In case you missed it in American history class, the first trailer for USS Indianapolis: Men Of Courage should have filled you in on the real-life Portland-class cruiser’s grueling ordeal (to put it mildly) in 1945. The latest preview offers more backstory on the ship’s crew, so we can all feel even worse about their fate.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Indianapolis is sent to deliver parts for the first atomic bomb. Captain Charles McVay (Nicolas Cage) assures his superior officer (James Remar) that his crew can make the drop. They’re successful, but the Indianapolis crew is remembered as much for the ensuing tragedy as the completion of their mission. The Japanese navy’s attack on and subsequent sinking of the Indianapolis resulted in “the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy.”
Tom Sizemore’s petty officer brags about the newborn baby he probably won’t ever meet, and Thomas Jane as a lieutenant shows a love of cigars. Timeless’ Matt Lanter is one of the survivors of the torpedo attack, but he and all the other sailors are now at the mercy of a whole lot of sharks. Cage’s McVay maintains a stiff upper lip about the whole thing, even as he’s playing hide-and-seek with an oceanic whitetip.
USS Indianapolis: Men Of Courage is currently available on VOD on iTunes and Amazon Prime, and will reportedly have a theatrical release next month.