Compared with the traditional coarse-grained materials, the electrochemical corrosion behavior of nanocrystalline materials has changed obviously. Nanocrystallization influences the properties of passive film on passive materials. In this paper, the current understanding of the growth of passive film and local pitting corrosion on nanocrystalline materials by dynamic research techniques were reviewed. The results indicate that nanocrystallization changed the nucleation mechanism of the passive film from progressive to instantaneous, and which promotes the growth rate of the passive film, both of which promote the compact properties of the passive film. The effects of nanocrystallization on local pitting corrosion behavior are concluded: (1) more frequent occurrence of metastable pits, but with lower probability of transition to stable pits, which is attributable to differences in morphologies of sulfur and manganese as well as outstanding repassivation ability of nanocrystalline thin film; (2) nanocrystallization decreases stable pit generation rate and its propensity to form larger pit cavities, and modifies the morphology of stable pit cavity.