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Fire Down Below

Fire Down Below

THREE OF THE BIGGEST IN ONE OF THE BEST!

1957116 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Director
Robert Parrish
Starring
Rita Hayworth, Robert Mitchum, Jack Lemmon, Herbert Lom

Tony and Felix own a tramp boat, and sail around the Caribbean doing odd jobs and drinking a lot. They agree to ferry the beautiful but passportless Irena to another island. They both fall for her, leading to betrayal and a break-up of their partnership. Tony takes a job on a cargo ship. After a collision he finds himself trapped below deck with time running out (the ship is aflame), and only Felix, whom he hates and has sworn to kill, left to save him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Fire Down Below?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Fire Down Below on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Fire Down Below?

Fire Down Below earns 2 badges, led by Bittersweet and Broadly Agreed.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Fire Down Below worth watching?

Fire Down Below's Midcredits score is the 39th percentile of all films, from 3.1K ratings across 4 sources. 38% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

39th percentile

Better received than 39% of films

46th percentile among Adventure32nd percentile among 1950s
Acclaim (how much people like it)43rd
Approval (how many liked it)35th

60 /100

43rd percentile of all films

49th percentile among Adventure34th percentile among 1950s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

38% liked it

35th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Adventure30th percentile among 1950s
38% rated it 7–1062% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

60th percentile

3.1K ratings across platforms

50th percentile among Adventure69th percentile among 1950s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 46% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$2M

What reviewers say

Common ground

A love-triangle melodrama set in the Caribbean that pivots to a trapped-at-sea rescue sequence.

Fans praised

  • tropical location shooting in Trinidad/Tobago
  • chemistry between Mitchum and Hayworth
  • gripping final act with Lemmon trapped on ship

Detractors panned

  • bland first half dominated by slow romance
  • Mitchum and Hayworth disappear for long stretches
  • unconvincing shift from romantic drama to disaster film

What stands out

Acting70

Mitchum laconic, Lemmon sincere, Hayworth world-weary

Cinematography70

vivid CinemaScope and Technicolor location scenery

Atmosphere65

seedy, sweaty Trinidad setting with local color

TensionDivisive60

genuinely gripping trapped-on-burning-ship sequence

EndingDivisive45

rushed, unsatisfying, though some call it mature

Characters40

two-dimensional, clichéd love-triangle archetypes

Plot and story35

meandering first half, abrupt mid-film genre shift

Pacing35

slow first two-thirds, drawn-out shipboard crisis

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Fire Down Below like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Romantic: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in the mood for a love story.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Romantic.

The answer rests on this: Moods
RomanticTenseBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Register
Romantic · 8% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Adventurous · 11% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its melodramatic love triangle and shipboard crisis completely straight, with no irony; the Caribbean setting adds a romantic and slightly exotic flavour but the emotional conflicts are taken seriously.
The rideThe film begins with a romantic and carefree tone, grows tense with betrayal and the shipboard crisis, and ends on a poignant note of loss and acceptance.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the meeting of the partners through the love triangle, betrayal, crisis, and resigned resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a sense of lost love and broken friendship, a poignant resignation that lingers.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% (this title) · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by a love triangle that destroys a friendship, culminating in a rescue that is too late to repair the bond. The central arc follows Tony's doomed romantic hope and the loss of his partnership.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centres on the fracture of a close male friendship when both men fall for the same woman, examining how romantic desire can undermine loyalty.
StanceThe film observes the breakdown of friendship and the futility of Tony's romantic pursuit without moral judgement, simply presenting the consequences.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanWildernessDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalWorldFolkForeground music · original score · Arthur Benjamin
SettingCaribbean islands in the mid-1950s, focusing on smuggling communities and seedy port towns.
MusicThe score features extensive use of calypso rhythms and bongo drums to evoke the Caribbean setting.

Content guide

Is Fire Down Below okay for kids?

Not Rated

Fire Down Below is not rated.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • Germany16
  • JapanG
  • Brazile 14
  • Austria12
  • Portugale 14

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Fire Down Below have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Fire Down Below?

Cast

Rita Hayworth
as Irena
Robert Mitchum
as Felix Bowers
Jack Lemmon
as Tony
Herbert Lom
as Harbour Master
Bernard Lee
as Doctor Sam
Bonar Colleano
as Lt. Sellers
Edric Connor
as Jimmy Jean
Peter Illing
as Captain of Ulysses
Joan Miller
as Mrs. Canaday
Anthony Newley
as Miguel

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Fire Down Below?

Movies like Fire Down Below include Daisy (2006), Havana (1990) and Haven (2004). Of the 10 closest matches, half are melodramas, and several are films set in the Caribbean.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 10 share its character type: unrequited love. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Fire Down Below?

972 other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: unrequited love. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.