware
• Not the best-looking interface
• Requires a membership for forum access

Demonoid is a torrent website that more closely resembles an old-school forum site , but it works well in terms of functionality, and the library is massive . You can access files from the Torrents tab via titles or keywords. You can tweak some of the filters, including quality, language, and category, to find exactly what you’re looking for.

The biggest issue for us, aside from visuals, is the lack of available seeders . Downloading torrents is relatively easy and straightforward but will take longer than on many other torrent sites. Demonoid does have its own forums and the ability to upload a torrent. However, to access either will require you to sign up for a membership with the site.

• demonoid.to
• demonoid.is
• demonoid.unblockit.bet

14. YourBittorrent: Library with verified torrents

• Well-organized platform
• An assortment of torrent files
• Pop-ups may contain malware

We picked YourBittorent because : It contains lots of verified torrents, which give a measure of confidence that the files you’re downloading are safe.

• Lots of categories, including TV shows, movies, music, anime, software, and eBooks
• Has a separate tab for verified torrents
• Layout is mediocre
• Intrusive advertising

YourBittorrent contains multiple torrent files, including TV series, eBooks, and anime, making this site a great alternative to Pirate Bay. The seeding numbers are relatively decent (mostly in the hundreds), and there is plenty of content to choose from . You can search for your torrents by title, category, or only those that have been verified by the website itself.

If you couldn’t care less about what the site looks like or prefer a minimalist approach to your torrenting needs, YourBitorrent should suffice as an alternative Pirate Bay torrent site. However, you will have to deal with plenty of pop-up ads . You’ll find these on both the website, as well as in separate windows that will open.

Remember to always be careful with torrent sites that have pop-ups as they may be carrying malware and may harm your device.

• yourbittorrent.g3g.cam
• yourbittorrent.mrunblock.guru
• yourbittorrent.unblockproject.lol
• yourbittorrent.123unblock.lol
• unblocknow.mom

15. IsoHunt: Minimalistic layout and good download speeds

• Minimalistic layout
• Large torrent library
• Many HD titles
• Intrusive pop-ups

We picked IsoHunt because : It’s an easy-to-use torrent site with lots of HD titles.

• Extensive content library categorized neatly
• Recently updated torrents for TV shows, eBooks, software, movies, games

IsoHunt is a minimalistic and clean-looking torrent site. Its library seems rather large , with several entries being added daily. The seeding is on the higher side (hundreds to thousands), and HD titles are very easy to find. That is why we included IsoHunt in our list of the best Pirate Bay alternatives .

However, our biggest gripe with IsoHunt is that every once in a while, clicking on a link will open up a separate tab . The tab is usually a redirect to an ad, which is nothing short of annoying. Yet, seeing how there are no ads visually placed on the website itself, it stands to reason this is how they keep the site going.

• isohunt.fun

16. IPTorrents: Private torrent site with a vast library

• No ad intrusion
• $20 joining fee
• Large library of movies, games, and books
• Safer than a public torrenting site
• Active community to interact with other users
• Requires a payment ($20 in Bitcoin) or an invitation

IPTorrents is a private torrenting website with about five million monthly visitors. The fact that it’s private means you need to have an account to get access. You can get a membership either through an invitation from a current member, or you can donate $20 using Bitcoin to get access.

IPTorrents is one of the biggest private torrenting sites in existence. Because of this, it’s home to an active community as well as a large library for all kinds of files. Another advantage of private torrenting sites, such as IPTorrents, is that they generally don’t contain ads and malware.

IPTorrents is a great option for people who are looking for a private Pirate Bay alternative, as long as they’re willing to spend some money.

17. Bibliotik: Big collection of audiobooks

• Massive eBook and audiobook library
• Has comic books, journals, and magazines
• Offers eLearning apps
• Invite-only

We picked Bibliotik because : You’re likely to find your favorite collection of eBooks and audiobooks.

• Huge collection of eBooks and audiobooks
• eLearning apps setup files for mobile and desktop devices
• You have to get an invitation to join

EBooks and audiobooks aren’t the easiest torrents to find. Fewer people are interested in them, and it’s so much easier to find these types of entertainment through other means, such as Audible, Scribd, or simply by buying an eBook with an online retailer.

This means the chances of finding the torrenting file a user is looking for are much smaller except on Bibliotik . Bibliotik has the largest known collection of eBook and audiobook torrents, so users who are looking for anything from an old, unpopular fictional franchise to college manuals are likely to find it here.

Some of the torrents will be perfectly legal, but there are also many illegal copies of books on this platform. Furthermore, Bibliotik isn’t officially accepting new members without an invite. One way you might be able to get an invite is by befriending people on the service’s Reddit page .

18. RuTracker: Largest Russian torrenting platform worldwide

• Massive torrent library
• Lots of seeders
• Russian website

We picked Rutracker because : It has a vast array of torrent files, increasing your chances of finding the torrents you’re looking for.

