Best War Movies

This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best War Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: realistic, historical drama, serious, captivating, epic and inspirational. Plot: military, war, world war two, death, wartime, mission, great war, army, shooting and battles. Genre: Drama, War and Action. Country: USA, UK and Germany.
Best War Movies
Best War Movies
TOP Movies: Full Metal Jacket (1987), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Black Hawk Down (2001), The Last Samurai (2003), Fury (2014), Inglourious Basterds (2009), American Sniper (2014), Platoon (1986), Dunkirk (2017), The Hurt Locker (2008), The Outpost (2019), Darkest Hour (2017), The Pianist (2002), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Jarhead (2005), Lone Survivor (2013), The Imitation Game (2014), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Patriot (2000).

List of Best Movies

Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story: A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
Style: disturbing, suspense, bleak, psychological, clever ...
Audience: manly, boys' night, adult
Plot: vietnam war, military, war, anti war, suicide, soldier, basic training, boot camp, sniper, military life, brutality, blood ...
Time: 20th century, year 1967, year 1968, year 1987, 60s ...
Place: vietnam, persia, america, asia, south carolina
Is relevant ?
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: USA
Duration: 169 min.
Story: As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home.
Style: realistic, epic, breathtaking, captivating, tense ...
Audience: manly, chick flick, kids, date night, adult
Plot: war, world war two, military, courage, battles, self sacrifice, sniper, friendship, nazi, army, d day, rescue ...
Time: 1940s, year 1944, year 1998, 90s, 20th century ...
Place: normandy, poland, germany, france, europe ...
Is relevant ?
 8.1
 588K
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Australia, USA, UK, China
Duration: 139 min.
Story: WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Style: inspirational, touching, sentimental, harsh, motivational ...
Audience: manly
Plot: world war two, war, soldier, conscientious objector, combat, religion, survival, american soldier, military, us military, bible, u.s. army ...
Time: 1940s, year 2016, 2010s, 20th century, year 1945 ...
Place: okinawa, okinawa japan, japan, tennessee, usa
Is relevant ?
 7.7
 421K
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Genre: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 144 min.
Story: When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali warlord, their Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and the Americans suffer heavy casualties, facing intense fighting from the militia on the ground.
Style: realistic, epic, rough, suspenseful, intense ...
Audience: manly, boys' night
Plot: war, combat, courage, battles, army, military, shooting, gunfight, chaos, sniper, survival, american soldier ...
Time: year 1993, year 2001, 90s, 20th century, year 2002 ...
Place: africa, somalia, america, south africa, middle east ...
Is relevant ?
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The Last Samurai (2003)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: USA, New Zealand, Japan
Duration: 154 min.
Story: Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the ...
Style: epic, breathtaking, serious, exciting, captivating ...
Audience: girls' night, manly, adult
Plot: samurai, sword fight, military, battles, war, japanese history, courage, warrior, katana, self discovery, pride and honor, human spirit ...
Time: 19th century, year 2003, victorian era, 1800s, middle ages ...
Place: japan, asia, africa, san francisco, tokyo ...
Is relevant ?
 7.6
 542K
Fury (2014)
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: USA, China, UK
Duration: 134 min.
Story: Last months of World War II in April 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theater, a battle-hardened U.S. Army sergeant in the 2nd Armored Division named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank called "Fury" and its five-man ...
Style: serious, tense, exciting, rough, suspenseful ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, family friendly, date night, adult
Plot: world war two, war, soldier, military, tank, battles, heroism, american soldier, ambush, violence, combat, nazi germany ...
Time: 1940s, year 2014, year 1945, 2010s, 20th century
Place: europe, germany, america
Is relevant ?
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, War
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 153 min.
Story: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. ...
Style: suspense, absurd, atmospheric, captivating, tense ...
Audience: boys' night, manly, date night, chick flick, adult
Plot: world war two, vengeance, nazi, war, nazism, revenge, violent, dark humor, alternate history, violence, brutality, working undercover ...
Time: year 2009, 2000s, 1940s, 20th century
Place: paris france, france, germany, america, europe
Is relevant ?
