30 best war movies of all time
Ghibli/Sovexportfilm/United ArtistsWar… war never changes, but the same can’t be said for cinema. From modern greats like Oppenheimer to classics like Apocalypse Now and The Great Escape, these are the 30 best war movies of all time and where to stream them.
War is two-fold by nature: appalling in reality; enthralling in entertainment, making for one helluva motion picture. We’ve long immersed ourselves in the throes of war on the big screen; the smell of napalm wafting across your nose, ditches full of corpses and grenade-popped limbs, relentlessly heart-aching losses, and sometimes, a hangover of disquietude at the horrors you’ve just seen.
Much like any genre, it can bend to a filmmaker’s will; some are overtly gung-ho, patriotic puff pieces, others are more clinical and objective, while some are crafted as audio-visual polemics, directly batting against conflict(s). But one thing’s certain, war makes for some of the best movies of all time.
We’ve put together a list of the 30 best war movies of all time; with new movies like Oppenheimer, and many old, gold hits, too. Plus, we’ve even told you what streaming service you can find them on.
30. Gallipoli (1981)
Paramount PicturesDirector: Peter Weir
Cast: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee
What it’s about: Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in World War I.
What we think: It’s the intimacy of Gallipoli that’ll bruise you; we follow these young, bright-eyed men, blinded by the joys of camaraderie and patriotism, only to be consumed by the futility of war. It’s a remarkable film with a final shot that aches long after the credits roll.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
29. Master and Commander (2003)
20th Century StudiosDirector: Peter Weir
Cast: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd
What it’s about: A distinguished young captain of the British Navy leads his able crew – including his best friend, the ship’s doctor – on a mission to take a “phantom” French vessel with a fearsome reputation for sinking British ships.
What we think: There’s quote-unquote “guy movies”, and then there’s Master and Commander, Peter Weir’s sweeping, swashbuckling tale of a Navy Captain sailing the high seas in the Napoleonic Wars. It’s possibly the most rewatchable movie on this list, thanks to its practical, old-school filmmaking and irresistible charm.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Where to stream: Disney+
Words by Cameron Frew
28. Jarhead (2005)
UniversalDirector: Sam Mendes
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx
What it’s about: Set during the Gulf War, we see the psychological toll of conflict through the eyes of a U.S. Marine sniper (Gyllenhaal) as soldiers deal with boredom, loneliness, and personal issues back home.
What we think: Based on real-life accounts from Marines in the US military, Jarhead is a blistering and unsettling look at life on the front line. There are moments of levity, sure, and great action scenes, too, but at its core is an uncomfortable truth.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
27. Tropic Thunder (2008)
Paramount PicturesDirector: Ben Stiller
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Ben Stiller, Jack Black
What it’s about: When the memoirs of a war veteran are to be turned into a film, a cast and crew of misfits and primadonnas are assembled. The problem is, when they decide to go method by exploring the jungles of Vietnam, the actors don’t realize they have stumbled into the territory of the Flaming Dragon gang, a very dangerous, heroin-producing crime syndicate.
What we think: War isn’t funny, but when you put this cast together, you’re going to have a good time regardless of the subject matter. Tropic Thunder is a deeply unserious movie, but it’s full of incredible moments, from Kirk Lazarus (Downey Jr) revealing his pigmentation alteration surgery, to Les Grossman’s iconic dance scene.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
26. The Hurt Locker (2008)
Summit EntertainmentDirector: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes
What it’s about: Set during the Iraq War, Staff Sergeant William James (Renner) is tasked with training a special team in bomb disposal methods, but his attitude and ideals get in the way.
What we think: As you can imagine with a movie about the safe disposal of bombs, The Hurt Locker is incredibly tense and, in typical Bigelow fashion, there’s a great degree of realism throughout the story. They may be better known for MCU roles these days, but the likes of Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Evangeline Lilly put in top drawer performances here.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Where to stream: Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
25. Wings (1927)
ParamountDirector: William A. Wellman
Cast: Clara Bow, Charles Rogers, Richard Arlen, Jobyna Ralston
What it’s about: The First World War is looming, and David (Arlen) and Jack (Rogers) join the army to fight the good fight. They leave behind Mary (Bow), who is in love with David but betrothed to Jack. Sadly, only one of them will make it home.
