Netflix is estimated to have more than 300 million subscribers worldwide signed up to its popular streaming platform, with the service becoming a firm favourite in households.
One of the most popular features on Netflix is its huge array of films across many different genres. War films are a popular choice among movie lovers, and there are so many to choose from. The curiosity behind these historical events, though sometimes fictionalised further for entertainment purposes, is what attracts watchers. Here we look at the top 10 best war films on Netflix right now as ranked by Entertainment Weekly.
10. Mosul (2019)
This Arabic-language film follows the fight between an Iraqi SWAT team and ISIS insurgents during the Battle of Mosul in 2016. Mosul follows a 21-year-old police officer who has just survived an ISIS attack as he accompanies a SWAT team on a rescue mission. The film was inspired by an article written about the war within Iraq in 2017 and the film premiered at Venice Film Festival two years later.
9. The King (2019)
The King is about the life of Henry V, played by Timothée Chalamet, as he encounters warand treachery after becoming the King of England. The film focuses on the political landscape of the 15th century. Chalamet stars alongside Robert Pattinson and the two stand out for their eccentric looks and performances.
8. The Forgotten Battle (2020)
The Forgotten Battle has been compared to Dunkirk and labelled as the “Dutch version”. The film was directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr and is set in 1944 around the time of the Battle of the Scheldt. It centres on a German soldier, British glider pilot and a Dutch woman who begins fighting in the resistance. The film is based on a true story.
7. Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Directed by Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods focuses on the Vietnam War and was his tribute to the verterans of the war. The film goes between the past and present as four veterans go back to Vietnam to seek the remains of their fallen squad leader along with their buried treasure. The film has several central themes, one being race in the 1970s, as well as America’s role in the Vietnam War and the emotional toll it took on the soldiers.
6. The Champion (2020)
This film tells the true story of Polish boxer Tadeusz Pietrzykowski and his experience at Auschvitz. Despite being one of the first people to arrive at the concentration camp, Pietrzykowski ensures his survival by competing in a sting of boxing matches that were organised to entertain the Nazi captors.
5. The Bombardment (2023)
The Bombardment is a Danish film also known as The Shadow in My Eye, directed by Ole Bornedal. It’s set during the Second World War and follows the Royal Air Force as it agreed to bomb a Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen. The mission leads to a school accidentally being targetted and the fates of Danish resistance fighters, children and nuns collide.
4. Black Hawk Down (2001)
Ridley Scott’s war film was Oscar-winning, picking up the gongs for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. The film also marked the big-screen debut for Tom Hardy who starred alongside Orlando Bloom, Jason Isaacs and Ewan McGregor. It follows the story of when a US Army air and land operation in Mogadishu quickly spirals out of control.
3. Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Beasts of No Nation, directed by Cary Fukunaga, stars Idris Elba and Abbraham Attah, who plays child soldier, Abu, who is fighting in a civil war in an African country that is never named. Elba plays the Commandant, a despotic leader who ends up preying on Abu. Many critics have labelled it as a “must-see” despite it’s lack of Oscar nominations.
2. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
This German film follows Paul Bäumer, a young German soldier who enthusiastically signs up to fight in the First World War but gradually loses his innocence upon experiencing the harsh reality of trench warfare. Played by Felix Kammerer, the film is based on a novel of the same name and is directed by Edward Berger.
1. 1917 (2019)
1917 was shot all in a one-take style and directed by Sam Mendes. It is a harrowing story of two soldiers on a journey to relay an important message to a commander in person. The film stars George MacKay as lance corporal Will Schofield and Dean-Charles Chapman as lance corporal Tom Blake. The film picked up three Academy Awards.