10 War Movies That Will Change How You See Combat
War films aren’t to enjoy the carnage, they are to understand something deeper about humanity, history, and in a way about yourself.
Watching war movies might feel like subjecting yourself to watching the brutality on battlefield. One that is unimaginable and as much as it is about heroism, it is about bringing to our attention some of the deepest, most complex conditions of the human mind in the most extreme events.
More than anything, war movies often spotlight the cost of freedom, the real price of the liberties we take for granted away from the demarcated borders. Good war movies, that step away from propaganda, sensationalism, and voyeurism speak of the survival, sacrifice, fear and courage of risking everything.
They depict the devastation of conflict so unflinchingly that you walk away hoping no such horror ever takes place. (But you know far worse things happen on the battleground) Films like Saving Private Ryan, or Braveheart don’t glorify war, they grieve it, in every frame.
War Movies
Frankly, war films aren’t to enjoy the carnage, they are to understand something deeper about humanity, history, and in a way about yourself.
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So, let’s jump right into it.
1917
Directed by Sam Mendes and released in 2019, 1917 is a technical marvel that is shot with no cuts whatsoever. Think Adolescence was a stunning piece of continuous shot series, wait till you watch 1917 that completely immerses you in the terror and urgency of World War I.
Where To Watch: Netflix
Come and See
A 1985 film from Soviet Union, the film tells the story of a young boy who joins the Soviet resistance movement against the ruthless Nazi forces upon finding an old rifle. Instead of valour, he faces the horrors of World War II.
Where To Watch: Netflix
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Haqeeqat
A platoon fighting the Sino-Indian war of 1962 is presumed dead in the hilly terrains of Ladakh but is rescued by tribals. Captain Bahadur Singh and Angmo hold the fort so the platoon can fall back.
Directed by Chetan Anand in 1964, Haqeeqat, is one of the finest films and the first war film to be produced from India. It is poetic, evokes tragic and portrays the realistic depiction of defeat and sacrifice.
Where To Watch: Zee 5
Dunkirk
If you don’t know what post war syndrome feels like watching the Dunkirk might just make you feel like you’re suffering from PTSD. The film isolates you in ways that you can’t imagine.
There are hardly any conversations between characters, that makes you feel suffocated, the only noise is from the machine guns firing, the fighter jets flying really close over people’s heads, and cries of soldiers either dying, or struggling to survive at the shore of the French port, Dunkirk, during the Second World War.
Where To Watch: Netflix; Amazon Prime Video
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Hacksaw Ridge
The film directed Mel Gibson (yeah, the Braveheart actor) and starring Andrew Garfield as a WWII medic is an unflinchingly violent yet powerful tale of courage to selflessly save dozens of soldiers on the verge of dying at the battlefield.
Where To Watch: Netflix
American Sniper
More character driven than other films around wars and terror on the battlefield, American Snipper is by Clint Eastwood in 2014 starring Bradley Cooper.
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Based on the real-life story of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S miliary history, American Sniper, unearths the burden of duty and the emotional cost of survival. It highlight a grave truth about the life of a soldier: the war doesn’t end when you get home.
Where To Watch: Netflix
Platoon
A 1986 American film directed by Oliver Stone is based on his own experiences during the Vietnam war. The film follows the story of newly recruited U.S. Army volunteer (Sheen) serving in Vietnam while his Platoon Sergeant and his Squad Leader (Berenger and Dafoe) argue over the morality in the platoon and of the war itself.
Interestingly, the film counters the narrative set by the movie The Green Berets by John Wayne.
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Children of War
A 2014 film directed by Mritunjay Devvrat, Children Of War stands as a poignant reminder of the human cost at stake when conflicts strike between nations. It is a tale of sheer resilience in the face of consequences.
Where to Watch: Mubi and YouTube (free)
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All Quiet on the Western Front
A 2022 German epic anti-war film based on the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I.
Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches.
Where to Watch: Netflix
The Siege of Jadotville
The Irish film featuring Jamie Dornan depicts the true story of a small group of Irish soldiers who on a routine UN peacekeeping mission in Africa soon find themselves under attack by a much more powerful force.
Where to Watch: Netflix