War movies can be someof the most harrowing pieces of media. Seen on the big or small screen, they can have the incredible ability to transport their audiences to the battlefield and give them that sensation of overwhelming terror the characters are experiencing on screen. Whether based on real-life events or a fictionalized narrative, they have the potential to captivate an audience, break their hearts, or leave them watching the film through their fingers at the sheer brutality.But despite their usual graphic tone, they are one of the most important genres and a powerful way to represent the horror that is war.
There are those out there so difficult to sit through that people have aborted the movie less than five minutes in due to the unwavering graphic nature;Saving Private Ryanwill undoubtedly have just sprung to the minds of many. But even though they can be challenging to get through, there’s no denying how incredible they can be at the same time. War films tend to be some of the most successful when done justice. While many of the most notable arguably belong to the 20th century, the 21st, specifically between 2010 and 2019, has provided some of the highest-praised movies in the genre in recent years. From 2016’sHacksaw Ridgeto 2011’sWar Horse, these ten additions to the genre have rightfully earned the acclaim they’ve received.
10’Beneath Hill 60' (2010)
Directed by Jeremy Hartley Sims
This low-budget Australian war film is one of the best of its kind. It is based on the book titledBeneath Hill 60: The Extraordinary True Story of the Secret War Being Waged Beneath the Trenches of the Western Frontand takes viewers on a journey back in time to 1916 with the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company.
The film centers on the company of civilian miners who trade what they know to head into the depths of war with just two weeks of preparation under their belts. As untrained soldiers, they are thrown into the thick of it in an incredible true story whose participants didn’t get the recognition they deserved, and thanks to a very limited release, neither did the film. Gutwrenching performances from those involved, stunning direction, and awe-dropping cinematography make thisunderrated war retelling something everyone should see.
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9’War Horse' (2011)
Directed by Stephen Spielberg
Stephen Spielbergis one of the best filmmakers of the last fifty years. Movies likeSaving Private Ryan,Jurassic Park,E.T., andSchindler’s Listare some of his most iconic directorial features. In 2011, he added another stellar, visually stunning film to his list of ever-growing success stories.War Horseis a book, a play, and a movie, and they’re all just as incredibly phenomenal as each other.
War Horsetakes place during the tragedies of the First World Warand centers on an Irish hunter-horse bought by the British Army to become one of over eight million horses forced to serve in WWI. Joey is his name, and this incredible story is capable of bringing a tear to the eye on multiple occasions. The multi-Academy Award, Golden Globe, andBAFTA-nominated film has visually stunning cinematography, phenomenal sound design, and visual effects, rightfully earning its place as the Best Film of 2011,according to the American Film Institute.
8’Zero Dark Thirty' (2012)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Appearing on almost one hundred critics' top ten lists in the year of its release,Zero Dark Thirtyis one of the most successful war films of the 2010s and, arguably, the 21st century as a whole. However, it is also criminally underrated at the same time.
The film’s ensemble cast consists of many big names in the movie industry, includingJason Clarke,Chris Pratt,Mark Strong,John Barrowman,Jessica Chastain,Kyle Chandler, and around two dozen other incredible actors, as they tell a dramatized account of the infamous national manhunt for Osama bin Laden following the 2001 9/11 attacks. Spine-chilling visuals, powerful performances, and a level of intensity that radiates through the screen make the multi-AcademyandGolden Globe-nominatedZero Dark Thirtya captivating film from start to finish, and it’ll have viewers on the edge of their seats as soon as that play button is pressed.
Zero Dark Thirty
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7’Lone Survivor' (2013)
Directed by Peter Berg
Lone Survivoris a 2013 true story epic that starsMark Wahlbergas a man by the name ofMarcus Luttrell. The biopic depicts a dramatized retelling of Operation Red Wings, a failed Navy SEAL counter-insurgent mission that proved unsuccessful in tracking down the Taliban leader Ahmad Shah.Of the four-man surveillance and reconnaissance team sent on the mission, Luttrell was the only one to survive.
Alongside Wahlberg areEmile Hirsch,Ben Foster, andTaylor Kitsch, the team’s other members who were killed during the mission.Lone Survivoris based on the bookof the same name written by Luttrell and Patrick Robbinson, and the adaptation was praised highly for its performances, visuals, and storytelling. It’s an edge-of-your-seat watch that’ll have audiences feeling anxious and did a brilliant job of depicting sheer hopelessness in such a dire situation, thanks to the performances of its actors.
