Depending on where one watches a war film, a particular brand or tradition lingers in the storyline or characters. American war films may focus on World War II or the Civil War from a Western angle, but a Japanese war film like Grave of the Fireflies focuses on the opposite side of World War II. Globally, war films offer contemporary perspectives on how war and cruelty are viewed, but they are a slippery slope when it comes to how the opposing side is seen.
Updated: June 24, 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated with additional content by Evan Lewis.
While they can bring empathy for survivors and victims of war, the way war movies are framed can also be just as divisive and harmful. Regardless, movies like Dunkirk and 1917 have brought some memories of an era where its generation has largely died out, preserving an important part of history and heroism, albeit in a fictionalized manner. Netflix is one of the largest streaming platforms in the world and is home to iconic war movies as well as its own originals. These are the best war movies you can stream right now on Netflix.
9 Outlaw King
Scottish history is rich, and Outlaw King gives some insight into Robert the Bruce, King of Scots (Chris Pine). It is considered to be a follow-up to Braveheart, though it may pale in comparison to fans of the 1995 Best Picture-winning classic. Without speaking about how it weighs up against other films, Outlaw King is pretty decent in its own right. Taking back their homelands, Robert Bruce leaves bloodshed behind wherever he goes in order to fulfill this quest. It is fast-paced, brutal, and more than sure to satiate the tastes of those even vaguely interested in the genre. To note, it is filled with good performances and direction, so it is much more than just a cheap fix.
8 Outside the Wire
Outside the Wire is an action film with science fiction elements that stars Damson Idris and Anthony Mackie n the lead roles. It received mixed reviews from critics, but there is a good story and message in this film if people stick around to allow it to be told. In the 2030s, a drone pilot (Idris) is punished when he makes a polarizing decision. As his punishment, he is given a new task to perform where the same mistakes cannot be made, where he meets and works under Captain Leo (Mackie).
The two wonder if they can even trust each other as the events play out and have to try their hardest to keep their partnership strong under great distress. Culturally relevant to the war in Ukraine, it may either be disturbing or tragically cathartic to the viewer, depending on their living situation.
7 Munich: The Edge of War
Munich: The Edge of War dances between enemy lines at the beginning of World War II. The movie is a co-production between Great Britain and Germany, and these locations are precisely where the film takes place. It begins in 1932 when a group of British friends at Oxford University, who is German, says they need to visit their friend in his homeland.
However, this is during the rise of Nazi Germany and Hitler, so the movie transitions to six years later when this does occur in real life. While viewers often know how war films end due to history, Munich: The Edge of War is capable of reversing the slow anticipation for what’s to come, thus creating a movie that truly immerses you in its storylines.
6 Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee returned in 2020 with Da 5 Bloods, which featured an all-star cast consisting of Chadwick Boseman (in his final film appearance before his death in 2020), Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and many others. Da 5 Bloods sheds light on a squad of Black soldiers during the Vietnam War. When these men were in combat, they hid gold bars they found in a cargo crash. Years later, they return to recover their bounty, leading to a catastrophic series of events that they thought they once left behind. This movie was one of the most-watched titles on Netflix nominated for an Oscar.
5 First They Killed My Father
Jolie Pas
The Cambodian Genocide is often left untouched in history books outside Southeast Asia, but the film adaptation of Loung Ung’s memoirs, First They Killed My Father, was produced by Angelina Jolie and secured a larger platform to tell the story on Netflix. First They Killed My Father begins with the Cambodian Civil War and the withdrawal of American troops. One family, where five-year-old Ung lives with her seven siblings, is forced into a labor camp. With food scarce and family members dying or going missing, tragedy lurks at every corner of this chapter of Cambodian history. This movie is almost completely cast with Cambodian actors and was filmed in the local language: Khmer.
4 The King
Before Timothée Chalamet was Willy Wonka or Paul Atreides, he starred in David Michôd’s and Joel Edgerton’s The King for Netflix. The King is based on the life of King Henry V and the Shakespearean historical plays known as the Henriad. In this film, King Henry V was once a young boy who did not want to be a ruler, but when his brother and father passed away, he is thrust into a position of great power during the Hundred Years’ War. When a French Duke (Robert Pattinson) continuously mocks him, his country, and his honor, Henry seeks glory and retribution through warfare. Although historically inaccurate, the grim and gritty tone of the film gives new life to history.
3 The Photographer of Mauthausen
Mauthausen is a Spanish-language film based on true events, directed by Mar Targarona. The story follows Francisco Boix, who was imprisoned at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Nazi-controlled Germany during World War II. What he did was a tremendous and life-risking act, preserving photographs of the camp’s horrific conditions. He worked some of the camp’s other prisoners to this evidence, and the world has proof of these atrocities thanks to his benevolent efforts. This evidence played a great role in convicting war criminals that aligned with the Nazis at the Nuremberg and Dachau trials.
2 Beasts of No Nation
Beasts of No Nation adapted Nigerian-American author Ozodinma Iweala’s novel of the same name for the big screen. In a Western African country, a young boy becomes a child soldier in a brutal civil war. He lives a normal life with a family in his village, but when the local government falls, and rebels take over the nation, a period of bloodshed ensues. Ghanaian actor Abraham Attah, who previously appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, plays the titular role, while Idris Elba portrays the commander of the child’s squad, an African warlord. While Beasts of No Nation is difficult to watch, it is a much-needed film.
1 All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front is the third movie adaptation of the 1929 novel of the same name. It is also arguably the best of the three, and its accolades can be used as proof of that. This near-masterpiece was a titan during award season, a statement that was especially true at the 2023 BAFTAs. It shows the crushing and altering reality of wartime during World War I and does so in a way that somehow feels new and fresh, even though it is far from the first to do so.
The shots are as stunning as they are horrifying, and Felix Kammerer is a marvel to watch in the lead role. It also gives a new perspective that isn’t featured in the book, which would be the discussions that were held to end the war. Whether war movies are someone’s thing, this one is a must-see that will have the watcher thinking about it for months to come by the time the credits start rolling.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
