Reporter Ben Munceford (Poitier) boards a navy ship patrolling off the coast of Greenland to observe the crew's activities and profile their hardened, aggressive commander, Captain Eric Finlander (Widmark). But Finlander, a zealous anti-communist, is intent only on hunting a Russian nuclear sub he knows to be in the area, ultimately driving his crew past the point of no return.

This tense Cold War thriller re-teams Poitier with Widmark (they first appeared together in Poitier's debut film, 1950's "No Way Out"). Widmark is frightening as the cold, obsessive commander, and Poitier is riveting as the astute journalist covering the maneuvers with increasing uneasiness. A taut, no-frills, psychological drama.