• Lots of users (15 million registered members)
• Google Translate works just fine on the site
• Fast download speeds because of the high number of seeders
• The website is in Russian
• Registration is required

RuTracker is a Russian torrenting site. However, it’s not just any Russian torrenting site. In fact, it’s the largest Russian torrenting platform in the world . It has close to 15 million registered members and an impressive catalog of torrents. Hence, it was definitely worth mentioning as one of the best Pirate Bay alternatives.

Then why is it so low on our list? Well, it’s in Russian. This makes it slightly more complicated for non-Russian speakers to use this platform. Another reason that it’s near the bottom of our list is that you need to register to use this platform . Fortunately, registration is free .

Moreover, if the thought of creating an account on a website in a language you don’t speak worries you, fear not! We don’t speak Russian either. Even so, we were able to navigate the site just fine using Google Translate’s web page translation.

However, remember that torrenting can be illegal in some countries. So our advice is to torrent anonymously by using a good torrenting VPN that will encrypt your data and stop your IP from leaking online.

• rutracker.nl
• rutracker.net
• rutracker.g3g.cam

19. Torrentz2: Large music collection

• Effective torrent search engine
• Lots of music torrents available

We picked Torrentz because : You can find songs from your favorite artists and bands.

• Great torrent site for music fans
• Useful torrent search engine that links to 90 torrent sites
• Offers information for file size and number of seeders and leechers
• Low download speeds (1-2 MB/s)
• Too many ads
• Website is down often

Torrentz2 is one of the best torrenting sites for finding songs and albums . It has one of the largest torrenting music libraries in the world, and you can find lots of obscure songs and classics, too. However, in our experience, Torrentz has slow download speeds (1-2 MB/s) and is riddled with ads. In addition, the website is often down.

Nevertheless, if you are using The Pirate Bay to find your favorite music, Torrentz2 is a great alternative for that purpose.

• torrentz2eu.org
• torrentz2.cyou
• torrentz2.nz

20. FitGirl Repacks: Excellent Pirate Bay alternative for gaming

• Lots of gaming torrents
• Compressed files
• Torrents may contain malware

We picked FitGirl Repacks because : It has one of the largest collections of game otrrents.

• Contains many gaming torrents
• Files are compressed for fast downloads
• Some files can take longer to install
• Certain torrents may contain malware

FitGirl Repacks is an excellent Pirate Bay alternative for downloading gaming torrents. It boasts over 200 pages of gaming torrents . These files are compressed, making it easier for you to download them fast. However, because of the compression, files might take a while to install.

There’s also a day of request when you can ask for specific gaming titles. However, that can be difficult to access since there’s no set day.

Keep in mind that when downloading files of any kind, your device is at risk from malware , no matter how safe a torrent site can be. The same applies to FitGirl Repacks, so be sure to use either a VPN with threat protection or a good antivirus solution .

How We Selected the Best Pirate Bay Alternatives

When our experts were compiling this list of the best alternatives for Pirate Bay, these were our criteria:

• Large collection of torrent files : We chose torrenting sites with a massive and wide range of torrents, including movies, series, documents, music, applications, and games.
• Niche torrent sites : Some sites focus on specific content, making them good choices for users who need that kind of content.
• Fast speeds : A good Pirate Bay alternative should have a good seeder/leecher ratio to ensure that your downloads are fast.
• Easy-to-use interface : A torrent site worth using should be clean and well-organized, and torrents should be easy to find. We also prefer sites with minimal ads so you can get torrent files without intrusion.
• Community support: We like torrent sites with active forums and communities that provide insights and support to torrent users.

Why is RARBG Not Listed?

RARBG was one of Pirate Bay’s biggest direct competitors since its launch in 2008. However, the torrenting giant shut down in 2023.

Even with RARBG’s over 40 million visitors each month, a  decent download speed , and a big library , the minds behind the ex-Pirate Bay alternative could not keep it up and running, citing the COVID pandemic and war in Ukraine.

Pirate Bay Not Working? Try This

There are multiple reasons why you might not be able to reach the official website of The Pirate Bay. Most often, it’s either because the website itself is malfunctioning or because restrictions keep you from reaching the website .

If the website itself is down, it isn’t working for anyone, no matter what you do. In this case, you’ll want to try either a Pirate Bay mirror or one of the alternatives mentioned above.

If the issue you’re facing isn’t that the website itself is down but that you cannot access it, you’re dealing with a Pirate Bay block. Fortunately, there is a very easy way to unblock The Pirate Bay : using a VPN.

A VPN can change your IP address to an IP from a country where people do have access to The Pirate Bay. That way, you can get access to your favorite torrent site worldwide ! And, of course, a Pirate Bay VPN can also help you access Pirate Bay alternatives that may be blocked in your country.

Best VPN for Pirate Bay Alternatives: NordVPN

Torrenting is a great way to access and download your favorite content. However, it is also one of the riskiest online activities . This is why you need a good VPN. A top VPN provider like NordVPN will prevent third parties like your internet service provider from tracking your activities online and safeguard your device from malware.

