Skip to content
MovieCove
Lawless Oceans

Lawless Oceans

2017–Ongoing1 season6 episodes~47 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

A journey to solve the mystery of a murder at sea and get immersed in the world of maritime crime.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Lawless Oceans?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Lawless Oceans streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

Subscription

New

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Lawless Oceans?

Lawless Oceans earns 1 badge: Crowd Pleaser.

Reception

Is Lawless Oceans worth watching?

Lawless Oceans' Midcredits score is the 62nd percentile of all shows, from 158 ratings across 2 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

62nd percentile

Better received than 62% of shows

79th percentile among Reality-TV59th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)51st
Approval (how many liked it)70th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

71 /100

51st percentile of all shows

64th percentile among Reality-TV49th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

79% liked it

70th percentile of all shows

88th percentile among Reality-TV68th percentile among 2010s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

17th percentile

154 ratings across platforms

47th percentile among Reality-TV24th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 135% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2017 · 6 episodes

  • S1E1

    The Crime

    Jan 10, 201747 min
  • S1E2

    The Witness

    Jan 10, 201747 min
  • S1E3

    The Case

    Jan 17, 201747 min
  • S1E4

    The Captain

    Jan 24, 201747 min
  • S1E5

    The Victims

    Jan 31, 201747 min
  • S1E6

    The Endgame

    Feb 7, 201747 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Lawless Oceans like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe series treats its true-crime subject with a serious, investigative seriousness, aiming for factual revelation rather than entertainment.
The rideThe series maintains a consistently tense and investigative mood, with heavy subject matter sustained across episodes.
StructureThe series is an investigative documentary following a real-world case, not employing narrative devices like nonlinear storytelling or frame stories.
Episode formatEach episode tackles a different crime or case, but a broader investigative arc connects them across the season.
Season formatEach season appears to focus on a distinct investigation or set of cases, with the core format of maritime crime investigation recurring.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
UnsettlingInfuriating · 4% of shows: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe unresolved investigation and lack of conclusion leave a lingering unease and frustration at the impunity of maritime crime.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-fiction investigation documentary series, not a narrative story. It follows the investigation of a murder at sea and maritime crime, but there is no plot archetype fitting the structure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7% (this title)
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsMemory · 3% of showsLoyalty · 7% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series digs into the pursuit of justice for a murder at sea while exposing the pervasive criminal networks operating in international waters.
StanceThe series interrogates the systemic failures and corrupt networks that allow maritime crime to flourish, presenting a critical view of law enforcement and the industry.

The world

ContemporaryIn transitInstitutionalRealistic
AmbientElectronicSupportive music · original score
SettingInternational waters and ports, focusing on the maritime criminal underworld.
MusicH. Scott Salinas's score heightens the tension and sense of unease throughout the investigation.

Content guide

Is Lawless Oceans okay for kids?

TV-14

Lawless Oceans is rated TV-14.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • Ireland16
  • Belgium16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway18
  • Portugal16
  • SwedenFrån 15 år

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Lawless Oceans have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Lawless Oceans?

Crew

Directed by

Chris Lent, Alex Nott, Nick Norman-Butler, Darius Bazargan

Cinematography

Charlie Laing

Edited by

Tom Cottrell, Hamit Shonpal, Robbie Pettigrew, Kate Coggins, Miikka Leskinen

Music by

H. Scott Salinas

Produced by

Meg Bernard, Chris Lent, Jeremy Dear, Lisa Stevens, Krystina Meens, Robert Palumbo
+1 more, Emma Cleave

More like this

What are shows like Lawless Oceans?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Lawless Oceans include Trust Me: The False Prophet (2026), Eli Roth's History of Horror (2018) and World War II with Tom Hanks (2026).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Lawless Oceans?

1.5K other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: true crime. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.