War backdrop

War movies

Gritty and poignant depictions of conflict, focusing on the bravery, tragedy, and humanity found on the battlefield.

Subgenres include: Age of Sail & Early Modern Warfare, 19th Century Wars, World War I.

The Great Escaper

1. The Great Escaper

History Drama War
7.0
20231h 36min

Overview

In the summer of 2014, a World War II veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy.


WILL

2. WILL

Drama War History
6.9
20231h 54min

Overview

Two young police officers find themselves torn between collaboration and resistance as they navigate the Nazi-occupied Antwerp during World War II.


The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

3. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Drama War
6.7
20231h 49min

Overview

Barney Greenwald, a skeptical lawyer, reluctantly defends an officer of the navy who took control of the Caine from its captain, Lt. Philip Francis Queeg, while caught in a violent sea storm. As the court-martial proceeds, however, Greenwald increasingly questions if it was truly a mutiny or rather the courageous acts of a group of sailors who could not trust their unstable leader.


Golda

4. Golda

Drama History War
6.0
20231h 41min

Overview

Set during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir is faced with the potential of Israel’s complete destruction. She must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet and a complex relationship with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, with millions of lives in the balance. Her tough leadership and compassion would ultimately decide the fate of her nation and leave her with a controversial legacy around the world.


Kingdom III: The Flame of Destiny

5. Kingdom III: The Flame of Destiny

Action Adventure War
6.7
20232h 9min

Overview

To defend their kingdom against a sudden invasion, a mighty general returns to the battlefield alongside a war orphan, now grown up, who dreams of glory.


Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms

6. Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms

Action Fantasy War
6.7
20232h 28min

Overview

Based on the most well-known classical fantasy novel of China, Fengshenyanyi, the trilogy is a magnificent eastern high fantasy epic that recreates the prolonged mythical wars between humans, immortals and monsters, which happened more than three thousand years ago.


20 Days in Mariupol

7. 20 Days in Mariupol

Documentary War Social & Political Documentary Modern Conflicts
8.6
20231h 34min

Overview

As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.

Themes

Documentation as evidence, Siege as reporting constraint, Mourning as social memory, War as external pressure, Journalist resilience under risk

Available on

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

Kandahar

8. Kandahar

Action Thriller War Military Action Political Thriller
6.1
20231h 59min

Overview

After his mission is exposed, an undercover CIA operative stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, all whilst avoiding elite enemy forces and foreign spies tasked with hunting them down.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Betrayal and deception, Trust under manipulation, Covert operation ethics, Civilian risk in conflict, Extraction under threat

Available on

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

Blood & Gold

9. Blood & Gold

Action Drama War Military Action World War II
6.5
20231h 40min

Overview

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.

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

10. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

War Action Thriller Modern Conflicts Military Action
7.5
20232h 3min

Overview

During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Debt and obligation, Covert alliances in war, Aid from locals, Survival through endurance, Ethical ambiguity in wartime

Available on

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