Modern Conflicts backdrop

Modern Conflicts movies

Late 20th/21st-century war stories: asymmetric combat, urban warfare, tech, and the cost of deployment.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

1. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Comedy Drama War Satire Political Drama
6.6
20161h 52min

Overview

In 2002, cable news producer Kim Barker decides to shake up her routine by taking a daring new assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dislodged from her comfortable American lifestyle, Barker finds herself in the middle of an out-of-control war zone. Luckily, she meets Tanya Vanderpoel, a fellow journalist who takes the shell-shocked reporter under her wing. Amid the militants, warlords and nighttime partying, Barker discovers the key to becoming a successful correspondent.

Themes

Gendered access in war journalism, Embedded journalism ethics, Truth vs spectacle in news, Career ambition under risk, Disillusionment with war coverage, Local power dynamics in conflict reporting

Available on

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

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

2. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

War Action History Drama Thriller
7.3
20162h 24min

Overview

An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

Themes

Contractor-led security, Outsourcing ethics, Interagency coordination tension, Diplomatic risk in crisis, Local militia influence, Civilian protection under threat

Available on

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

Hyena Road

3. Hyena Road

War Drama Thriller Action Military Action
6.5
20152h

Overview

Three different men, three different worlds, three different wars – all stand at the intersection of modern warfare – a murky world of fluid morality where all is not as it seems. A unique and dramatic look at the Canadian Army in Afghanistan.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Fragile alliances under strain, Loyalties under pressure, Civilian risk and rescue, Moral ambiguity in combat, Duty vs family obligations

Available on

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

Man Down

4. Man Down

Thriller Drama War Political Thriller Family Drama
6.0
20151h 30min

Overview

When a U.S. Marine returns home from Afghanistan, he finds that the place he once called home is no better than the battlefields he fought on overseas. Accompanied by his best friend, he searches desperately for the whereabouts of his estranged son and wife. In their search, the two intercept a man carrying vital information about his family.

Themes

Homecoming disorientation, Trauma and memory fragmentation, Deception and betrayal, Survival under collapse, Trust destabilization, Mental strain under pressure

Available on

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

Beasts of No Nation

5. Beasts of No Nation

Drama War Coming-of-Age Drama Modern Conflicts
7.7
20152h 17min

Overview

Based on the experiences of Agu, a child fighting in the civil war of a West African country. Follows Agu's journey as he's forced to join a group of soldiers. While he fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and he is at first torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Childhood under siege, Survival through violence, Dehumanization in war, Militia recruitment and coercion, Trauma and withdrawal

Available on

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

A War

6. A War

Drama War Modern Conflicts Tragic Drama
7.0
20151h 55min

Overview

Company commander Claus Michael Pedersen and his men are stationed in Helmand, Afghanistan. Meanwhile back in Denmark, with a husband at war and three children missing their father, everyday life is a struggle for Claus' wife Maria. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy Taliban crossfire. In order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that ultimately sees him return to Denmark accused of a war crime.

Themes

Work-life tension, Family resilience, Temptation and integrity, Religious coping, Moral accountability

Available on

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

Eye in the Sky

7. Eye in the Sky

Drama Thriller War Political Thriller Modern Conflicts
7.3
20151h 42min

Overview

A UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” As American pilot Steve Watts is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of US and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare.

Themes

Political decision making under pressure, Civilian risk and collateral damage, Moral implications of warfare, Due diligence and proportionality, Command hierarchy and accountability, Legal counsel influence

Available on

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

A Perfect Day

8. A Perfect Day

Comedy Drama War Satire Political Drama
6.8
20151h 46min

Overview

Somewhere in the Balkans, 1995. A team of aid workers must solve an apparently simple problem in an almost completely pacified territory that has been devastated by a cruel war, but some of the local inhabitants, the retreating combatants, the UN forces, many cows and an absurd bureaucracy will not cease to put obstacles in their way.

Themes

Aid work under pressure, Bureaucracy obstructing relief, Interpersonal tensions in teams, Local agency vs external aid, Risk management in conflict zones, Coordination challenges in crises

Available on

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

Good Kill

9. Good Kill

Drama Thriller War Mind Game Thriller Modern Conflicts
6.4
20151h 44min

Overview

In the shadowy world of drone warfare, combat unfolds like a video game–only with real lives at stake. After six tours of duty, Air Force pilot Tom Egan now fights the Taliban from an air-conditioned bunker in the Nevada desert. But as he yearns to get back in the cockpit of a real plane and becomes increasingly troubled by the collateral damage he causes each time he pushes a button, Egan’s nerves—and his relationship with his wife—begin to unravel.

Themes

Institutional pressure, Collateral damage tension, Remote warfare ethics, Work life spillover, Stress and coping, Disobedience under orders

Available on

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

American Sniper

10. American Sniper

War Action Modern Conflicts Military Action
7.3
20142h 13min

Overview

U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle takes his sole mission—protect his comrades—to heart and becomes one of the most lethal snipers in American history. His pinpoint accuracy not only saves countless lives but also makes him a prime target of insurgents. Despite grave danger and his struggle to be a good husband and father to his family back in the States, Kyle serves four tours of duty in Iraq. However, when he finally returns home, he finds that he cannot leave the war behind.

Themes

Professional detachment and violence, Reintegration into civilian life, Combat trauma and memory, Duty versus family life, Veteran care and remembrance

Available on

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