Our cybersecurity experts have chosen NordVPN as the best VPN for Pirate Bay alternatives because of its robust encryption that will keep you anonymous while downloading content and enhanced security tools like Threat Protection that will guarantee your online safety by stopping malware in its tracks.

Moreover, NordVPN will change your IP address, keeping your true location hidden . So even if a Pirate Bay alternative like 1337X is not available in your country, you will still be able to access it.

NordVPN is also our best no-logs VPN. meaning your data will not be shared with third parties. In addition, while using NordVPN with Pirate Bay alternatives, we always enjoy its lightning-fast download speeds . At the moment, NordVPN is also offering some great discounts for new subscribers.

Save big with up to 58% off a two-year subscription!

• Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
• Perfect for privacy and streaming
• Trusted by many, with over 14 million users

Final Thoughts: Protect Yourself When Using Pirate Bay Alternatives

The Pirate Bay is one of the largest and most widely known torrenting websites out there. However, it isn’t the only option for people looking for torrents. If The Pirate Bay site is temporarily unavailable, or when a certain torrent can’t be found in its huge library, downloaders turn to alternative websites .

These Pirate Bay alternatives include 1337X and YTS, as well as private platforms such as IPTorrents. We advise anyone who wishes to use these websites to be careful: many, although not all, of the torrents on these websites are illegal, and some may even contain viruses .

If you want to stay safe and anonymous while torrenting, be sure to connect to a NordVPN server. NordVPN is our best torrenting VPN and will protect your sensitive data while keeping your true location hidden.

Here are some helpful torrenting-related articles:

• The Best ExtraTorrent Alternatives
• Is Torrenting Illegal? The Definitive Guide by Country
• The Best Torrent9 Alternatives

Do you have a question about torrenting, The Pirate Bay, or alternative torrenting sites? We gathered some of the most frequently asked questions below, so have a look and check whether you can find the answer to your query there.

The Pirate Bay is a file-sharing site founded by the Swedish anti-copyright group Piratbyrån — or the “Bureau of Piracy” — in 2003. It uses the BitTorrent protocol, which allows users to share larger files like movies, television shows, music, eBooks, and audio.

If you want to download music, a movie, or an eBook from a file-sharing site, you’ll need to use a torrent. A torrent is a small file that doesn’t actually have the content you want, but works as a reference file to find the content on a larger network.

Through a torrent client like uTorrent, you signal that you want to download that content from available computers on the network (or upload it to those computers). Torrenting makes downloading so easy that copyright infringement and legality concerns have surrounded the technology.

There are many alternatives to The Pirate Bay out there but overall, 1337X is the best Pirate Bay alternative, as it has a similar library with a wide range of options.

There are more specific torrenting websites as well, such as YTS for movies, EZTV for TV shows, and FitGirl Repacks for video games.

Yes, there are. Some of the biggest risks of torrenting with The Pirate Bay are catching viruses or other malware like spyware and going against the law. Torrenting in itself usually isn’t forbidden, but there are many torrents that include copyrighted content that’s unlawfully distributed, which is illegal.

It might as well be. The Pirate Bay often switches servers to avoid government shutdowns. This means it’s often inaccessible. Moreover, some countries have placed national bans on The Pirate Bay, so the website as a whole becomes inaccessible.

Torrenting isn’t illegal , but there are many torrents that include copyrighted content that’s unlawfully distributed. Piracy, as you know, is illegal.

On the whole, torrents are safe. But that doesn’t mean that files can’t contain malware or viruses when you download them. When torrenting, using a VPN and a good antivirus is essential to protect yourself when uploading and downloading torrents, though we don’t condone torrenting for illegal purposes in any way.

Theodor Porutiu Author

Senior journalist.

Theodor is a content writer passionate about the newest tech developments and content marketing strategies. He likes privacy-friendly software, SEO tools, and when he’s not writing, he’s trying to convince people they should uninstall TikTok.

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10 Swashbuckling Pirate Movies That Will Hook You at First Watch

There’s something so engrossing about pirate movies! Maybe it’s the costumes, or simply the concept of sailing the open seas, pillaging and whatnot. We’re not sure why pirate movies always hook us in, but we’re leaning in and picking our ten favorite pirate films of all time!

Which one landed in our number one spot? Let’s find out, mateys!

10. Captain Phillips (2013)

We don’t usually think “true story” when we think of pirate movies, yet this biographical action-thriller is indeed based on real events. Captain Phillips is based on a memoir co-written by Captain Richard Phillips, an American merchant marine who was taken hostage by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa. The movie follows Captain Phillips (Hanks) at the helm of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship on April 8, 2009, as four pirates chase and eventually board the ship. Barkhad Abdi gives a standout performance as the head pirate, Abduwali Muse, who ultimately kidnaps the captain to use for ransom, resulting in a dramatic rescue by the U.S. Navy on April 12, 2009. Captain Phillips was a box office success, earning $220 million against a $55 million budget. The film also earned six Academy Awards nominations.

