World War II backdrop

World War II movies

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

Anthropoid

21. Anthropoid

History Thriller War Historical Event World War II
7.2

20162h

Czechia, France

Director: Sean Ellis

In December 1941, Czech soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich.

Themes

Occupation pressure, Betrayal loyalty, Covert action consequences, Tactical planning danger, Resistance risk, Civilian cost

Available on

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

Little Boy

22. Little Boy

Comedy Drama War Family Drama World War II
7.3

20151h 46min

United States, Mexico

Director: Alejandro Monteverde

An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father.

Themes

Mentorship and growth, Memory and loss, War era family pressures, Faith under trial, Resilience through absence, Prejudice to empathy

Available on

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

The Resistance Banker

23. The Resistance Banker

War Drama World War II Historical Drama
6.9

20182h 4min

Netherlands

Director: Joram Lürsen

In the occupied Netherlands during World War II, banker Walraven van Hall is asked to use his financial contacts to help the Dutch resistance. With his brother Gijs, he comes up with a risky plan to take out huge loans and use the money to finance the Resistance.

Themes

Illicit finance networks, Deception through forged assets, Resistance funding under occupation, Coercion and survival under oppression, Conflicting loyalties and betrayals, State power versus clandestine finance

Available on

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

The Zookeeper's Wife

24. The Zookeeper's Wife

Drama History War Historical Drama World War II
7.0

20172h 6min

Czechia, United Kingdom

Director: Niki Caro

The account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Survival under occupation, Duty under coercion, Animal sanctuary as cover, Resistance networks and sheltering, Protecting vulnerable lives

Available on

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

Midway

25. Midway

Action War History Military Action World War II
6.7

20192h 18min

Canada, Hong Kong SAR China

Director: Roland Emmerich

The story of the Battle of Midway, and the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome massive odds.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Strategic risk taking, Intelligence and misdirection, Information timing and control, Resilience under fire, Command decision under uncertainty

Available on

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

Unbroken

26. Unbroken

Drama War Historical Drama World War II
7.2

20142h 17min

United States

Director: Angelina Jolie

A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.

Themes

Interrogation under pressure, Brutal discipline and resilience, Captivity and endurance, Survival through punishment, Homecoming and reintegration

Available on

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

Their Finest

27. Their Finest

Romance War Drama World War II Historical Drama
6.8

20171h 57min

France, Sweden

Director: Lone Scherfig

During the Blitz of World War II, a female screenwriter works on a film celebrating England's resilience as a way to buoy a weary populace's spirits. Her efforts to dramatise the true story of two sisters who undertook their own maritime mission to rescue wounded soldiers are met with mixed feelings by a dismissive all-male staff.

Themes

Female leadership under pressure, Gender bias in film, Wartime propaganda ethics, Deception in storytelling, Resilience through cinema, Collaboration vs hierarchy

Available on

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

The Exception

28. The Exception

War Drama Romance World War II Historical Drama
6.8

20171h 47min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: David Leveaux

Nothing is as it seems in this riveting World War 2 thriller as a wary soldier goes to investigate a mysterious German monarch at his secluded mansion, leading him into a web of deceit and a dangerous love affair with a local Jewish woman.

Themes

Loyalty vs duty, Forbidden romance, Deception under pressure, Political manipulation, Secrecy and exposure, Legitimacy of rule

Available on

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

Suite Française

29. Suite Française

Drama Romance War Historical Drama Passionate Romance
7.0

20151h 43min

Belgium, Canada

Director: Saul Dibb

France, 1940. In the first days of occupation, beautiful Lucile Angellier is trapped in a stifled existence with her controlling mother-in-law as they both await news of her husband: a prisoner of war. Parisian refugees start to pour into their small town, soon followed by a regiment of German soldiers who take up residence in the villagers' own homes. Lucile initially tries to ignore Bruno von Falk, the handsome and refined German officer staying with them. But soon, a powerful love draws them together and leads them into the tragedy of war.

Themes

Loyalty versus survival, Forbidden love under occupation, Occupation and romance, Power dynamics under war, Resistance and collaboration, Family duty under occupation

Available on

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

Overlord

30. Overlord

Horror War Science Fiction Monster Horror World War II
6.6

20181h 50min

United States

Director: Julius Avery

France, June 1944. On the eve of D-Day, some American paratroopers fall behind enemy lines after their aircraft crashes while on a mission to destroy a radio tower in a small village near the beaches of Normandy. After reaching their target, the surviving paratroopers realise that, in addition to fighting the Nazi troops that patrol the village, they also must fight against something else.

Themes

Deception and coercion, Survival under occupation, Ethical costs of experimentation, Science as weapon, Mutant power consequences, Desegregation under fire

Available on

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