 7.3
 525K
American Sniper (2014)
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, War
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min.
Story: U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle takes his sole mission—protect his comrades—to heart and becomes one of the most lethal snipers in American history. His pinpoint accuracy not only saves countless lives but also makes him a prime target of insurgents. ...
Style: factual, emotional, realistic, serious, rough ...
Audience: boys' night, manly
Plot: war, iraq war, sniper, military, soldier, violence, navy seal, assassin, american soldier, battles, biopic, middle east conflict ...
Time: year 2014, 2010s, 90s, 2000s, september 11 2001 ...
Place: iraq, middle east, california, usa, texas
Is relevant ?
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4189
realistic movies
29790
battles movies
5435
wartime movies
1109
 8.1
 437K
Platoon (1986)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 120 min.
Story: As a young and naive recruit in Vietnam, Chris Taylor faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.
Style: epic, realistic, rough, disturbing, emotional ...
Audience: manly, boys' night
Plot: vietnam war, military, soldier, battlefield, battles, squad, combat, jungle warfare, anti war, conflict, violent, jungle ...
Time: year 1986, year 1967, year 1968, 60s, 20th century
Place: vietnam, southeast asia, the philippines, america, asia
Is relevant ?
 7.8
 733K
Dunkirk (2017)
Genre: Action, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: UK, Netherlands, France, USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story: The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.
Style: epic, dramatic, atmospheric, suspense, visually stunning ...
Audience: teens, adult
Plot: world war two, military, survival, war, wartime, soldier, evacuation, military officer, beach, shell shock, air attack, combat ...
Time: 1940s, year 1940, year 2017, 2010s, 20th century ...
Place: france, england, english channel, dover england, britain ...
Is relevant ?
 7.5
 472K
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min.
Story: Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.
Style: realistic, emotional, tense, serious, rough ...
Audience: boys' night, manly, adult
Plot: iraq war, military, terrorism, sniper, war, soldier, army, bomb squad, marines, terrorist, gulf war, moral dilemma ...
Time: year 2008, 2000s, year 2004, 21st century
Place: middle east, iraq, baghdad iraq, afghanistan, america ...
Is relevant ?
 6.8
 40K
The Outpost (2019)
Genre: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: A small unit of U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battles to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of ...
Style: suspense, suspenseful, brutal, perverse, cult classic ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: u.s. army, combat, soldier, war, death, taliban, roadblock, army, military, danger, battles, shooting ...
Time: 2000s, year 2008, year 2009, year 2006, year 1984 ...
Place: afghanistan, middle east
Is relevant ?
 7.4
 219K
Darkest Hour (2017)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: UK, USA, China
Duration: 125 min.
Story: A thrilling and inspiring true story begins on the eve of World War II as, within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with ...
Style: period piece, political, inspirational, serious, suspense ...
Audience: date night, teens
Plot: world war two, british history, prime minister, politics, winston churchill, british politics, british prime minister, choice, decision, biopic, wartime, leader ...
Time: year 1940, 1940s, 2010s, year 2017
Place: england, britain, united kingdom, dunkirk, london ...
Is relevant ?
 8.5
 904K
The Pianist (2002)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music, War
Country: France, Poland, Germany, UK, USA
Duration: 150 min.
Story: The true story of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he ...
Style: emotional, harsh, bleak, reflective, heartbreaking ...
Audience: adult
Plot: holocaust, world war two, survival, genocide, nazi, classical music, wartime, war, nazism, pianist, nazi occupation, hunger ...
Time: 1940s, year 2002, 20th century, year 1945, 1930s ...
Place: poland, germany, europe, eastern europe, persia ...
Is relevant ?
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: Ireland, UK, France, Germany, USA
Duration: 131 min.
Story: Enemy at the Gates is a war film from Jean-Jacques Annaud from 2001 that takes place during the battle of Stalingard in World War II between the Russians and the Germans.
Style: epic, realistic, serious, suspenseful, bleak ...
Audience: boys' night, adult
Plot: sniper, world war two, war, military, friendship, nazi, ambition, wartime, courage, world war, winter, battles ...
