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Image via Summit Entertainment
Battles, politics, and a whole lot of drama, war movies depict some of the most horrific moments in history. Visually stunning with captivating and compelling stories, this genre brings viewers into the trenches of warfare where characters fight to survive. While some war films can be too convoluted and filled with unnecessary exposition and explosions, leaning more towards theatricality and an overdramatized version of events, there are others that are generally regarded as some of the best in cinema.
In the past 20 years, films such as The Hurt Locker and 1917 have taken viewers on the frontlines of bomb threats, behind enemy lines, and showcased emotional performances through the lens of fictional military personnel who want nothing more than to make it home alive. There is even the satirical Jojo Rabbit, which dives into the mind of a young boy who begins questioning his beliefs as a member of the Hitler Youth. From dramas and comedy to all-out warfare with little dialogue, these war films from the past 20 years are some of the best.
10 ‘Fury’ (2014)
Directed by David Ayer
Image via Sony
Fury takes place in April of 1945, as the Allies advance into enemy territory. But this film doesn’t take place with an army. Instead, it focuses on a group of five individuals in a Sherman tank, Fury: Army sergeant and tank commander Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt), tank gunner Boyd "Bible" Swan (Shia LaBeouf), tank driver Trini "Gordo" Garcia (Michael Peña), tank loader Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis (Jon Bernthal), and unexperienced assistant tank driver Norman "Machine" Ellison (Logan Lerman). Collier takes on a deadly mission with his team, moving the tank deeper into German territory where they are wildly outmanned, outgunned, and have overwhelming odds stacked against them, not to mention an inexperienced combat soldier with an aversion to violence on the team.
While it is a raw and violent depiction of warfare, Fury is also a film about a team of people bonding, especially while under extreme duress. The film is full of stellar performances and showcases a side of war that often isn’t looked at in cinema: the men who drive the tanks and what their lives are like on a small team. With war-hardened faces on some characters and sickness on others, the raw portrayal of close-quarter combat is displayed as the horrors of war play out on screen.
Fury
Release Date October 17, 2014
Runtime 135 Minutes
9 ‘American Sniper’ (2014)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Image via Warner Bros.
Based on the true story of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), American Sniper takes viewers into his world and what happens when a soldier returns home from four tours in Iraq. It's a story about a man who would do anything to protect his unit and friends, eventually becoming the deadliest and most accurate sniper in American history. Viewers watch as he not only saves countless lives but also becomes a target for insurgents, people who’d like nothing more than to take Kyle out of the equation. When he finally makes it back home, it is clear to his family that he never really left the war.
Watching the film, it is difficult to believe one man could take out the hundreds of enemies that Kyle did, cementing his legacy as one of the deadliest marksmen in United States Military history. It is an emotional narrative, full of tense scenes and balancing them with heartfelt moments between a husband and wife who want nothing more than to leave the war behind. Sadly, it isn’t that simple for Kyle, as he is haunted by those he was unable to save.
American Sniper
Release Date December 25, 2014
Runtime 132minutes
8 ‘1917’ (2019)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Image via Universal Pictures
Taking place during World War I after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, 1917 focuses on the story of Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), two British soldiers tasked with delivering a very important message to the front in order to ward off an offensive attack. The problem is, in order to deliver it, they have to cross into enemy territory. However, getting the message to Colonel Mackenzie of the 2nd Battalion (Benedict Cumberbatch) would potentially save 1,600 fellow soldiers, including Blake’s brother. So, the two-man army does its best to run, hide, and run some more in order to get the missive into the correct hands in time to stop the attack and the potential deaths of their fellow comrades.
This particular war film is an immersive experience as the viewers journey along with Schofield and Blake across enemy lines and into the horrors of World War I’s trench warfare tactics. Visually stunning with raw emotions portrayed through the performances of McKay and Chapman, 1917 was also a technical marvel. Cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith construct the film with numerous cuts. Instead, they took long takes and presented the film in two continuous shots.
Release Date December 25, 2019
Runtime 119 minutes
7 ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2009)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Image via Summit Entertainment
Set during the Iraq war, The Hurt Locker follows an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team headed by Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremey Renner). A risk-taker with a knack for defusing bombs in high-stress situations, James is a different kind of leader, one the team is not used to taking orders from, especially when it means someone might be put in a dangerous situation. At odds with his team and having a hard time with his personal life, James is never able to leave the high-paced, stressful life of a soldier behind.
A dramatized telling of the Iraq War, focusing on a team that isn’t often seen in cinema, The Hurt Locker is an action-filled epic with emotional performances and suspenseful scenes where viewers aren’t sure if the characters are going to make it out alive. Beautifully shot so the audience doesn’t lose track of who is who and what each team member is doing at a specific point in time, The Hurt Locker is one of those war films where it is thrilling to watch the main character in action, putting himself at risk time and again and hoping that this time isn’t the time he defuses the bomb wrong.
The Hurt Locker
Release Date July 31, 2009
Runtime 131 minutes
6 ‘Darkest Hour’ (2018)
Directed by Joe Wright
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Image via Focus Features
In the early days of the Second World War in Britain, newly appointed British prime minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) makes a world-changing decision. He must decide if Britain is going to negotiate with Adolf Hitler or if he is going to set out word that they’re going to fight and continue fighting until the war is won. He does the latter, and over the course of four weeks, Churchill receives missives, makes plans, and cements his legacy as one of the men who changed the course of the war and the world forever.