9. Treasure Island (1950)

Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island has had more than its fair share of movie and television adaptations, but few are as delightful to watch as the original 1950 film directed by Byron Haskin. This movie is noteworthy for a few reasons; for starters, it’s the first fully live-action film Disney ever made. Secondly, it’s the first screen version of Treasure Island shot in full technicolor.

You know the story: a young boy named Bobby Driscoll (Jim Hawkins) meets an old pirate named Long John Silver (Robert Newton) and they set sail in search of buried treasure. This version has all of the swashbuckling action you want with a dash of that original Disney charm only old movies can claim.

8. Hook (1991)

Steven Spielberg directed this movie inspired by J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan story. The film follows Peter Banning (Robin Williams), an adult who has forgotten his younger years spent leading the Lost Boys as Peter Pan. Now a joyless, workaholic adult, Peter is forced to return to Neverland when his nemesis Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his children. Julia Roberts also stars as Tinker Bell, and Maggie Smith appears as Granny Wendy. The film was a bit of a flop at the box office, but it went on to become a cult classic with help from the internet.

7. Cutthroat Island (1995)

Depending on whom you ask, this is a rather controversial entry to the list! Cutthroat Island was so poorly received it set pirate movies back a decade in Hollywood. It’s listed in the Guinness World Records as the biggest box-office bomb ever, and it caused a production company called Carolco Pictures to close its doors for good. However, in recent years the movie has been slowly gaining popularity online, perhaps because it’s one of the only female-lead pirate movies in existence.

Geena Davis stars as Morgan Adams, a swashbuckling adventurer who inherits a treasure map and a pirate ship from her late father. Matthew Modine and Frank Langella co-star.

6. Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

If you love The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and of course you do, then this Muppet version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale is a must-watch. This is the fifth movie that features the Muppets, and the second Muppets film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. All of your favorite furry Muppets are here in this classic re-telling, but some roles were played by live action actors. Tim Curry plays Long John Silver, newcomer Kevin Bishop plays Jim Hawkins, and the always Absolutely Fabulous Jennifer Saunders appears as Mrs. Sarah Bluveridge.

5. Captain Blood (1935)

Errol Flynn was one of the original Hollywood swashbucklers, and Captain Blood is the film that put him on that map. Captain Blood is based on a novel of the same name by Rafael Sabatini. It’s about a doctor jailed on an island in the West Indies. He and the other prisoners escape the island and become pirates, and epic adventures follow. This was Olivia de Havilland’s fourth movie, and the role gained her and Flynn a great deal of clout in Tinsel Town.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Hollywood executives wanted nothing to do with pirate pictures after Cutthroat Island tanked in the late 90s, but all of that changed when the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie crossed their desks. The script is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at the Walt Disney theme parks. The story is about a pirate named Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and a lovesick blacksmith named Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). Turner is in love with Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), who was kidnapped by the evil captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) aboard the Black Pearl. There’s also the little problem with a curse ….

3. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)

Here’s a pirate movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously! If the stop-motion animation in this film looks familiar, it’s because production companies Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Aardman Animations collaborated on this film a few years after producing Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit  (2005). The film is written by Gideon Defoe, who also wrote the book it’s based on, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists . The action centers around a Pirate of the Year competition, and it features the voices of Hugh Grant, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Martin Freeman, Salma Hayek, and Jeremy Piven.

2. Peter Pan (1953)

J.M. Barrie first wrote Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up as a play in 1904 and adapted it into a novel in 1911. It was later turned into a 1924 silent film before Walt Disney Productions produced this animated film version in 1953. The story is a familiar one: Wendy Darling (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) and her two brothers meet Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) and travel to Never Land, where they stop growing older. Later, they square off against the evil Captain Hook (Hans Conried). The film was well-received, but modern viewers understandably have trouble looking beyond the terrible representation of Native Americans featured in the film.

1. The Princess Bride (1987)

You haven’t seen The Princess Bride ? Inconceivable! This fantasy adventure was directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner ( This Is Spinal Tap ). It was adapted to film by the author of the book himself, William Goldman, who created the concept of a grandfather (Peter Falk) telling the story by reading his sick grandson (Fred Savage) a bedtime story. Like the book, the movie tells the tale of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright ) and her love for farm boy Westley (Cary Elwes). When they’re separated, Buttercup is betrothed to the hateful Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), so Westley, who has assumed the identity of the Dread Pirate Roberts, must assemble a ragtag group of comrades to rescue her.

The movie was a moderate hit when it was released, but it gained cult status once it moved to home box office. Fair warning, however: There’s kissing in this movie!

Y’ar, mateys! Watching these films sure beats walking the plank, so what are ye’ waiting for?