Time: 20th century, year 2001, 1940s, year 1943, year 1942
Place: germany, russia, iraq, persia, soviet union ...
Is relevant ?
 7.0
 205K
Jarhead (2005)
Genre: Biography, Drama, War
Country: USA, UK, Germany
Duration: 125 min.
Story: Jarhead is a film about a US Marine Anthony Swofford’s experience in the Gulf War. After putting up with an arduous boot camp, Swafford and his unit are sent to the Persian Gulf where they are eager to fight, but are forced to stay back from the ...
Style: realistic, emotional, factual, serious, tense ...
Audience: boys' night, adult
Plot: gulf war, war, iraq war, marines, military, u.s. military, anti war, boot camp, american soldier, desert, military training, basic training ...
Time: year 2005, 2000s, 80s, year 1991, 90s ...
Place: iraq, middle east, saudi arabia, america, afghanistan ...
Is relevant ?
 7.5
 305K
Lone Survivor (2013)
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, War
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 121 min.
Story: Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative must make an impossible moral decision in the mountains of Afghanistan that leads them into an enemy ambush. As they confront unthinkable odds, the SEALs must find ...
Style: rough, tense, captivating, emotional, exciting ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: military, survival, soldier, war, terrorism, gunfight, courage, military life, selflessness, war on terror, squad, army ...
Time: year 2013, 2010s, 2000s, year 2005, 21st century
Place: afghanistan, middle east, usa
Is relevant ?
The Imitation Game (2014)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story: Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley ...
Style: inspirational, clever, intellectual, captivating, serious ...
Audience: chick flick, teens, family friendly, adult
Plot: world war two, mathematics, genius, inventor, inventions and discoveries, code, code breaking, prodigy, mathematician, invention, computer, ambition ...
Time: 1940s, year 2014, 20th century, 1950s, 2010s ...
Place: england, london, britain, idaho, los angeles ...
Is relevant ?
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1662
combat movies
2332
touching movies
11218
 8.4
 705K
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, War
Country: USA
Duration: 147 min.
Story: At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter ...
Style: bleak, psychological, disturbing, surreal, visual ...
Audience: date night, adult
Plot: vietnam war, insanity, jungle, mission, anti war, army, military, violence, secret mission, soldier, violent, river ...
Time: 20th century, year 1979, 60s, year 1969
Place: vietnam, cambodia, southeast asia, asia, the philippines
Is relevant ?
 7.2
 292K
The Patriot (2000)
Genre: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 165 min.
Story: After proving himself on the field of battle in the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin wants nothing more to do with such things, preferring the simple life of a farmer. But when his son Gabriel enlists in the army to defend their new nation, ...
Style: period piece, dramatic, rough, uplifting, factual ...
Audience: manly, family friendly, kids, boys' night, adult
Plot: american revolution, war, freedom, revolution, military, battles, vengeance, rebellion, human spirit, heroic mission, wartime, combat ...
Time: 18th century, year 2000, georgian era, y2k, 1780s ...
Place: south carolina, america, southern usa, virginia, britain ...
Is relevant ?
 8.3
 1.1M
Braveheart (1995)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 178 min.
Story: Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against ...
Style: epic, factual, breathtaking, scenic, inspirational ...
Audience: boys' night, manly, chick flick, adult
Plot: freedom, courage, sword fight, war, vengeance, medieval, battles, tragic hero, military, love story, beautiful scenery, warrior ...
Time: middle ages, medieval times, 14th century, ancient times, 20th century ...
Place: scotland, england, britain, europe, scottish highlands ...
Is relevant ?
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, War
Country: Italy
Duration: 116 min.
Story: A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While ...
Style: touching, inspirational, emotional, sentimental, tragicomedy ...
Audience: chick flick, teens, kids, family friendly, adult
Plot: holocaust, world war two, concentration camp, nazi, human spirit, life & death, life philosophy, self sacrifice, nazism, fascism, war, courage ...
Time: 1940s, year 1997, 20th century, 90s, 1930s ...
Place: italy, europe, tuscany
Is relevant ?
