The war movie Greyhound is not only one of Tom Hanks’ most underrated movies, but also one of the greatest “dad movies” in recent memory. The movie is set during World War II and stars Hanks as a US Navy commander leading a convoy of ships across the Atlantic while battling the treacherous U-boats.

The movie, which was also co-written by Hanks, was released exclusively on Apple TV+ in 2020, scoring 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. Though the movie isn’t typically discussed among Tom Hanks’ best movies its continued success on streaming has led to the announcement of a Greyhound sequel in the works. However, the movie deserves more credit as a standout in an overlooked subgenre.

Greyhound Is An Underrated And Relentless World War II Thriller

With its World War II setting, straight-forward story, and Tom Hanks in the lead role, Greyhound seems like a typical dad movie. However, it elevates the subgenre with its intense pace that makes it feel like Mad Max: Fury Road remade in dad movie fashion. The result is a surprising, nail-biting ride from beginning to end.

George Miller’s fourth Mad Max movie brought the franchise back in epic fashion, in a movie that amounted to basically one long chase sequence where the propulsive pace never lets up. This is the same approach taken in Greyhound as the movie depicts the relentless danger these ships faced in their crossing.

As soon as they make it into enemy waters, the movie is non-stop. Hanks’ Commander Ernie Krause jumps from one emergency to another, trying to keep the convoy intact, spotting the enemies, and taking out any threats. However, while Fury Road is action mayhem the entire time, Greyhound maintains a tone consistent with dad movies.

Krause maintains a stoic and resolved demeanor despite the constant barrage of life-and-death scenarios. In a subtle details highlighting the relentless troubles, each time Krause is about to have a meal, he is interrupted by the next problem. While not as wild as Mad Max: Fury Road, Greyhound delivers that same charging energy.

Why Greyhound Makes For A Great “Dad Movie”

The “dad movie” subgenre is a difficult one for people to define. As the name suggests, it typically involves movies that are aimed at middle-aged men and their interests. The stories are not usually complicated and the themes remain accessible, with honor, family, leadership, and loyalty often coming up in these types of movies.

There are plenty of action movies and thrillers that fit into the dad movie category, but it is also a popular subgenre for Westerns and war movies. Greyhound strikes all these criteria while also excelling at all of them, pushing it above just another dad movie and into the top tier of the subgenre.

The war aspect is exciting, as Tom Hanks clearly has a deep interest in the subject and relishes getting a chance to write one of these stories. The audience is emersed in the high-stakes operation with everyone onboard having their own job to do when the chaos begins. It is a grounded and realisitic depiction of being at war.

Commander Krause is also a terrific dad movie hero. The movie doesn’t go into too much detail about his private life, beyond the fact that he has a wife waiting for him back home. What matters about the character is how he conducts himself as a leader in such a perilous mission.

Hanks doesn’t get big heroic moments to play, but rather makes Krause a grounded hero in his unflinching position as head of the operation and his compᴀssion for the men serving under him. These elements combine for a pitch-perfect dad movie that any fans of the subgenre, dads or otherwise, should seek out.

Tom Hanks Has Made Some Of The Best Dad Movies Of All Time

It is not entirely surprising that Tom Hanks would deliver such a good dad movie as he has been one of the defining actors of the genre. Hanks’ career started in the 1980s when he was mostly known for comedies and excelled at play a lovable goofball. However, once he became an Oscar-winning actor his career shifted in many ways.

The 1990s saw the rise of Hanks as a star of dad movies, and the first movie that could be seen as falling into that category is Apollo 13. The excellent real-life thriller is another edge-of-the-seat experience, detailing the nearly disastrous mission to the moon with Hanks playing astronaut Jim Lovell.

Hanks soon followed that with his first war movie, Saving Private Ryan. Along with being considered one of the best war movies of all time, it is also a definitive dad movie, with its themes of duty and bravery as well as its authentic World War II battle sequences that are still impressive decades later.

Even when Hanks takes on a role outside his typical characters, such as playing the mob hitman in Road to Perdition, Hanks can deliver a great dad movie. The period thriller touches on themes of family and honor within this tense and gripping revenge story, all of which are elements dad movie fans love.

Greyhound ranks alongside these Tom Hanks movies as another top-tier dad movie. It remains to be seen if Hanks can repeat the success with the upcoming sequel, but the actor has already solidified his place as one of the subgenre’s icons.