Military Action backdrop

Military Action movies

Combat missions and tactical operations: assaults, rescues, sieges, and coordinated teamwork under fire.

The Red Baron

1. The Red Baron

Action Adventure Drama History War
6.3
20081h 46min

Overview

Richthofen goes off to war like thousands of other men. As fighter pilots, they become cult heroes for the soldiers on the battlefields. Marked by sportsmanlike conduct, technical exactitude and knightly propriety, they have their own code of honour. Before long he begins to understand that his hero status is deceptive. His love for Kate, a nurse, opens his eyes to the brutality of war.

Themes

Loss and grief, Heroism vs restraint, Duty amid world war i, Romance under conflict, Leadership under strain, Brutality of war

Available on

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

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

2. Battlestar Galactica: Razor

Science Fiction Action Drama Thriller TV Movie
7.6
20071h 28min

Overview

The history and adventures of the Battlestar Pegasus, from shortly before the Cylon invasion to shortly after Lee Adama is made commander. The story is told through the eyes of and largely focuses on one particular member of Pegasus's crew, Kendra Shaw.

Themes

Duty under pressure, Trust in leadership, Legacy and accountability, Based on tv series framing, Space opera tension, Revenge vs restraint

Available on

Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Elite Squad

3. Elite Squad

Drama Action Crime Military Action Narcotics Crime
8.0
20071h 55min

Overview

In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.

Themes

Class inequality, Corruption vs duty, Trauma of enforcement, Policing under pressure, Violence in slums, Honesty vs ambition

Available on

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

The Hunting Party

4. The Hunting Party

Action Adventure Thriller Drama Political Thriller
6.8
20071h 41min

Overview

A young journalist, an experienced cameraman and a discredited reporter find their bold plan to capture Bosnia's top war criminal quickly spiraling out of control when a UN representative mistakes them for a CIA hit squad.

Themes

Revenge versus justice, Media ethics under siege, War crimes accountability, Mob justice consequences, Bounty as motive, Deception and misidentification

Available on

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

The Kingdom

5. The Kingdom

Thriller Action Drama Political Thriller Military Action
7.0
20071h 50min

Overview

A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.

Themes

Escalation of violence, Family-led conspiracy, Covert deception and disguise, Authority vs expertise, Bureaucratic obstruction, Cross-cultural security tensions

Available on

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

Shooter

6. Shooter

Drama Action Thriller Military Action Political Thriller
7.1
20072h 4min

Overview

A top Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, leaves the military after a mission goes horribly awry and disappears, living in seclusion. He is coaxed back into service after a high-profile government official convinces him to help thwart a plot to kill the President of the United States. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, Swagger becomes the target of a nationwide manhunt. He goes on the run to track the real killer and find out who exactly set him up, and why, eventually seeking revenge against some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Corruption and accountability, Power and collusion, Military contractor influence, State secrecy, Private interests vs public safety

Available on

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

Letters from Iwo Jima

7. Letters from Iwo Jima

Action Drama War World War II Historical Drama
7.8
20062h 21min

Overview

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Themes

Defense in depth, Suspicion and espionage, Leadership under pressure, Hunger and disease, Obedience vs retreat, Memory through letters

Available on

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

Blood Diamond

8. Blood Diamond

Drama Thriller Action Political Drama Political Thriller
8.0
20062h 23min

Overview

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed countrywide.

Themes

Illicit diamond trade, Mercenary complicity, Child soldier impact, War economy, Investigative journalism, Private military power

Available on

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

Flyboys

9. Flyboys

Action Adventure Drama History Romance
6.5
20062h 18min

Overview

The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots.

Themes

Racial segregation in armed forces, Frontline risk and sacrifice, Duty and danger, Peer mentorship and competition, Collective identity and belonging, Honor and personal loss

Available on

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

Annapolis

10. Annapolis

Drama Action Coming-of-Age Drama Military Action
5.8
20061h 48min

Overview

Jake Huard, from a shipbuilders family, promised his dying mother he'ld make it to Anapolis Naval Academy. Thanks to tenaciously bugging a Congressman, he's selected despite dubious grades. Once inside, Jake soon proves sub-standard academically. Constantly challenged to his limits, repeatedly made the 'over-cocky' reason for the entire class to suffer, Jake nearly quits, but after facing his utterly un-supportive father's gloating returns just in time. Stubborn Jake finds support withs mates as well as Senor Ali, his lover-to-be, and a discipline he may excel in: the 'brigade' boxing tournament, open to all ranks.

Themes

Discipline under pressure, Class mobility tensions, Institutional hazing norms, Loyalty vs authority, Academic struggle dynamics, Peer support networks

Available on

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