What we think: Wings may be a silent movie, but its emotional themes are far from quiet, with a bittersweet ending that epitomises the futility of war. For a film made almost 100 years ago, the climactic battle in the air is simply astonishing, and will leave you in awe of what Wellman achieved.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
24. Platoon (1989)
OrionDirector: Oliver Stone
Cast: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker
What it’s about: Chris Taylor (Sheen) eagerly enlists for the war efforts in Vietnam, but soon discovers the grim reality of combat. His squadron fights among themselves, innocent people are killed, and sanity starts to slip away.
What we think: Like Apocalypse Now before it, Oliver Stone captures the horrors of warfare and the effects the conflict in Vietnam had on the young soldiers caught in the middle of it all. Platoon is raw and visceral, a wild trip through the jungle, but the kind of car crash you can’t help but be absorbed by.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Where to stream: Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
23. Beasts of No Nation (2015)
NetflixDirector: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Cast: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye
What it’s about: A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child fighting in the civil war of an unnamed, fictional West African country.
What we think: Beasts of No Nation is a heartbreaking and powerful examination of child soldiers, brutality in war, and desensitization. We follow young Agu as he’s molded into a weapon, drained of empathy, and used by the men around him. Abraham Attah’s performance is one of the finest from a young actor we’ve ever seen.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Where to stream: Netflix
Words by Trudie Graham
22. The Thin Red Line (1998)
20th Century StudiosDirector: Terrence Malick
Cast: Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Cavaziel, George Clooney
What it’s about: The men of Charlie Company try to take Guadalcanal Island from the Japanese in World War II.
What we think: A movie of rare, genuine beauty; no matter how men enter war – gallantly, desperately, or forcibly – their souls quietly intertwine, and The Thin Red Line paints a moving picture of that tragic unity. It also boasts one of Hans Zimmer’s most powerful motifs.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%
Where to stream: Starz
Words by Cameron Frew
21. 1917 (2019)
UniversalDirector: Sam Mendes
Cast: George Mackay, Dean-Charles Chapman
What it’s about: Two young British soldiers set off on a near-impossible mission: to cross into enemy territory and deliver a message that could save thousands of lives.
What we think: On a technical level, 1917 is a genuine masterpiece. From the exquisite cinematography of Sir Roger Deakins, to the unbelievable set design, and of course, the key scene where Lance Cpl. Schofield (Mackay) crosses the front line with a backdrop of explosions and gunfire, every since element of this film is meticulously crafted for as authentic an experience as possible.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Where to stream: Buy/rent on Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
20. The Great Escape (1963)
United ArtistsDirector: John Sturges
Cast: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson
What it’s about: A group of Allied soldiers break out of a POW camp in Germany during World War II, with an ingenious plan to lure their captors away from the battlefields in order to save their comrades.
What we think: This is one of the most iconic war movies of all time, and is definitely the kind of film I remember sitting and watching with my grandparents on a Sunday afternoon when I was younger. The Great Escape is simple in its premise, but so effective in the way it is executed, and as far as war movies go, it’s pretty uplifting, too.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Apple TV
Words by Jakob Barnes
19. The Battle of Algiers (1967)
Allied Artists PicturesDirector: Gillo Pontecorvo
Cast: Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Brahim Saggiag
What it’s about: In the midst of the uprisings in the Algerian War, a former French Resistance fighter during World War II (Martin) is sent to quash the rebellion and enable the smooth occupation of the African country.
What we think: The Battle of Algiers almost feels documentarian in the way it is shot and the unflinching, chaotic nature of the story at play. Of course, it’s all based on real world events, and the film does an incredible job of capturing the frenetic, very dangerous environment at that time.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Where to stream: Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
18. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Universal PicturesDirector: Katheryn Bigelow
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton
What it’s about: A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L.s Team 6 in May 2011.
What we think: A harrowing portrait of imploding patriotism and avenging horrors, Zero Dark Thirty is anchored by its lead. Jessica Chastain’s Maya goes scorched earth, seeking an eye for an eye. At the end of it all, though, there’s nothing but ashes, death, and no relief. A more morally complicated film than it appears on the surface, Bigelow’s interrogation of these real-life events is unassuming.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Where to stream: STARZ
Words by Trudie Graham
17. Ran (1985)
TohoDirector: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Mieko Harada, Akira Terao
What it’s about: Ran, Akira Kurosawa’s visually dazzling samurai epic, is the story of Lord Hidetora and his three warring sons.
