With a seemingly endless supply of movies, it’s hard to narrow things on Netflix. Even if you can get into a specific category of what you’re in the mood for, there’s still a litany of choices. Should you find yourself in the mood for a war movie though, we’ve got you covered. There’s a whole variety of genres too so if you want to see gun-toting action movie, a gripping drama, or a true documentary, there’s something for every day.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: Black Hawk Down
Ridley Scott‘s 2001 film tells the true story of a Military raid in Mogadishu wherein a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down and the soldiers inside forced to fight for their lives while stuck in the cross hairs from every direction. The film is notable for its extensive ensemble cast, which includes the likes of Ewan McGregor, Hugh Dancy, Orlando Bloom, Tom Hardy, Eric Bana, Jeremy Piven, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ty Burrell and Josh Hartnett. The film was awarded two Academy Awards, for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing, and nominated for two more, including Best Cinematography and Best Director.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: We Were Soldiers
Two months after Black Hawk Down hit theaters we got We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson, Sam Elliot, Kerri Russel, and more. The film depicts the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War, and offers a harsh reminder of the circumstances of the war through its depiction. True to form, Gibson brings a grounded and heaviness to his character that makes it hard to forget.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: The Longest Day
A true epic in the Hollywood definition, the film dramatizes the events of D-Day in World War II, and utilized a number of Allied and Axis soldiers as creative consultants. The film also has an extensive ensemble cast, the poster for which advertised it as having “42 international stars!” Among those in the film included John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, Peter Lawford, and Sean Connery. Unlike films made today, the film was directed by three different directors and went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Book the whole afternoon to watch it though, as it clocks in at 2 hours and 58 minutes.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: The Way Back
A different side of the war, The Way Back tells the story of prisoners of war in a Siberian camp during World War II who escape the confines and must navigate the tumultuous terrain. The film also serves as a good history lesson and reminder of how gigantic the conflict was in the 1940s, shining its focus on multiple countries involved ranging from Poland to Mongolia and India.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: Inglorious Basterds
Admittedly, a more fantastical movie than most other war movies, Inglorious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s war movie by way of the Spaghetti Western. Centering on a group of Jewish-American soldiers who function as an Apache war resistance in German occupied France, the film is tense, funny, thrilling, and dramatic. Lead by Brad Pitt, the film’s cast includes stellar performances from Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Mélanie Laurent, and the Academy Award-winning performance of Christoph Waltz.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: Into the White
Another movie inspired by true events, Into the White presents an unlikely scenario that actually occurred during World War II. In the film, a group of German pilots and British pilots are shot down in Norway and find themselves both seeking shelter in the same remote cabin, but with only snow on either side of them death is a certainty and the enemies must find a way to work together to survive.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: Boys of Abu Ghraib
Touted by US Marine Sergeant Paul Porter (the military adviser for the film) as “the most realistic war movie” he had ever seen. The film tells a fictional account of the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad and the extensive torture and abuse suffered by prisoners at the location. It presents an alternative take on war, showcasing men that signed up to make a difference for their country but find themselves in a situation fueled by their own egos and macho personas.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: Restrepo
Not a narrative feature but a war movie nonetheless, Restrepo tells the story of the combat team embedded in the Korangal Valley in Afghanistan, a hotbed of military action between the U.S. Army and the Taliban. The film not only recounts the many firefights and battles that took place, but also the effect it has on the civilian locals and the soldiers themselves who must endure endless violent encounters.
The Best War Movies on Netflix: Korengal
Four years after the release of Restrepo, a sequel was released. Korengal was created using much of the unused footage from the first film but also interviews with soldiers deployed into the Korangal Valley both before and after their tours of duty. The film showcases the personal effects of war on the soldiers, over its predecessor’s focus on the firefights themselves.
