Natural Disasters

Bombing Pompeii

2023 96m ⭐ 9.0/10 Documentary · History

Buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and preserved as history's most famous time capsule, Pompeii nearly faced total destruction a second time when Allied bombs struck the site during WWII — a scientific team now races to locate the ones that never exploded.

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Details

Year

2023

Runtime

96m

Rating

9.0 / 10

Format

Documentary Film

Country

United States of America

Platform

Disney+

Why Watch This

Worth flagging: this is primarily a WWII history documentary, not a story about the volcanic eruption itself — Vesuvius appears only as historical backdrop before the film pivots to the 1943 Allied bombing campaign and today's search for unexploded ordnance. If ancient disaster is what you want, this isn't quite it, but the bomb-hunting mission itself is a solid, tense procedural.

If Bombing Pompeii's overlap of ancient and modern disaster interested you, Into the Inferno covers volcanic history with a similarly unconventional angle.

Where to Watch

Region	Available	Platform
New Zealand	✅	Disney+
Australia	✅	Disney+
United States	✅	Disney+
United Kingdom	✅	Disney+
Canada	✅	Disney+
Ireland	✅	Disney+

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bombing Pompeii about the volcanic eruption?

Only as backstory — the film's main focus is the WWII Allied bombing of the Pompeii archaeological site in 1943, and the modern effort to locate unexploded bombs still buried there.

Did the WWII bombing destroy Pompeii?

It caused significant damage but the site survived; over 160 bombs hit the area during nine raids in August and September 1943.

Are there still unexploded bombs at Pompeii?

The film follows a geophysics team searching for up to ten unexploded bombs believed to remain in unexcavated areas of the site.

Where can I watch it?

Bombing Pompeii is streaming on Disney+.