Best War Movies of All Time: Undoubtedly, war movies have the ability to take audiences to different times and zones, while also providing a window into the lives of those who have experienced the horrors of armed warfare. War movies have captivated audiences’ imaginations for decades and still do now, whether they include epic battles or intimate character drama. Each movie on this list of top 10 best war movies offers a distinctive viewpoint on the nature of wars and how civilians interact with them.
Keep reading the article, here we’ve got you covered on the top 10 best war movies of all time, considering box office gross, critical acclaim, and the impact on the local audiences.
10) The Hurt Locker (2008) | Best War Movies
The Hurt Locker is a 2008 American war drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The movie centers on an elite Army bomb-disposal crew during the time of the Iraq War. The group is led by Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), a wild and tough soldier, who knows a distinctive way to diffuse bombs. The crew is tasked to disarm IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in and around Baghdad.
The plot of the story revolves around the psychological effect of combat and the threats that soldiers encounter on a daily basis. Apart from the battle, this movie examines the concepts of bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice. The Hurt Locker is quite engaging and offers good action and suspense, which will surely keep you entertained till the end. The movie has got an impressive 7.5 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 84 on Rotten Tomatoes.
9) Dunkirk (2017) | Best War Movies
Dunkirk is an American war drama written and directed by Christopher Nolan, which represents the World War II evacuation of hundreds of thousands of British and Allied soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk, France. The movie portrays both the terror and despair of the war situations while showing the bravery and sacrifice of those who took part in the evacuations.
The story of the movie has three distinct storylines, including land, sea, and air. It shows the experiences of the soldier during the initial stages of World War II, as they tried to flee the beaches of Dunkirk. Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and Mark Rylance, are among the movie’s core cast members. This movie has 7.8 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 81 on Rotten Tomatoes.
8) Platoon (1986) | Best War Movies
Platoon is an American war film directed by Oliver Stone which was released in 1986. The plot of the story revolves around a young soldier named Chris Taylor portrayed by Charlie Sheen. Chris volunteers for the army and is deployed in Vietnam where he joins a platoon that is already in battle. As Chris tries to adapt to the harsh realities of the war, he finds himself caught between two Army Sergeants; the cruel and combat-hardened Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the more passionate Elias (Willem Dafoe).
Chris is forced to face his own moral principles and issues, as the Platoon indulges in a series of deadly battles. At the end of the story, Chris must have to decide which side he will support. This Olive Stone’s war drama is an excellent representation of the moral complications of war battles. The movie has 8.1 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 93 on Rotten Tomatoes.
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7) The Deer Hunter (1978) | Best War Movies
The Deer Hunter is a historical war drama written and directed by Michael Cimino. Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep play the lead characters in the film. The plot of the story centers on a group of three friends, including Michael (Robert De Niro), Steven (John Savage), and Nick (Christopher Walken) of Pennsylvania steelworkers who are given commands to take part in the Vietnam War.
The three friends eventually face a hard time adjusting to everyday life because of the psychological and physical wounds they bear from their time in Vietnam. The Deer Hunter movie is critically liked for its amazing acting, dramatic storylines, and realistic depiction of war. It has 8.1 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 91 on Rotten Tomatoes.
6) Full Metal Jacket (1987) | Best War Movies
Full Metal Jacket is an American war-thriller movie directed by Stanley Kubrick, which is set in the Vietnam War. This movie is well-known for its gripping portrayal of the psychological impact of war on soldiers. It was based on the 1972 novel “The Short-Timers” written by Gustav Hasford.
The plot of the movie revolves around a group of marine recruits as they navigate training under a brutal drill sergeant Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey). This movie is split into two halves; the first of it deals with the training of the Joker and the second of which follows his experience in Vietnam. Full Metal Jacket has 8.3 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 94 on Rotten Tomatoes.
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5) Inglourious Basterds (2009) | Best War Movies
Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 war movie helmed by Quentin Tarantino. The film is set in Nazi-occupied France at the time of World War II and is based on a group of Jewish-American soldiers who are on a mission to kill senior Nazi officials. It has three big faces, including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, and Diane Kruger. The story of the movie centers around two storylines that make it worth watching.