Great Big List of Pirate Movies

1. Against All Flags

2. Anne of the Indies

3. Avenger of the Seven Seas

4. Band of Pirates: Buccaneer Island

5. Betty and the Buccaneers

6. The Black Pirate

7. El corsario negro

8. The Black Pirates

9. The Black Swan

10. Blackbeard

11. Blackbeard: Terror at Sea

12. Blackbeard, the Pirate

13. Blackbeard's Ghost

14. Blackie the Pirate

15. The Buccaneer

16. The Buccaneer

17. Buccaneers

18. Buccaneer's Girl

19. Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer

20. Captain Blood

21. Captain Kidd

22. Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl

23. Caribbean

24. Caribbean Hawk

25. Cutthroat Island

26. Daphne and the Pirate

27. The Devil-Ship Pirates

28. Double Crossbones

29. The Eagle of the Sea

30. Fortunes of Captain Blood

31. Fury at Smugglers' Bay

32. Ghost in the Noonday Sun

33. Sansone contro il corsaro nero

35. The Ice Pirates

36. The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake

37. The King's Pirate

38. Last of the Buccaneers

39. The Lion of St. Mark

40. The Masked Man Against the Pirates

41. Morgan the Pirate

42. Muppet Treasure Island

44. Peter Pan

45. Peter Pan

46. Peter Pan

47. The Pirate

48. The Pirate and the Slave Girl

49. The Pirate Movie

50. Pirates

51. The Pirates

52. The Pirates! Band of Misfits

53. The Pirates of Blood River

54. The Pirates of Penzance

55. The Pirates of Penzance

56. The Pirates of Penzance

57. The Pirate of the Black Hawk

58. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

59. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

60. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

61. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

62. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

63. Pirates of the Coast

64. Pirates of Tortuga

65. Pirates of Treasure Island

66. Pirates of Tripoli

67. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

68. The Princess and the Pirate

69. Rage of the Buccaneers

70. Return to Treasure Island

71. Return to Treasure Island

72. The Sea Hawk

73. The Sea Hawk

74. Shipwrecked

75. The Son of Captain Blood

76. The Spanish Main

77. Swashbuckler

78. Through the Eyes of Men

79. Tiger of the Seven Seas

80. Totò contro il pirata nero

81. Treasure Island

82. Treasure Island

83. Treasure Island

84. Treasure Island

85. Treasure Island

86. Treasure Island

87. Treasure Island

88. Treasure Island

89. Treasure Island

90. Treasure Island

91. Treasure Island

92. Treasure Island

93. Treasure Island

94. Treasure Planet

95. Yankee Buccaneer

More to explore, recently viewed.

History | May 15, 2024

Who Were the Real Pirates of the Caribbean?

During the Golden Age of Piracy, thousands of sea dogs sought fame and fortune. But the reality of a pirate’s life was less enticing than movies and television shows suggest

Sean Kingsley

History Correspondent

Three hundred years ago, a cultural revolution exploded out of East London. The narrow lane of Paternoster Row , today lined with trendy cafés and sushi shops, feels like an unlikely spot for the birth of the pirates of the Caribbean. But this was once the heart of the English capital’s publishing industry—and a place of justice for the most dreaded brigands.

Paternoster Row stands a few blocks away from the Old Bailey courts and Newgate Prison , where so many sea dogs were dragged in chains, tried and sentenced to death. So it was fitting that A General History of the Pirates —a comprehensive biography that shaped perceptions of pirates both then and now—was first sold here in May 1724.

The book’s author, one Captain Charles Johnson , had a best seller on his hands. An expanded version appeared later that year, followed by a third edition in 1725 and a fourth in 1726. Translations into Dutch, German and French also arrived in quick succession. Three centuries later, the blockbuster is still in print. Chapter by chapter, the book introduces readers to pirates who are now household names, from Henry Avery to Blackbeard to Anne Bonny—figures who inspired television hits like “ Black Sails ” and “ One Piece ” and fed the $4.5 billion Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Much of what we think we know about the golden age of piracy, though, is not what it seems. Johnson never existed (he was a pseudonym for an author alternatively identified as Daniel Defoe or Nathaniel Mist), and most of the clichés of the era—walking the plank, buried treasure and drunk pirates in the lovable rogue mold of Captain Jack Sparrow —are make-believe, invented by Robert Louis Stevenson for his 1883 novel, Treasure Island .

“The first proper novel written about pirates,” Stevenson’s tale cemented a specific image of buccaneers in the popular imagination, says Rebecca Simon , author of The Pirates’ Code: Laws and Life Aboard Ship . “Virtually everything about pirates in pop culture comes from Treasure Island .”

So, what were the real pirates of the Caribbean like? Were they revolutionaries who founded pirate republics where everyone was free and equal? Or were they terrorists and rapists, enemies of all mankind out to pad their pockets, the world be damned?

Under the black flag

Overall, around 4,000 sea dogs plagued the world’s sea lanes during the golden age of piracy . In the 1690s , early pirates sailed between western India and the Red Sea coasts of modern-day Yemen and Saudi Arabia. A few decades later, in the 1710s and 1720s, they turned their attention to Spanish and European shipping routes in the Caribbean and slave traders off West Africa.