 8.2
 667K
1917 (2019)
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: UK, USA, India, Spain
Duration: 119 min.
Story: At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds ...
Style: tense, period piece, entertaining, sad, visually stunning ...
Audience: boys' night, date night, teens, adult
Plot: world war one, trench warfare, race against time, british soldier, british army, death, soldier, military, battlefield, british military, survival, dangerous mission ...
Time: year 1917, 1910s, 2010s, 20th century, year 2019
Place: persia, britain, los angeles, france
Is relevant ?
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446
emotional movies
6204
death movies
16719
 6.2
 350K
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Genre: Action, Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 183 min.
Story: The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes ...
Style: romantic, sentimental, emotional, epic, period piece ...
Audience: chick flick, girls' night, teens, date night
Plot: world war two, war, love, military, combat, airplane, love triangle, navy, fighter pilot, wartime, aviation, love and romance ...
Time: year 2001, 1940s, 50s, 20th century, year 1942 ...
Place: hawaii, pearl harbor, japan, asia, america ...
Is relevant ?
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: Germany, USA, UK
Duration: 148 min.
Story: Paul Baumer and his friends Albert and Muller, egged on by romantic dreams of heroism, voluntarily enlist in the German army. Full of excitement and patriotic fervour, the boys enthusiastically march into a war they believe in. But once on the ...
Style: suspenseful, captivating, entertaining, thrilling, novela ...
Audience: adult
Plot: world war one, trench warfare, battles, military, battlefield, soldier, death of friend, german army, infantry, dying young, german soldier, death ...
Time: year 1917, year 1914, 2020s, year 1918, 1910s ...
Place: germany, france
Is relevant ?
 7.2
 165K
War Horse (2011)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, India
Duration: 146 min.
Story: Follows a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War One. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.
Style: touching, emotional, epic, uplifting, sentimental ...
Audience: family outing, date night, girls' night, teens, teen drama ...
Plot: world war one, horse, war, friendship, animal training, animal, battles, human spirit, wartime, battlefield, danger, military ...
Time: 1910s, 20th century, 2010s, 1920s, year 2011 ...
Place: england, belgium, britain, america, europe ...
Is relevant ?
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Genre: Drama, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno befriends Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of the fence where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a ...
Style: emotional, touching, sad, heartbreaking, tear jerker ...
Audience: kids, teens, family outing, family friendly, teen drama ...
Plot: world war two, holocaust, concentration camp, war, children, childhood, nazi, friendship, nazism, gas chamber, boy, morality ...
Time: 1940s, 20th century, ancient times, year 2008
Place: germany, poland, europe, berlin germany, switzerland
Is relevant ?
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 170 min.
Story: Based on the graphic novel by James Jones, The Thin Red Line tells the story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II ...
Style: epic, visually stunning, visual, philosophical, visually appealing ...
Plot: war, sergeant, jungle, soldier, world war two, infantry, anti war, pacific war, pacific island, existentialism, survival, world war ...
Time: 20th century, 1940s, 90s, year 1998
Place: asia, america, japan, pacific ocean
Is relevant ?
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: As the English and French soldiers battle for control of the American colonies in the 18th century, the settlers and native Americans are forced to take sides. Cora and her sister Alice unwittingly walk into trouble but are reluctantly saved by ...
Style: epic, exciting, period piece, costume drama, historical drama ...
Audience: chick flick, family friendly
Plot: native american, indians, american indian, wilderness, army, colonial america, war, colonialism, freedom, fight scenes, american history, revenge ...
Time: 18th century, middle ages, georgian era, ancient times, 20th century ...
Place: persia, usa
Is relevant ?
Les Misérables (2012)
Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 158 min.
Story: An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption.
Style: inspirational, epic, emotional, period piece, suspense ...
Audience: chick flick, date night, teens, adult
Plot: rebellion, redemption, orphan, suicide, parole, historical character, revolution, adaptation, broadway, father daughter relationship, dying man, prostitute ...
Time: 19th century, 2010s, year 2012, 1800s, 18th century ...
Place: france, paris france, seattle, europe
Is relevant ?
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