What we think: King Lear by way of Akira Kurosawa is a delicious pitch, but the movie proved to be an immense breach of expectations; the enormity of its scale and visual oomph will leave you speechless, but that’s just one weapon of a master using everything in his arsenal.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Where to stream: Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
16. Fury (2014)
ColumbiaDirector: David Ayer
Cast: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal
What it’s about: With the Second World War nearing its end, a group of Allied soldiers push forward to undertake a deadly mission behind enemy lines, while enduring the confines of their tank and witnessing the destruction around them.
What we think: Fury is held together by the combined performances of its talented cast, with Brad Pitt leading the line brilliantly, while his supporting cast all bring a unique quality to characters that could easily become stereotypes. The final moments, as the group fight for their live in the dilapidated tank, are some of the most gripping scenes from any war movie ever made.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
Where to stream: Netflix
Words by Jakob Barnes
15. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Columbia PicturesDirector: David Lean
Cast: Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness
What it’s about: A biographical account of the life of T.E. Lawrence, a British Army lieutenant who united Arab guerrilla forces in the Middle East during the First World War and helped them defeat the Ottoman regime.
What we think: The word epic doesn’t even do justice to a movie like Lawrence of Arabia. From the sprawling desert landscapes, to the intimate and intriguing story, to the large-scale battle scenes, it’s a classic that has just about everything. Make no mistake, Lawrence of Arabia deserves its many Oscar wins, and all the hype that has come since.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Where to stream: Netflix
Words by Jakob Barnes
14. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
NetflixDirector: Edward Berger
Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albert Schuch, Daniel Bruhl
What it’s about: A remake of the 1930 classic, All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of a group of young German soldiers who enlist in the First World War, and how they all fall in combat one by one.
What we think: Remakes of absolute classics rarely work, but this one does. While the story sticks to the same beats, this new version of All Quiet on the Western Front is imbued with astounding technical elements including mind-blowing production design, brilliant makeup effects, and a pulsating, haunting score.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Where to stream: Netflix
Words by Jakob Barnes
13. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Warner Bros.Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio
What it’s about: 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.
What we think: Stanley Kubrick’s penultimate picture is a tale of two halves, both skewering the war machine: a boot camp baptism by fire with electric dialogue; and a plunge into the casual, cold brutality of Vietnam. The first half is especially good, indebted to the vein-popping brilliance of R. Lee Ermey.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Apple TV
Words by Cameron Frew
12. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
20th Century StudiosDirector: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson
What it’s about: The human race is facing extinction, as the Simian virus robs them of their ability to speak and think. Caesar and his apes, however, are thriving. That is, until the evil Colonel (Harrelson) wages war as the last bastion of an extremist way of thinking.
What we think: The whole trilogy – now a quadrilogy, actually – is impressive enough, but with War, Matt Reeves took the Planet of the Apes timeline to a really thought-provoking and powerful place. The moments of conflict are stirring enough, but Reeves never forgets to balance the bitterness with moments of beauty, too.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Where to stream: Disney+
Words by Jakob Barnes
11. Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Universal PicturesDirector: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender
What it’s about: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theater owner’s vengeful plans for the same.
What we think: That’s a bingo! Inglorious Basterds is staunch, skull-cracking revision of history, laced with Tarantinoisms to make you whoop amid the bloodshed. Its excruciating, blood-chilling prologue Col. Hans Landa’s Jew-hunter may be the tensest opening scene of the century so far. This might just be the best Tarantino movie of all.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
10. Dunkirk (2017)
Warner Bros.Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles
What it’s about: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
What we think: Dunkirk is a visceral, nerve-shredding experience, with an innate sense of anxiety smothering you for 107 long minutes. The icy blues of the water beyond the beach are only beaten in intensity by the fear of being in it. Nolan’s direction is relentless, you’re watching fish in a barrel survive on instinct and courage. Simply, one of the finest Christopher Nolan movies around.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Where to stream: Buy/rent on Amazon Prime
Words by Trudie Graham
9. Schindler’s List (1993)
Universal PicturesDirector: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes
What it’s about: The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
What we think: Steven Spielberg made two movies in 1993: Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List. Is it the greatest directing flex of all time? Yes, but the latter film is arguably the peak of his peerless marriage of craft and gut-punching emotionality; it’s a mesmerising, by-all-accounts sublime picture.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Where to stream: Netflix
Words by Cameron Frew
8. Fail Safe (1964)
Columbia PicturesDirector: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Henry Fonda, Dan O’Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton
What it’s about: As Cold War tensions mount, a critical error prompts a team of US Bombers to fly into Russia and launch a devastating attack. While some, including the President, hope to prevent this disaster, others insist the attack might have its merits.
