Best Movies About Crete To Watch Before Your Trip!

A fantastic biography about Domenicos Theotokopoulos, El Greco.

The movie presents the life of this great artist of the sixteenth century, who sets off from his native island Crete, going first to Venice and then settling in Toledo, Spain.

El Greco features the life and uncompromising character of one of the greatest painters of the Renaissance and his struggles against the Spanish Inquisition.

The film tells the fascinating story of the life, travels, and dreams of the great Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis.

It’s a fascinating account of his existential search for religious and philosophic ideas.

A quest that gained Kazantzakis detractors and persecutors who he face with dignity and always stuck to his values.

The film is based on his autobiography, Report to Greco. If you’re interested in his life and works, do watch Zorba, the Greek (next in this list), based on one of his most acclaimed books.

This is a great documentary for those interested in the history of Crete during World War II.

It’s an eyewitness account of survivors of the Battle of Crete.

It features the invasion of the island by the elite German paratroopers in Maleme, not far from Chania, in West Crete.

The film is based on the book Ill Met by Moonlight: The Abduction of General Kreipe by W. Stanley Moss. And it’s an account of events during the author’s service on Crete during World War II during the Nazi occupation.

Most of all, the movie is about the legendary kidnapping of the German commander General Kriepe, by British officers.

It also features the help of the local resistance during the operation and their trip to a secluded cove in south Crete.

Once there, they are picked up and General Kriepe is taken to Cairo, the Middle East headquarters of British forces.

This British war film was produced during World War II. It is a patriotic and propaganda movie with the governmental help of the British Ministry of Information.

The film is a perfect example of wartime British cinema, as well as a good historic account of national unity in the context of World War II. Worth watching if you’re a fan of history.

Not only related to World War II and played by Crete, but this movie is also an outstanding biography about boxing star Max Schmeling.

The film is mostly about his life and his lack of sympathy for the Nazi ideology. Several scenes present his involvement in the Battle of Crete. Schmeling was instructed to enlist as a German paratrooper taking part in the invasion of the island.

Another war film, this time a Greek-American coproduction. The Naked Brigade tells the story of a British girl who becomes trapped in Crete during World War II following the events of the Battle of Crete, in 1941.

The female leading character will eventually join the Cretan Resistance to fight against the German occupation of the island.

The film is based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. As the story goes, the dreadful creature lives inside the labyrinth on the island (Knossos Royal Palace).

Classic characters include King Minos, Queen Pasiphae, and her daughter Phaedra and Ariadne who is rescued by Theseus. Great for those who are fans of Greek mythology.

A film loosely based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

It was a commercial success at the box office for its 3D features as well as criticized for the flat development of the characters.

My Son, the Hero is an Italian mythological comedy that tells the story of Cadmos, a king of Crete who gets rid of his wife to pursue the love of Ermione.

The film tells the episodes following the murder and the curse by a prophetess who foretells him that the day his infant daughter falls in love with a man will be the day he dies.

A perfect film for those who love fantasy movies.

This Australian film features the hero of the Arabian Nights, Sinbad the Sailor, and the Greek legend of the Minotaur.

Sinbad embarks on a journey to Crete in search of the treasure of King Minos, thought to be hidden in the Labyrinth.

This intense thriller is based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1964 homonymous novel.

The Two Faces of January takes place both in Greece and Istanbul. It tells the story and misadventures of two American tourists in Europe. Key scenes of the movie take place in Chania and Heraklion.

In fact, some scenes were filmed in one of my favorite restaurants in Chania Old Town, Adespoto!

This American mystery is the story of a young girl during a holiday in Elounda, Crete. There, she falls in love and is involved in mystery and intrigue at the Moon-Spinners Hotel.

It’s there that she meets a young Englishman who might be a jewelry thief… or not.

If you’re looking for a film somewhat lighter in plot and spirits, go for The Inbetweeners Movie.

Also released as Sex on the Beach in some countries, this is a comedy based on the sitcom The Inbetweeners.

Not a film but an 8-episode English television series.

Who Pays the Ferryman? is about the local history and popular culture of the island.

Who Pays the Ferryman? about a former British soldier who travels to Crete thirty years after the Battle of Crete.

Another series worth entering this list is To Nisi, one of the most successful productions of Greek television.

To Nisi (The Island) is based on the best-selling English novel by Victoria Hislop, The Island.

The series portrays the sad and tragic story of the Leper Colony of Spinalonga. The main characters, touched by the tragedy, live in the small village of Plaka right across the islet.