At the peak of the mayhem, around 1720, up to 32 pirate ships crewed by 2,400 multiethnic sailors disrupted the Caribbean at any given time. Pirates ranged in age from about 14 to 50, though most were in their mid- to late 20s. Around half were English: A quarter of these English pirates came from the port cities of Bristol, Liverpool and Plymouth, while another third hailed from Greater London. One-quarter of all pirates were Americans from the West Indies and North America. Many sailed out of Boston, Rhode Island, New York and Charleston.

“Pirates were men of the sea, not wronged aristocrats avenging their lost honor, as Hollywood would have us believe,” says Marcus Rediker , author of Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age . “A few had been enslaved waterfront workers, some fishermen [and] more privateersmen. The vast majority had been sailors in the Royal Navy and especially the merchant shipping industry, where they had experienced death-defying labor, poor food ( biscuit so full of vermin, they said it could walk around by itself) and the captain’s back-scarring cat-o’-nine-tails.”

As the English writer Samuel Johnson put it , “No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail, for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.”

One in five pirates got their start after mutinies at sea, but the majority volunteered after pirates seized their merchant vessels. Highly skilled carpenters and doctors might be forcibly enlisted, but most captains, like Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy , “ forced nobody to go with them, and said they would take nobody against their wills,” as one sailor later testified.

Pirate crews were made up of men from all walks of life. Walter Kennedy , a native of Wapping in London, was a poor pickpocket, while Stede Bonnet was “master of a plentiful fortune” amassed through his sugarcane plantation in Barbados, according to A General History . Welshman Bartholomew Roberts bucked the hard reputation of the scowling pirate by dressing in scarlet breeches and tucking a red feather in his hat; he also drank tea rather than rum.

What united these disparate pirates was the dream of making a fortune. Pirates could rake in 100 to 1,000 times the salary of an Anglo-American sailor. And a few diehards hit the jackpot: In July 1693, for example, Thomas Tew of Rhode Island plundered £100,000 of gold and silver, gems, pearls, elephant tusks, spices, silk, and gunpowder from a ship bound for what is now Saudi Arabia.

Then, in September 1695, Avery disarmed the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ’s treasure ship and helped himself to £600,000 in gold, silver and jewels (about $130 million today)—the largest single haul in pirate history. Despite today’s emphasis on pirates of the Caribbean, the richest ships sailed between the Red Sea ports of Jeddah in modern Saudi Arabia, Mocha in Yemen and Surat in India.

But pirates didn’t always spend their windfalls wisely. In the late 17th century, the Dutch surgeon Alexandre Exquemelin wrote that pirates used their money “according to their custom, wasted in a few days in taverns … by giving themselves to all manner of debauchery with strumpets and wine.”

During the War of the Spanish Succession , which spanned 1701 to 1714, privateers contracted by European governments to seize enemy ships got to keep about 80 percent of their loot. As soon as the peace was signed, this lucrative source of income vanished. The British Royal Navy demobilized its warships, decreasing its number of sailors from 49,860 in 1712 to 13,475 just two years later. Jobs dried up, and families went hungry.

“By the time the golden age of piracy was brought to a bloody end [in the 1720s], after royal governors had hanged hundreds of pirates,” says Rediker, “the ‘gentlemen of fortune’ had captured and plundered more than 2,400 vessels, 400 by Roberts and his crew alone. During their peak years, 1716 to 1726, pirates had done more damage to British Atlantic trade than France and Spain in the recent War of the Spanish Succession.”

Liberty, equality, fraternity

The pirate ship was a world turned upside down. Crews called no country home but came instead “from the seas.” As floating Towers of Babel crewed by poor men of mixed religions and nations, pirate ships welcomed everyone into the brotherhood—except for women, who were considered bad luck. ( Bonny and Mary Read ’s adventures with Calico Jack Rackham lasted just two months.) On pirate decks, there was no social ranking. Everyone got to vote on decisions and take a fair cut of the spoils.

Far from the Hollywood image of anarchy, pirate crews signed articles to strictly control life at sea. Edward Low , the meanest pirate of the golden age, banned drunkenness at times of attack. Roberts forbade the lighting of candles after 8 p.m. George Lowther’s articles included compensation for the loss of a limb in an assault.

Pirate lords could certainly be quirky. After Low’s wife died, he blocked married men from his fleet in a rare act of sentimentality . Bonnet sought solace at sea due to “some discomforts he found in a married state” that brought about “a disorder of the mind,” notes A General History .

Bonnet, who had no sailing experience, didn’t just run away from his wife. “There is a suggestion that he had a strong preference to surround himself with other men,” says historian Katherine Howe , editor of The Penguin Book of Pirates and the descendant of a Massachusetts merchant who was hanged from a ship’s yardarm by pirates who wanted him to give up his valuables.

Male friendships on pirate vessels could be extremely close, to such an extent that matelotage , “a kind of civil union [performed] in front of witnesses and the captain,” was allowed, says Simon. “Two sailors would join into a bond to enable their property, in the event of their death, to be sent back to their families or willed to each other.”