Lone Survivor
6’American Sniper' (2014)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwoodis no stranger to successful Western epics, and while some of them have an element of war to them, he delved headfirst into the genre in 2014 with the release ofAmerican Sniper, which becamehis highest-grossing movie to date.Bradley Cooperstars asChris Kylein one of his least talked-about incredible performances in the biographical war drama about Kyle’s time as the U.S. military’s deadliest marksman in history.
The movie depicts the time Kyle spent at war in Iraq and the toll that 225 sniper deaths took on him as a human being. Cooper’s emotional performance gripped the audience from the moment they pressed play. It’s arguably not a story as well-known as some of the other war films out there. However,its storytelling, sound design, performances, and visuals are a big part of its success and the six-time Oscar-nominated film it became.
American Sniper
5’Max' (2015)
Directed by Boaz Yakin
Maxisan underrated war moviethat showcases a different kind of hero in war. When his handler is killed in action and he is injured, Max, a Belgian Malinois dog who assists Marines in Afghanistan, is sent to live with his fallen handler’s family but finds it hard to adjust to the change, as some soldiers can experience after returning home.
The film is an emotional depiction of the bond between K9 and the handler and the post-traumatic stress disorder that dogs can experience following trauma. While the developing bond between Max and his handler’s brother is a focal point of the film, it becomes much more intense when the truth behind his death and a cartel connection bubble to the surface. Storytelling at its underrated finest, Max is a film with much more than meets the eye.
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4’Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
Directed by Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridgeis one of the most historically accurate war films of the last ten years. It tells the incredible true story of a man namedDesmond Doss, played byAndrew Garfieldin one of his most phenomenalperformances. He served as a medic during World War II, saving more lives than humanly possible, all without bearing arms.
Ridiculed, belittled, and beaten by those he served with, Doss' superiors did everything they could to get him out of the Army. Resilient, determined, and one of the bravest human beings,Desmond Doss single-handedly saved the lives of a remarkable seventy-five people during a relentless twelve-hour fight for survival on Hacksaw Ridge. The movie contains one of the most harrowingly accurate depictions of war, the brutality it withholds, and a brilliant tribute to one of WWII’s notable heroes.
Hacksaw Ridge
3’Dunkirk' (2017)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Between May 26th and June 4th, 1940, a huge operation occurred as part of a mission to evacuate over 338,000 Allied soldiers during World War II from France’s beaches of Dunkirk as a result of the Battle of France.
Told from the points of view of sea, land, and air, Christopher Nolan’sDunkirkis one of the most visually transporting pieces of media in recent years.Relying more on visual storytelling than verbal,Dunkirktells the WWII evacuation story with little to no dialogue, which is incredibly effective in building unease and uncertainty to depict the suspense emitting from the screen. It was the most commercially successful film of the WWII subgenre for six years until last year’s near-$1 billionOppenheimer, also from Nolan’s direction, claimed the crown, but it will remain one ofthe best for years to come.
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2’Operation Red Sea' (2018)
Directed by Dante Lam
Somewhat inspired by real-life events that took place during the ongoing civil war in Yemen in 2015, 2018’s Chinese-Hong Kong war filmOperation Red Seatells a dramatized version of the events that occurred at the time when nearly 600 people were uprooted from the southern port of Aden.
The film is chock full of action and barely takes a moment for the viewers to breathe as they are thrust into the world of the Yemeni civil war and the fight to save the hostages and bring the soldiers home safely. Some incredibly impressive action sequences and unwaveringly brutal depictions of the time keep audiences hooked and unnervedas to what could be coming at any minute. It’sa brilliant thriller-war filmand deserves to be seen by more people from around the world.
1'1917' (2019)
Directed by Sam Mendes
1917isone of the best WWI moviesever made, in the eyes of many film enthusiasts. DirectorSam Mendeshas said that the film is somewhat inspired by real stories told to him by his paternal grandfather. The film primarily centers on two British soldiers serving in the titular year of 1917 as they traverse the treacherous battlefields with the goal of delivering some important information.
Nominated for a whopping 162 awards, including ten Academy Awards, of which it won three,1917is an incredible addition to World War I movies and proudly sits as one of the highest praises of the last decade. Breathtaking cinematography and visual effects prove how deserving this film is of its countless accolades, and it’s not hard to see why it was nominated for Best Picture at the 92nd Oscars.
NEXT:The 21 Best War Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)
