By its very nature, the stunning levels of realism to produce a viewing experience for the ages. As such, it's hardly surprising that the genre's faster-paced offerings for some of the most exciting movies ever made.
Progressing at a frenetic rate that mirrors the adrenaline-soaked nature of their subject matter, popular culture has played host to a number of fast-paced war movies that keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Leveraging spectacular battle scenes and thrilling premises to the maximum effect possible, these nail-biting war outings grab the viewer's attention by the throat in the early goings and don't loosen their grip until the credits have rolled.
10 Fury (2014)
Directed By David Ayer
Brad Pitt stars as tank commander Don "Wardaddy" Collier in David Ayer's war movie Fury. Set during the end of World War II, the film follows the Allied forces breaking through into Nazi as Don and his crew pilot their tank known as Fury into enemy lines in gruesome battles to capture critical stronghold points and help secure victory in the war.
A bloody and epic showcase of the ineffable bonds forged between human beings in the hell of armed combat, David Ayer's Fury offers an unflinching view of the European theatre's endgame from the perspective of the eponymous M1 Sherman tank's crew. One of the best war movie depictions of camaraderie between soldiers, the 2014 picture wastes no time in diving into its nail-biting action, with Ayer producing one of the most intense and unforgettable depictions of WWII in cinematic history.
Brad Pitt Reunites With Fury Director David Ayer For New Action Movie, First Story Details Revealed
Brad Pitt is reuniting with Fury director David Ayer for a new action-adventure movie for Paramount, with the first story details being revealed.
A terrifying smorgasbord of blinding tracer rounds, blood-soaked mud, and unidentifiable chunks of human viscera, Fury's harrowing battle scenes thrust the viewer headfirst into the hell of war with an intensity that few films can match. There's nothing particularly complex or groundbreaking about Fury's premise or narrative, but an array of excellent performances complement the electrifying action to steer this enthralling tank offering clear of its more prevalent shortcomings.
9 Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Directed By Brian G. Hutton
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Where Eagles Dare
- Release Date
- March 12, 1969
- Runtime
- 155 Minutes
- Director
- Brian G. Hutton
Cast
Richard BurtonMaj. Smith
Lt. Morris Schaffer
WHERE TO WATCH
Where Eagles Dare is a gripping action thriller set during World War II, following a group of Allied commandos on a daring mission to rescue an American general held captive in a mountaintop fortress. Battling treacherous weather and enemy forces, the team must navigate deception and betrayal in a high-stakes operation. The film blends intense combat sequences with strategic espionage, delivering a suspenseful and engaging wartime adventure.
- Writers
- Alistair MacLean
- Main Genre
- War
One of cinema's earliest white-knuckle war movies, 1968's Where Eagles Dare adapts the novel of the same name by Alistair MacLean with explosive results on-screen. Set at the height of WWII and depicting a daring clandestine Allied mission to infiltrate a snowy mountain fortress accessible only by cable car, Brian G. Hutton's picture sounds more like the plot of a James Bond movie than a traditional war film.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg has labeled Where Eagles Dare as his favorite war movie of all time.
Loaded with explosive narrative twists and turns to complement an array of spectacular action sequences, Where Eagles Dare steadily builds in intensity across 155 adrenaline-soaked minutes to produce an absolutely thrilling viewing experience. Leveraging the kick-ass aura of Clint Eastwood in one of his best war movie appearances to maximum effect, this classic blend of action and adventure still holds up flawlessly to this very day.
8 Sisu (2022)
Directed By Jalmari Helander
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Sisu is a World War II action film directed by Jalmari Helander. The film centers on an ex-commando who finds gold in the Lapland wilderness. But as he tries to smuggle it into the city, an SS officer and his band of Nazis hunt him down. The film stars Finnish actor Jorma Tommila as the main character Aatami.
- Writers
- Jalmari Helander
- Studio(s)
- Stage 6 Films
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate, Sony
A wicked thrill ride from Finnish director Jalmari Helander, 2022's Sisu is not a complicated film. Chronicling a legendary aging Finnish commando's attempts to defend himself and a haul of gold nuggets from an SS battalion during the Lapland War, there are no philosophical musings on the nature of armed combat to be found in this criminally underrated hidden gem. However, what Helander's picture lacks in narrative complexity, it more than makes up for in of outrageous gore and sheer white-knuckle entertainment.