Simon notes that some scholars have speculated that matelotage was akin to “legalized gay marriage on pirate ships,” but the written documents are ambiguous. “Sexual relationships were banned on most ships, pirate ships as well, and this included sodomy, which was against the law,” she explains. “Some civil unions would have been out of very deep friendships, but it is very possible” that men who shared close quarters for long stretches of time engaged in sexual activity.

Not even the captain’s power was sacrosanct. If he showed just one sign of weakness or dishonesty, he could be marooned on a desert island or killed outright. Authority was governed by majority rule, and the crew “only permit him to be captain on condition that they may be captain over him,” according to A General History .

Skulls and crossbones

While violence was sometimes inevitable, pirates’ main goal was to persuade victims to give up their cargoes without a fight. “It was a bit of a spectrum, but pirates weren’t as deadly as we think,” says Simon. “If you’re going to engage in a massive battle, that means you’re going to be losing massive numbers of your own crew as well, and pirates don’t want to do that. They want to get in and get out as fast as they can.”

Though most pirates avoided violence when possible, some relished it. Blackbeard supposedly lit fuses in his beard when approaching enemy prizes, looking like a demon straight out of hell. But no sea dog rivaled Low’s cruelty. When the pirate found out that the captain of a seized Portuguese ship had dropped a bag of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than hand it over, he had the man’s lips cut off, broiled and fed to the ship’s mate. Low and his men then murdered the captain and his crew of 31.

Terror was a common tactic to persuade victims to reveal hidden treasures, and it often involved dramatic theatrics. Crews led by Bellamy and Paulsgrave Williams took the St. Marie by charging the French ship while stripped completely naked. Read was said to fight bare-breasted for the same reason, providing a diversion that stunned onlookers while her fellow pirates swung into action.

The ultimate prop was the pirate flag , which could be decorated with a skull and crossbones (as in the classic Jolly Roger design), bleeding hearts, hourglasses, spears, cutlasses and skeletons. A black flag told terrified crews that the pirates were willing to give quarter if they surrendered. When all else failed, a blood-red flag signaled that no mercy would be shown.

Pirate raids were “much less about torture for its own sake than about active persuasion,” says Howe. “That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a terrifying thing. It could still be a very ugly business.”

The end of the rope

The legends who lived to enjoy their ill-gotten gains were a tiny minority. Avery vanished into thin air before buying a royal pardon and joining the writer Defoe as a spy to protect England’s crown from the threat of Catholic France, a new theory suggests. Christopher Condent , more commonly known as Billy One-Hand, arranged a royal pardon and retired to the old pirate haunt of St. Malo in northern France.

As for the rest of the big guns, William Kidd , Charles Vane , Bonnet, Rackham and Olivier Levasseur were all executed by hanging. Tew died in the Red Sea in September 1695, when he was disemboweled by a cannonball. Blackbeard was decapitated in a skirmish with the Royal Navy off North Carolina in 1718. Bellamy and all but two of his crew drowned off Cape Cod in 1717, while Roberts was shot dead by a Royal Navy frigate off Sierra Leone in 1722.

Around 25 to 30 percent of pirate crews were Black, research conducted by historian Kenneth J. Kinkor suggests . Though much has been made of African pirates fighting and dying alongside their white brethren, these men’s fates were very different. Colonial officials rarely gave Black pirates the right to a trial. “Many were sold back into slavery,” says Simon. “It was more egalitarian [on pirate decks] than you might expect for the time period, but it’s not as perfect as we’d like to think.” Howe adds, “Pirates were interested in money. They weren’t interested in people.”

Ultimately, piracy was not a way of life, but rather a brief act of defiance. Most sea dogs dreamed of one large prize and melting into polite society. Reality rarely worked out so well. Almost all pirates failed and went on to meet an unhappy end. So why have they stuck so firmly in the popular imagination?

“Pirates have remained popular because of their ‘it’ factor—a strange magnetism that attracts both sexes,” writes Simon in The Pirates’ Code .

Howe, meanwhile, says:

They’re beloved for what they represent: the romance and the glamour, the idea of freedom, of overthrowing authority. … My more cynical side also says that it is a way for us to be romantic about maritime life in the age of sail and not to have to think about slavery, a way of creating a glamorous overlay over some of the harsher realities of life, not just for enslaved people but for working people in general [at the time].

When all was said and done, many pirates were criminals, terrorists and rapists. “There was no altruism behind the motives of those pirates,” says Simon. “There was nothing they wanted to give back. They were operating against the law, attacking people, kidnapping [them].”

What cannot be denied is that the pirates of the Caribbean lived and died in their own way. They partied hard, swore, took God’s name in vain and joked heartily. When Philip Lyne captured official documents of the Lords of the Admiralty in 1721, his men “wiped their backsides” with them, proclaiming “that they were [now] the lords of the sea.” The crews of both Bellamy and Roberts were stinking drunk or hungover when they were caught or killed.

