The war film genre is brimming with hundreds of great movie titles. Classic films such as Full Metal Jacket, Platoon and Saving Private Ryan are a few that come to mind. The problem is you’ve seen all these movies!
And as good as they are, there are so many more war movies that never got the full attention they deserved. Taking that into account, here is a list of 8 superb films you probably haven’t seen but absolutely need to watch.
All the war films listed below are available to watch on leading streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Beasts Of No Nation is the film adaptation of the 2005 book of the same name. Directed by Cary Fukunaga, this movie is an uncompromising look at the phenomenon of child soldiers in Africa.
Abraham Attah gives a mesmerising performance as the boy soldier and Idris Elba is menacing as the ‘Commandant’ of the rebel unit – a role that saw him win a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.
This intense and thoughtful war series depicts the horrors of World War II from the German perspective. It follows the conflict through the lives of five young friends as youthful optimism gives way to despair as the conflict becomes increasingly brutal.
This is a thoughtful war drama, which doesn’t flinch from covering the atrocities carried out by the German army during the war.
A young British Soldier finds himself alone on the streets of Belfast during the height of the troubles. ’71 is a powerful and hard-hitting story that manages to take a balanced look at the conflict in Northern Ireland, whilst taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride which increases in tension minute by nerve-racking minute.
Max Manus – Man Of War is the movie based on the exploits of Norway’s most famous resistance fighter. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway on the 9th April 1940 one man vowed to fight on. They stole his country – now he wants it back.
The hunter becomes the hunted in this intense war film based on a US sniper team in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Matthews and his fellow soldier Isaac are lured into an ambush by an unseen foe and the only thing standing between them and certain death is a small crumbling wall. With terrific performances from John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Anthropoid is the story of resistance fighters who plan a daring assassination during World War Two. Their target is the notorious SS officer Reinhard Heydrich (The Butcher Of Prague). Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy star in this uber-tense war film directed by Sean Ellis.
A UN Peacekeeping force is posted to the sleepy African town of Jadotville, the Irish unit believes that avoiding sunburn will be the toughest part of their mission. However, the 3000 battle-hardened mercenaries poised to attack the town have other ideas – The Siege of Jadotville is the true story of the Irish soldiers that defended the African town from attack in 1961.
This is the true story of the 2012 terrorist attack on U.S. diplomatic outposts in Benghazi, Libya. Director Michael Bay delivers an action-packed war movie with plenty of guts and glory. Directed by Michael Bay, actor John Krasinski is outstanding in the lead role.
