Updated:
06 Oct 2024
Realistic war movies bring viewers into the heart of the battleground, whether it's in a town, battlefield, or city.
In these movies, we get to experience the reality of war while enjoying some realistic action-packed combat.
Here are twenty movies for every war movie lover.
20) Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down - Trailer
- Black Hawk Down is a 2002 release by Ridley Scott which tells the story of a military raid conducted by the US Military in Somalia. During the raid, enemy rockets bring down two US helicopters, and the American troops are surrounded by Somali militia.
- The film is about the struggles of American soldiers as they try to survive until reinforcements arrive.
- As we follow numerous leading characters, the story focuses mainly on what it feels like to be a soldier.
- Ridley Scott uses amazing cinematography, lighting, and every tool at his disposal to completely immerse the audience in the battlefield. The movie never glorifies war-it just puts the audience in the middle of it so that they can experience the true horrors of war.
19) Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Official Trailer
- Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated drama/thriller focuses on a lost Private, and a group of soldiers who are assigned to bring him back. The intentions of saving this soldier however, aren’t benevolent, as the Army Chief Of Staff is thinking about raising morale on the homefront.
- Often hailed by most critics as the most realistic war film ever made, Saving Private Ryan shows the group of soldiers go through plenty of emotions during their journey.
- As the group of men continue their journey through the French terrain, the film shows them consider mutiny. Their leader (Capt.Miller) suffers from PTSD, and Spielberg explores that in a breathtaking manner. Saving Private Ryan is gritty, dark, and grounded- a true masterpiece
18) The Kill Team
The Kill Team | Official Trailer HD | A24
- Released this year, Daniel Krauss’s The Kill Team dramatizes an actual tragedy that happened in the past- the war crimes and atrocities committed by the American soldiers in Afghanistan.
- The story focuses on a US Specialist’s time in Afghanistan and the treatment of civilians by fellow soldiers.
- The audience is always at the cusp of their seats as Krauss explores this controversial topic, showing the protagonist (Briggmann) tries to rationalize this cruelty. It shows Briggmann’s relationship with fellow soldiers, and how they start turning on him as Briggmann contemplates reporting the incidents to higher authorities.
17) Come and See
Come and See Trailer
- A Russian war movie from 1985, Come and See is directed by the legendary Soviet director Elem Klimov.
- Often hailed by critics for its realism and accuracy, the film tells the story of WW2. As Hitler’s troops are invading Belarus in 1943, we meet a teenager (Florya) who wants to save his country!
- He wants to enlist, and do whatever possible to defeat German troops. Almost every scene of the film is from the perspective of Florya, and the audience has no choice but to witness every horror that he sees. A true representation of the atrocities of war and violence.
16) Apocalypse Now: Final Cut
APOCALYPSE NOW: FINAL CUT - Official Trailer - Dir. by Francis Ford Coppola
- Released this year, this is an updated 4K version of the famous Apocalypse Now. Francis Ford Coppola decided to release a remastered version with NEVER BEFORE SEEN footage so that the audience can reminisce and experience the movie all over again.
- It tells the story of the Vietnam War, and the horror suffered by both American and Vietnamese soldiers during that dark period.
- We follow Col.Kurtz who is a decorated war hero, as he tries to rationalize this war, and make some sense of it.
- The film also has one of the most memorable quotes ever- “I love the smell of Napalm in the morning”
15) Jarhead
Jarhead (2005) Official Trailer
- Most war movies tend to tell stories from the perspective of whole countries, or a whole unit of soldiers. Jarhead only focuses on telling a soldier’s story. No propaganda, no glorification- just plain truth.
- It doesn’t focus much on the actual war, but the gruesome, long, wait. Soldiers are bored, tired, and trained to obsession.
- The film focuses on camaraderie and brotherhood between soldiers more than anything.
14) Act of Valor
Act Of Valor (2012) Official Trailer
- After a series of attacks on American officials and assets in different countries, a group of SEALs are tasked with extracting an asset in danger from Costa Rica.
- Upon finishing the mission and almost losing one of their soldiers, the SEALs are being exfiltrated.
- The film then focuses on the platoon and their interpersonal relationships as they try to complete more missions and try to do some good.
13) Dunkirk
Dunkirk - Trailer 1
- Classic Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk is perhaps a true modern masterpiece.
- It was revealed that actual veterans started tearing up and getting emotional upon viewing the film, as it reminded them of their time in the war.
- A story told in non- linear narration, the film explores the famous War of Dunrkirk which occurred during World War 2.
- Just like other great war films, it focuses on the individual experiences of soldiers, and their peril as well as fears.
12) Hacksaw Ridge
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) Official Trailer
- Inspired from a true story, Hacksaw Ridge features a young medic who refuses to bear arms while fighting in WW2!
- Desmond Doss was a medic for the US troops during WW2 who refused to bear arms and commit violence due to his Christian beliefs. Mel Gibson tells an enthralling story about this guy’s life in Hacksaw Ridge.
- During the Battle of Okinawa, the audience is glued to their seats as we see Doss saving numerous American as well as JAPANESE troops, depicted amazingly in the film.
