The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Kernel Score: 80% · 271 ratings · Rated PG-13
Genres: Drama, War
Released: 1966-12-20
Runtime: 196 minutes
Where to watch The Sand Pebbles
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.
The Sand Pebbles parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that The Sand Pebbles is a PG-13 war drama set aboard a U.S. Navy gunboat during 1920s revolutionary China, including battle sequences.
- Violence & scariness: Moderate — The film includes naval battle and combat sequences as the gunboat crew faces hostility during a revolution-torn period in China.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official PG-13 rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Sand Pebbles
If you liked The Sand Pebbles, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) — 79%
- Greyhound (2020) — 86%
- The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961) — 91%
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) — 83%
- Empire of the Sun (1987) — 85%
- Men of Honor (2000) — 85%
- Devotion (2022) — 77%
- Midway (2019) — 78%
Director
Cast
- Steve McQueen as Jake Holman
- Richard Attenborough as Frenchy Burgoyne
- Richard Crenna as Captain Collins
- Candice Bergen as Shirley Eckert
- Mako as Po-han
- Larry Gates as Jameson
- Charles Robinson as Ensign Bordelles
- Simon Oakland as Stawski
- Ford Rainey as Harris
- Joe Turkel as Bronson
The Sand Pebbles FAQ
Is The Sand Pebbles good?
The Sand Pebbles has an 80% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 271 audience ratings.
Where can I watch The Sand Pebbles?
In the US you can rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is The Sand Pebbles OK for kids?
The Sand Pebbles is rated PG-13. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that The Sand Pebbles is a PG-13 war drama set aboard a U.S. Navy gunboat during 1920s revolutionary China, including battle sequences.
What movies are like The Sand Pebbles?
If you liked The Sand Pebbles, try Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Greyhound, The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer and Mutiny on the Bounty.