World War II backdrop

World War II movies

Global war stories: resistance, intelligence missions, major campaigns, and the moral extremes of total war.

The Imitation Game

11. The Imitation Game

History Drama Thriller War Biographical History
8.0

20141h 53min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Morten Tyldum

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

Themes

Code breaking pursuit, World war ii pressure, Homophobia prejudice, Cryptography under pressure, Secrecy burden, Intellectual isolation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Land of Mine

12. Land of Mine

War Drama History World War II Historical Drama
7.8

20151h 40min

Germany, Denmark

Director: Martin Zandvliet

In the days following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, a group of young German prisoners of war is handed over to the Danish authorities and subsequently sent to the West Coast, where they are ordered to remove the more than two million mines that the Germans had placed in the sand along the coast. With their bare hands, crawling around in the sand, the boys are forced to perform the dangerous work under the leadership of a Danish sergeant.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Abuse of power, Group solidarity under duress, Survival under scarcity, Military discipline vs mercy, Dehumanization under command

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Six Triple Eight

13. The Six Triple Eight

Drama War History Historical Drama World War II
6.7

20242h 10min

United States

Director: Tyler Perry

During World War II, the US Army's only all-Black, all-women battalion takes on an impossible mission: sorting through a three-year backlog of 17 million pieces of mail that hadn't been delivered to American soldiers and finish within six months.

Themes

Moral duty and perseverance, Women in military service, Racial discrimination in military, Logistics vs supply priorities, Collective resilience under strain

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sisu

14. Sisu

Action War One-Person Army World War II
6.9

20221h 31min

Finland, United Kingdom

Director: Jalmari Helander

When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, German soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him.

Themes

Survival under occupation, Vengeful lone fighter, Greed vs endurance, Tactical ingenuity under duress, War crimes avoidance, Female agency amid chaos

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Greyhound

15. Greyhound

War Action Drama World War II Military Action
7.0

20201h 32min

Canada, China

Director: Aaron Schneider

A first-time captain leads a convoy of allied ships carrying thousands of soldiers across the treacherous waters of the "Black Pit" to the front lines of WWII. With no air cover protection for 5 days, the captain and his convoy must battle the surrounding enemy Nazi U-boats in order to give the allies a chance to win the war.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Collective resilience under threat, Duty beyond fear, Air cover dependence, Deception and detection, Communication under duress

Available on

Apple TV
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The 12th Man

16. The 12th Man

War Drama World War II Historical Drama
7.3

20172h 16min

Norway

Director: Harald Zwart

After a failed anti-Nazi sabotage mission leaves his eleven comrades dead, a Norwegian resistance fighter finds himself fleeing the Gestapo through the snowbound reaches of Scandinavia.

Themes

Survival under pressure, War resilience under occupation, Deception under occupation, Collective loyalty under duress, Aid under risk

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Blood & Gold

17. Blood & Gold

Action Drama War Military Action World War II
6.5

20231h 40min

Germany

Director: Peter Thorwarth

At the end of World War II, a German soldier is looking for his daughter while an SS troop is looking for a Jewish treasure.

Themes

Treasure as motive, Family bonds under danger, Moral ambiguity in combat, War-torn survival, Exploitation under occupation, Betrayal by insiders

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Fury

18. Fury

War Drama Action World War II Military Action
7.6

20142h 15min

United States

Director: David Ayer

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

Themes

Military obedience under pressure, Trauma from killing, Leadership vs compliance, Frontline resilience and tactics, Dehumanization in war, Cohesion under threat

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Operation Mincemeat

19. Operation Mincemeat

War History Drama World War II Historical Event
6.6

20222h 8min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: John Madden

In 1943, two British intelligence officers concoct Operation Mincemeat, wherein their plan to drop a corpse with false papers off the coast of Spain would fool Nazi spies into believing the Allied forces were planning to attack by way of Greece rather than Sicily.

Themes

Deception rooted in true story, Spy deception in world war ii, Remake driven misdirection, Secrecy and risk management, Spy craft and loyalty testing, Planning under uncertainty

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Son of Saul

20. Son of Saul

War Drama Thriller World War II Historical Drama
7.4

20151h 47min

Hungary

Director: László Nemes

In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival trying to save from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son, seeking to give him a proper Jewish burial.

Themes

Disguise and deception, Resistance under oppression, Survival under atrocity, Duty vs kin, Rituals under duress, Sonderkommando role

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.