A historical drama set during one of the biggest wars in history, Darkest Hour evokes the courageous nature of Churchill and his unwillingness to bend to the whims of his enemies. Oldman’s performance, like most of them, was bold, brash, and full of raw emotion as he delivered Churchill’s iconic “We shall fight on the beaches” speech to Parliament. He went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. This movie is a behind-the-scenes look at what politicians are capable of when forced into the corners of war.
Release Date November 22, 2017
Director joe wright
Runtime 125minutes
5 ‘Jojo Rabbit’ (2019)
Directed by Taika Waititi
Image via Searchlight Pictures
Jojo Rabbit is set during World War II in the city of Falkenheim under Nazi Germany and follows the story of a young boy, Johannes "Jojo" Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis). Believing in his nation’s ideals and the rule of Adolf Hitler, Jojo joins the Deutsches Jungvolk, a junior section of the Hitler Youth organization. With an imaginary friend, a weirdly cartoonish version of Hitler, and his hateful ideas towards Jewish people, Jojo is amazed and scared to learn that his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), has been hiding a Jewish girl in their home. The young boy begins to question everything he knows and has been taught under Nazi rule, eventually befriending Rosie and plotting to get her out of Germany and somewhere safe.
Jojo Rabbit is, without a doubt, not for everyone. It is full of dark humor and a satirical approach to the typical war drama and tackles very uncomfortable topics that aren’t comedic but are presented as such. That being said, in terms of cinema, Jojo Rabbit is an interesting take on how propaganda and knowledge can lead young people (and old) to believe in something that they otherwise wouldn’t think. It balances goofy moments with real-life horrors, especially as Jojo witnesses his mother’s death in the town square. It is the thought of war and nationalism, as seen through the eye of a child, a whimsical approach in an otherwise horrific time.
Release Date October 18, 2019
Runtime 108 minutes
4 ‘Dunkirk’ (2017)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Dunkirk is a historical war film that brings viewers onto the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II. There, British and French soldiers are stuck with no way to escape as the German troops advance to their location. With aerial strikes and the enemy gunning them down, the British and French try their best to stay alive but are quickly losing hope. But the military and civilians weren’t going to go down without a fight, bringing together a fleet of naval and civilian vessels that managed to evacuate 300,000 men from the beaches.
The film doesn't utilize a lot of dialogue; instead, it focuses on the sounds of battle, keeping time with the suspenseful narrative of the story along with the horrified expressions of the men on the beaches. In fact, it wound up winning the Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. A film filled with chaos and horror, Dunkirk does an amazing job showcasing true events by filming not only the land perspective of the soldiers but also the sea and air. Dunkirk keeps viewers in suspense from start to finish.
Release Date July 21, 2017
Runtime 106 minutes
3 ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ (2016)
Directed by Mel Gibson
Image via Lionsgate
Based on the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of a brave soul who, in one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, the Battle of Okinawa, saves 75 men without firing a single shot at the enemy. A Seventh-day Adventist Christian, Doss refused to bear arms or carry a weapon of any kind while fighting in the war, even though he was a combat medic who would be in harms way on the front lines. Ostracized by command and never earning the respect of his comrades, Doss becomes the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery on Hacksaw Ridge.
A deeply emotional and moving film, Hacksaw Ridge’s protagonist is unlike others seen throughout the genre. Sticking true to his faith and convictions, Doss doesn’t care what others think of him but also what they say about him. It is one of those war movies that are very influential; viewers watch as he is never swayed and still winds up being the hero everyone needs on the ridge. Garfield gives one of his career-best performances, a raw portrayal of a man who wants to do the right thing but on his terms. It earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.
Release Date November 4, 2016
Runtime 139 minutes
2 ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2021)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
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Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Following the events of September 11, 2001, the United States government is trying its best to locate al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, the most-wanted man on the planet. Zero Dark Thirty is a dramatized retelling of the decades-long manhunt as government officials across two United States presidential administrations band together in hopes of finding his hideout. In the end, it is Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA intelligence analyst, who locates bin Laden, and in May of 2011, Navy SEALs strike, killing bin Laden in his Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound.
While it is a dramatized version of events, Zero Dark Thirty keeps a keen eye for the details of the real events, making an emotional and suspenseful retelling of the decade following 9/11. This gripping narrative tells the other side of the war story, the gritty and impactful part where operatives were working around the clock in order to take down the most-wanted man in the world.
Zero Dark Thirty
Release Date December 19, 2012
Runtime 157 Minutes
Main Genre War
1 ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022)
Directed by Edward Berger
Image via Netflix
Based on the 1929 Erich Maria Remarque novel of the same name, All Quiet on the Western Front, brings viewers back to the start of World War I in 1914 Germany. It follows the story of Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), a young German man who, alongside his friends, enlists in the army. Sensationalizing being a soldier on the frontlines and becoming a war hero, Paul is quickly struck by the realities of warfare, the death and destruction it causes. Instead of becoming the hero he dreamed of being, all Paul wants to do is survive.
It’s a different take on war, with the film showing the personal development of Kammerer’s character as this young schoolboy who, at first, thinks it would be glorious and beautiful to die for his country. Viewers watch as his views change quite rapidly. It is a harrowing portrayal of soldiers and war, a grueling and emotionally taxing film that is as visually appealing as it is compelling. It explores the notion that war is something else altogether for those actually fighting and how the experience isn’t an adventure but something that will stain your soul. It is an essential war movie that everyone should watch at least once.
Release Date September 29, 2022
Director Edward Berger
Runtime 143 Minutes
English (US) ·