Combining supremely graphic violence with some wickedly tongue-in-cheek humor, Sisu rams its foot on the accelerator in the early goings and doesn't take it off until the credits have rolled. The seemingly indestructible and comically violent nature of Jorma Tormilla's charge makes for some depravedly entertaining viewing, whether he's using dead Nazi bodies as oxygen tanks to breathe underwater or using a pick-ax to hang off the side of an airborne plane.
7 The Hurt Locker (2008)
Directed By Kathryn Bigelow
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The Hurt Locker
- Release Date
- July 31, 2009
- Runtime
- 131 minutes
- Director
- Kathryn Bigelow
WHERE TO WATCH
From director Kathryn Bigelow comes The Hurt Locker, the 2008 oscar winning war thriller film that follows Jeremy Renner as Sergeant William James and his bomb disposal team as they navigate beyond enemy lines during the Iraq War. The movie explores the trauma and stresses the soldiers face as they attempt to disarm active explosives on the field, with the repercussions beginning to take their toll on the squates.
- Writers
- Mark Boal
- Studio(s)
- Summit Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Summit Entertainment
While 2008's The Hurt Locker proved controversial with some veterans, Kathryn Bigelow's Best Picture winner still stands as one of the genre's most electrifying offerings. Chronicling the hair-raising exploits of a prolific bomb disposal expert and his team during the Iraq War, Bigelow's direction and a visceral leading Jeremy Renner bow combine to produce one of the most stressful war movies of all time.
The Hurt Locker's Oscar Nominations |
Result |
|---|---|
Best Picture |
Won |
Best Director |
Won |
Best Original Screenplay |
Won |
Best Film Editing |
Won |
Best Sound Editing |
Won |
Best Sound Mixing |
Won |
Best Actor |
Nominated |
Best Original Score |
Nominated |
Best Cinematography |
Nominated |
Cultivating a constant air of near-unbearable tension, Bigelow thrusts viewers into the action face-first from the film's first sequence. Every second that Renner spends in the bomb suit es on a legitimate knife edge, courtesy of the movie's gritty cinematography and masterful sound editing. It's a status quo that extends to the scenes that don't even involve bomb disposal, from the hair-raising nighttime gun battle to the film's iconic sniper duel. One of the greatest war movies ever made, The Hurt Locker stands as an adrenaline-fused triumph to this day.
6 ’71 (2014)
Directed By Yann Demange
'71
- Release Date
- August 29, 2014
- Runtime
- 99 Minutes
- Director
- Yann Demange
- Writers
- Gregory Burke
Cast
-
Jack O'Connell
Sean Harris
Paul Anderson
Sam Reid
- Main Genre
- War
The quintessential example of an excellent war movie that only focuses on one person, Yann Demange's '71 follows the plight of Jack O'Connell's Gary Hook. A young British soldier stationed in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, Hook is hunted through Belfast by the IRA after becoming separated from his unit in a skirmish. Bringing this life-and-death game of cat-and-mouse to life in thrilling fashion, '71 is contentiously the best war movie from the last decade that you've never heard of.
...'71 leverages the high stakes posed by its fraught historical backdrop to produce a gripping and terrifyingly realistic story...
Featuring an exemplary bow from O'Connell, the Skins star's performance lends stunning authenticity to this visceral fight for survival. A taut and meticulously crafted war thriller from Demange in his directorial debut, '71 leverages the high stakes posed by its fraught historical backdrop to produce a gripping and terrifyingly realistic story, one that rarely fails to leave viewers hanging off the edge of their seats for 99 kinetically charged minutes.
5 Black Hawk Down (2001)
Directed By Ridley Scott
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Black Hawk Down
- Release Date
- January 18, 2002
- Runtime
- 144 minutes
- Director
- Ridley Scott
Cast
Eric Bana
WHERE TO WATCH
Black Hawk Down recounts the harrowing true story of a U.S. military mission gone awry in Somalia. Tasked with capturing a warlord, elite soldiers find themselves in a fierce battle against Somali militia forces.
- Writers
- Ken Nolan
Based on the true story of a US military helicopter crash against the chaotic backdrop of the Battle of Mogadishu, 2001's Black Hawk Down is widely regarded as one of the best war movies of the 2000s. Boasting a star-studded ensemble cast, Ridley Scott's movie is notorious for its grounded depictions of battle, bringing the frenzied nature of the conflict to life onscreen in a manner that thrusts the audience into the action head-on.