What we think: While Dr Strangelove may find the funny in such a chaotic and grave situation, Fail Safe certainly covers the panic and helplessness of it all. Henry Fonda gives a typically outstanding performance as the President of the United States, who can do little but sit by and watch as the world faces oblivion.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
7. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Paramount PicturesDirector: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon
What it’s about: 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.
What we think: 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.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Where to stream: Paramount+
Words by Cameron Frew
6. Dr Strangelove (1964)
Columbia PicturesDirector: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott
What it’s about: After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop the nuclear strike.
What we think: Before the sweary delights of Armando Iannucci and today’s unwritable politics, Dr Strangelove was a sharp, never-before-seen satire that treated war – specifically, the US’ paranoia and eagerness over nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union – with startling preposterousness and bite.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
5. Oppenheimer (2023)
Universal PicturesDirector: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon
What it’s about: Based on American Prometheus, Nolan’s latest movie explores the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer; more specifically, how he became the “father of the atomic bomb” and was forced to reckon with the weight of his catastrophic, extraordinary creation.
What we think: Oppenheimer isn’t just the best movie Christopher Nolan has ever made: it’s the culmination of his directing oeuvre; a sense-rattling, precise behemoth of a film that shakes your bones and leaves you in a state of awe and disquiet.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Where to stream: Peacock
Words by Cameron Frew
4. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
TohoDirector: Isao Takahata
Cast: J. Robert Spencer, Rhoda Chrosite, Amy Jones
What it’s about: On the final days of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his four-year-old sister Setsuko are orphaned after their mother is killed during an air-raid by American forces in Kobe, Japan.
What we think: Perhaps the most profoundly painful animated movie ever made, Grave of the Fireflies is the haunting tale of two siblings fending for themselves in the ashes of bomb-battered Japan. It’s not just Studio Ghibli’s best film, but one that defines the very form it sits atop; your heart will be left in tatters.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
3. Paths of Glory (1957)
United ArtistsDirector: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready
What it’s about: Follows the efforts of Colonel Dax (Douglas) as he attempts to clear the name of his team of French soldiers who refuse to continue a suicidal attack. Now facing the firing squad, it’s up to Dax to stand up for his men in court while Lieutenant Roget insists they are cowards who have failed their country.
What we think: This is as anti-war as a war movie can get, and Paths of Glory will leave you feeling angry, upset, and frustrated, in the best possible way. The sense of injustice, especially for the viewers who know the truth, is a painful pill to swallow. Kirk Douglas gives the performance of a lifetime, too, as the voice of reason and the one fighting for what is right.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Where to stream: Prime Video
Words by Jakob Barnes
2. Apocalypse Now (1979)
United ArtistsDirector: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall
What it’s about: An Army captain’s secret mission becomes a journey into madness in Francis Ford Coppola’s spectacular drama of the Vietnam War.
What we think: Francis Ford Coppola’s epic is the burning vision of a mad maestro. Through the fire and flames of its tortured production, it emerged as the definitive showcase of the horror, the horror of the Vietnam War – we’d opt for the theatrical cut, but the 4K Final Cut is just as worthy of your time.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Where to stream: Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
1. Come and See (1985)
SovexportfilmDirector: Elem Klimov
Cast: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius
What it’s about: After finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of World War II.
What we think: The most disturbing movie you’ll ever see – and it isn’t even a horror film. This Soviet anti-war picture, the final work of Elem Klimov, confronts all of war’s idealism with its barbaric futility. As Roger Ebert wrote in his original review, it’s “one of the most devastating films ever about anything, and in it, the survivors must envy the dead.”
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Where to stream: Buy/rent from Prime Video
Words by Cameron Frew
That’s it for the best war movies of all time. If you like rolling through genres, check out our lists of the best horror movies or the best sports movies. Or, you may be into factual media, and want to know about all the new documentaries out this month.
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