‘The Crimson Tide’

This 1995 tale of seething conflicts aboard an American submarine on the eve of nuclear war is strictly by the numbers, but hardly ever are traditional elements executed with such panache. This film’s commercial formula is capped by taut performances from stars Denzel Washington (left) and Gene Hackman (right). The relationship between Washington’s lieutenant commander of Trident submarine and Hackman’s ultra-tough captain is the core of the film (TMC Thursday at 10:40 p.m. and Friday at 5:40 a.m.).