11) Eye in the Sky
Eye in the Sky Official North American Trailer (2015) - Aaron Paul, Helen Mirren War Thriller HD
- A British thriller war film. This was released in 2015 and explored the ethics of drone warfare- a topic seldom talked about in film.
- After a British undercover agent is murdered in Kenya, Col.Powell is tasked with a mission to capture three of the ten highest-level members of the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
- The movie really focuses on ethical versus unethical usage of new technology like drones, as well as privacy and much more. The topics are heavy, and very smoothly dealt with so that the audience is free to form their own opinions about drone warfare.
10) Das Boot
Das Boot - Trailer
- A German film made in 1981, which is an adaptation of a novel.
- The film is about naval warfare, especially the environment in submarines. It is about the dangerous, claustrophobic, and desperate job of manning a submarine.
- The protagonist is the boat’s captain, and everyone else depends on him. The centerpiece of the film is an attack on the allied forces, as the audience gets to firsthand experience the extreme pressures of underwater warfare.
9) The Captain
Der Hauptmann - The Captain - Official trailer (2018)
- A thrilling, dark, and gritty German release which explores mutiny and desertion from soldiers- a topic which wasn’t much talked about in movies before this.
- A bold film which tackles the peril of some soldiers during WW2, and their experiences with higher officials.
- The film focuses on a paratrooper who is trying to escape a German official. The paratrooper finds a Captain’s uniform and starts impersonating the Captain to escape the military.
- A very unique perspective on war as well as individual perils of soldiers, this film doesn’t disappoint at all.
8) Inglorious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds Official Trailer #1 - Brad Pitt Movie (2009) HD
- Tarantino at his bloodiest, and best. Inglorious Basterds is perhaps one of the most unique war films ever. The tropes of a typical war film are all used amazingly, in addition to suspense and comedy.
- The opening scene which is filled with tension and suspense (also blood at the end) grips the audience and the film refuses to let go as we journey together with a band of rebel American troops in Germany, trying to kill as many Nazis as they can.
- Tarantino plays to his strengths and sprinkles the whole film with suspense as well as amazing characters. Definitely worth a watch!
7) Fortress of War
Fortress of War 2010
- It is a 2010 Russian-Belarussian war film, filled with violence and darkness. It recounts the defense of Brest Fortress in 1941 when Russia was losing the war.
- Based on real events, this beautifully shot movie showcases the human slaughter occurring due to the hedonism of war.
- It is an intense experience of Russian patriotism, and sacrifices made by soldiers to protect their homeland.
6) Letters from Iwo Jima
Letters From Iwo Jima
- A perspective from the Japanese side, during America’s war with Japan during WW2.
- The narrative revolves around Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, who's been assigned the unenviable task of defending Iwo Jima against the imminent American onslaught.
- The story revolves around the idea of honor, and what it means to fight with honor instead of malice.
- This movie also humanizes the Japanese soldiers, instead of looking at them just like enemies.
5) American Sniper
American Sniper - Official Trailer 2 [HD]
- Another Clint Eastwood movie showcasing the life of a real soldier during the Iraq war. Based on a true story, we follow Chris Kyle- a sniper in the US army.
- After 9/11, Kyle enlists to serve and we get to see his transition from an amateur to one of the most skilled snipers in US history. We see his personal life, struggles with killing during war and PTSD after the war.
- A very dark film in it’s truest sense, Eastwood forces us to think about not only the morality of war but the treatment of veterans after discharge. A true, gritty and breathtaking story.
4) The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game Official Trailer #1 (2014) - Benedict Cumberbatch
- Another true story, based on British Intelligence MI6 and their struggles to crack the enigma machine, a cryptic machine used by the Germans to transmit messages.
- The film tells the story of Scientist and genius Alan Turing, as he is recruited by MI6 to help them solve the machine’s code- and win the war.
- Turing, who is struggling with his own issues, tries very hard to work with the other scientists in this emotional, gut-wrenching true story of a war hero.
- The film explores bullying, homosexuality, and a plethora of other deep topics as we see Turing’s tumultuous life.
3) The Hurt Locker
- A movie with a few of the most encapsulating and tense moments, dir. Katherine Bigelow tells an amazing, realistic story.
- After the death of their well-respected Staff sergeant. Sergeant JT Stanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge find their Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit saddled with a very different team leader. Staff Sergeant William James is an inveterate risk-taker who seems to thrive on war, but there's no denying his gift for defusing bombs.
- The story is about his relationships with other soldiers, and the film explores deeper meanings of fear and thrill.
2) Green Zone
Green Zone - Official Trailer
- Green Zone is based on a 2006 book written by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran.
- It takes place during the invasion of Iraq and explores betrayal, thrill and extreme violence.
- The overall story is about a group of soldiers trying to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but done very smoothly.
1) Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Mark Wahlberg Movie HD
- Set up during the Afghanistan war, a group of Navy SEALs is deployed to take out a Taliban leader. However, they are ambushed, and one by one all killed except one SEAL.
- The film focuses on the journey of this one soldier, who tries to survive with the help of some allies.
- It is a truly gritting and soul-crushing movie, exploring the darkness of war, and the camaraderie between soldiers. Definitely worth watching.