In the first plot line, the “Basterds,” a squad of Jewish-American soldiers led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), attempt to kill senior Nazi officials in France. The second plot line centers on Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), a Jewish lady who was almost murdered by Nazi commander Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), dubbed “The Jew Hunter.”
Inglourious Basterds is known for its unique storylines as well as the mix of violence and humor. It has 8.3 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 88 on Rotten Tomatoes.
4) Paths of Glory (1957) | Best War Movies
Paths of Glory is a critically acclaimed anti-war movie, directed by Stanley Kubrick. The film is based on the story of a French soldier, who refused to fight after a failed attack during World War I. The plot of the movie centers on Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), who commands his troops in a deadly attack on a stronghold German position. Three of them are picked at random after the incident and are accused of being cowards.
Although the troops are being defended by Colonel Dax, a lawyer in the civilian world, the outcome is already known. Paths of Glory has a unique storyline, which always keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has 8.4 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 95 on Rotten Tomatoes.
3) The Boat/Das Boot (1981) | Best War Movies
The Boat is a German war movie written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. The movie Das Boot is based on the Lothar-Günther Buchheim novel and it depicts the story of a German submarine crew during World War II. You’ll see Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann in the lead roles. The Boat is well-liked for its unique storyline and its accurate representation of a submarine during a time of war.
The story revolves around the U-96 crew, a German Submarine sent on a mission to hinder the Allied trade in the North Atlantic. The crew is under the command of Captain-Lieutenant Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jürgen Prochnow) has to go through the waters and engage in lethal combats. The Boat movie has 8.4 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 96 on Rotten Tomatoes.
2) The Pianist (2002) | Best War Movies
The Pianist is a complete package of war, drama, and thriller, directed by Roman Polanski. The story is based on the true incident of Polish Jewish Pianist Wadysaw Szpilman, who survived the Holocaust. While his family is sent to the Treblinka concentration camp and forced to live in hiding. To survive those situations, he had to rely on the generosity of strangers.
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the city’s devastations are just two of the horrifying aspects of life under the Nazis that are shown in the movie. This movie is an amazing portrayal of the Nazi takeover of Warsaw and the crimes against Jews during World War II. It has 8.5 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 96 on Rotten Tomatoes.
1) Schindler’s List (1993) | Best War Movies
Schindler’s List is one of the cinematic masterpieces, directed by Steven Spielberg. The movie centers on a German businessman, who helped more than a thousand Jewish refugees at the time of the Holocaust. The movie is renowned for its emotional representation of the crimes committed by the Nazi dictatorship and its impact on humanity.
The plot revolves around Oskar Schindler (Nazi Party Member), who decides to put Jewish workers in his factory in order to take benefit from the opportunity presented by the war. However, as Oskar found out about the Nazi’s cruel treatment, he grows more sympathy and risks his own life to save them. Schindler’s List got appreciation from both fans and critics alike and received many awards, including seven Academy Awards. The movie has 9 ratings on IMDb and an audience score of 97 on Rotten Tomatoes.
| S.N. | Movie | IMDb rating | Rotten Tomatoes |
| 1 | Schindler’s List (1993) | 9 | 97% |
| 2 | The Pianist (2002) | 8.5 | 96% |
| 3 | The Boat/Das Boot (1981) | 8.4 | 96% |
| 4 | Paths of Glory (1957) | 8.4 | 95% |
| 5 | Inglourious Basterds (2009) | 8.3 | 88% |
| 6 | Full Metal Jacket (1987) | 8.3 | 94% |
| 7 | The Deer Hunter (1978) | 8.1 | 91% |
| 8 | Platoon (1986) | 8.1 | 93% |
| 9 | Dunkirk (2017) | 7.8 | 81% |
| 10 | The Hurt Locker (2008) | 7.5 | 84% |
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Which is the best war film?
Schindler’s List is the best war movies.
Q. What is the saddest war movie?
Schindler’s List
Q. What movie best portrays war?
The Hurt Locker, Platoon and The Pianist.