Most men sailing under the black flag did so for just a year or two before the law or a hurricane caught up with them. The way of the pirates, then, was less “dead men tell no tales” than “live fast, die young.” Or, as Roberts put it, “In an honest service, there is thin commons, low wages and hard labor. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power. … No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.”

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Sean Kingsley | | READ MORE

Sean Kingsley is a marine archaeologist, explorer, historian and writer specializing in the sunken past. In 2020, he founded Wreckwatch ,  the world’s first popular magazine dedicated to the cultural wonders of the sea. He is the co-author of  The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy  and  Enslaved: The Sunken History of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

Disney+ Snags Most of the Anime 'Macross' Series, But Not All!

D o you know what would make Disney+ so much better? Unedited versions of movies like Splash? No. Adding the missing Simpsons episodes? Nah. The answer is anime , namely Macross !

Yes, the legendary mecha series is coming to Disney’s streaming service! The news was posted on the series’ official website . Although a date for Macross ‘s global launch hasn’t been announced, it appears it will happen this year.

“ It has been decided that the ‘Macross’ series will be distributed in Japan and around the world in 2024 on the content brand ‘Star’ of Disney’s official video distribution service Disney+! “

However, American Disney+ subscribers will need to make some concessions. Not all of the eighteen Macross series will be available Stateside. 

Two of the eighteen series will be locked down strictly for the Japanese audience:

• “The Super Dimension Fortress Macross” (Limited distribution in Japan)
• “The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?” (Limited distribution in Japan)

Although it’s a bummer we won’t get everything, there’s a possible workaround. If you use a VPN, you may be able to access the complete Disney+ Japanese library. 

Otherwise, you’ll be limited to only these titles:

• “The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Flash Back2012”
• “The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II -LOVERS AGAIN-“
• “Macross Plus”
• “All four episodes of “Macross Plus” have been re-edited, new footage has been added, and the final scene is different.”
• “Macross 7”
• “Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy is Calling Me!”
• “Macross Dynamite 7”
• “Macross Zero”
• “Macross F”
• “Macross F the Movie ~Itsuwarinoutahime~”
• “Macross F the Movie ~Goodbye Tsubasa~”
• “Theatrical Short Macross F ~Labyrinth of Time~”
• “Macross FB7 Ore no Tawo Kike!”
• “Macross Delta”
• “Macross Delta the Movie: Passionate Valkyrie”
• “Macross Delta the Movie Absolutely LIVE!!!!!!”

Macross first came across the Pacific in the early 1980s, retitled as Robotech . It continued under that tile for many years and across several films into the early 2010s.

Do you have fond memories of Robotech or Macross? Let us know!

[Source: Macross Official Website ]

[Source: Gizmodo ]

The post Disney+ Snags Most of the Anime ‘Macross’ Series, But Not All! appeared first on Pirates & Princesses .

FBI seizes hacking forum BreachForums — again

The FBI along with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies seized the notorious cybercrime forum BreachForums on Wednesday. 

For years, BreachForums has been a popular English-language forum for hackers and cybercriminals who wanted to advertise, sell and trade stolen data. Just recently, a threat actor advertised Dell customers’ personal information and data stolen from a Europol portal . 

BreachForums has proven resilient. Last year, authorities seized a previous version of the site , three months after arresting its administrator , Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, aka pompompurin. After that, someone going by the online handle Baphomet took over and re-established the site, which had three different domains over the last year, according to the FBI. 

When reached by TechCrunch for comment, FBI spokesperson Samantha Shero declined to comment. Department of Justice spokesperson Joshua Stueve also declined to comment. 

Unlike the previous site seizure, this time the feds also took control of the forum’s official Telegram channel, as well as the channel of one of the site’s administrators, Baphomet. 

Both Telegram channels displayed the same message from the FBI, announcing it took control and that it was “reviewing the site’s backend data.”

“If you have information to report about cyber criminal activity on BreachForums, please contact us,” the message concluded, with a link to a dedicated FBI website where victims and members of the forum can send the feds information about the former cybercrime forum. 

“From June 2023 until May 2024, BreachForums (hosted at breachforums.st/.cx/.is/.vc and run by ShinyHunters) was operating as a clear-net marketplace for cybercriminals to buy, sell, and trade contraband, including stolen access devices, means of identification, hacking tools, breached databases, and other illegal services,” the FBI wrote on the website. 

ShinyHunters, another BreachForums administrator, did not return a Telegram message requesting comment.

At this point, it’s unclear how the authorities took control of the Telegram channels. One likelihood is that the FBI arrested Baphomet and took control of his devices. Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn confirmed the company “has not cooperated with any law enforcement agencies” on the BreachForums takedown.

Telegram did not respond to a request for comment. 

Fitzpatrick, the previous BreachForums administrator, pleaded guilty to federal charges last July . 

UPDATE, May 15 at 4:49 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to add the FBI’s ‘no comment.’

UPDATE, May 16 at 9:14 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to include the comment from Telegram’s spokesperson.

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