...Black Hawk Down's first-rate levels of cinematic authenticity lend to some of the most enthralling battles and action sequences that the genre has ever witnessed.
An unabashed thrill ride from Scott, Black Hawk Down's first-rate levels of cinematic authenticity lend to some of the most enthralling battles and action sequences that the genre has ever witnessed. One of the most frenetically paced war movies ever made, the film produces a heart-pounding snapshot of war that captures the life-or-death nature of armed conflict in enthralling style.
4 Dunkirk (2017)
Directed By Christopher Nolan
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Dunkirk
- Release Date
- July 21, 2017
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
Cast
-
Aneurin Barnard
WHERE TO WATCH
This epic tale of World War II tells the story of soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and , who are surrounded by the German army, and the dangerous operation that evacuated and saved the lives of thousands.
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Chronicling the miraculous evacuation of Allied troops from the titular beaches during WWII from the perspective of characters in the air, at sea, and on land, Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is one of the most audacious films in cinematic history. One of the finest British war movies ever made, the 2017 picture wastes no time in putting pedal to the metal, instantly immersing viewers in a desperate race against time in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Frequent Christopher Nolan collaborator Michael Caine has an uncredited cameo appearance as the voice of Fortis Leader in Dunkirk.
Guided by the might of Nolan's technical genius, Dunkirk's collection of adrenaline-fused sequences combine for one of the director's most intense viewing experiences. The chaotic bedlam of the evacuation is rendered with jaw-dropping levels of realism, as the movie deftly navigates from one explosive sequence to the next in seamless fashion. An array of standout performances from the ensemble cast serve as the cherry on the cake for one of the most impressive war movies of the 21st century to date.
3 1917 (2019)
Directed By Sam Mendes
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1917
- Release Date
- December 25, 2019
- Runtime
- 119 minutes
- Director
- Sam Mendes
Cast
-
Teresa Mahoney
WHERE TO WATCH
Set against the backdrop of war-torn during WWI, 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers tasked with delivering a dangerous message to stop an attack that could the lives of thousands of other soldiers at risk. The film uses long takes to make it appear that the entire narrative takes place over the course of two continuous shots. Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star.
- Writers
- Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
Earning 10 Academy Award nominations on release in 2019, Sam Mendes' 1917 is rightly viewed as one of the best war movies released in the past 10 years. Led by George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman, it's also one of the most nail-biting entries that the genre has to offer. This is hardly surprising, when one considers that the electrically paced film's central premise is a desperate race against time, a seemingly hopeless mission to prevent a doomed counter-offensive and save the brother of Chapman's charge from certain death.
Utilizing a revolutionary array of long takes to have the whole film appear as one continuous shot, Mendes immerses his audience in this nightmarish quest through the conditions of the Western Front across 119 minutes. Serving to ratchet up the tension even further, 1917 is loaded with notably nerve-jangling sequences where Mendes gleefully whips the rug out from under his shocked audience, from a booby-trapped German bunker to a sniper who opens fire on Mackay's charge without warning.
2 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Directed By Steven Spielberg
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Saving Private Ryan
- Release Date
- July 24, 1998
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
Cast
Tom Sizemore
WHERE TO WATCH
Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg's 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller's command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan's brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns, and Tom Sizemore also star.
- Writers
- Robert Rodat
- Main Genre
- War
- Studio(s)
- DreamWorks Distribution
- Distributor(s)
- DreamWorks Distribution, Paramount Pictures
A front-runner for Steven Spielberg's magnum opus, 1998's Saving Private Ryan is universally regarded as one of the greatest war movies of all time. Chronicling an epic mission to bring the titular soldier home after his brothers are killed in action, there isn't a dull moment to be found in this 1990s movie masterpiece, from the unforgettable opening sequences depicting the D-Day landings to the harrowing climactic showdown for the town of Ramelle.
Saving Private Ryan's Oscar Nominations |
Result |
|---|---|
Best Director |
Won |
Best Cinematography |
Won |
Best Film Editing |
Won |
Best Sound Mixing |
Won |
Best Sound Editing |
Won |
Best Picture |
Nominated |
Best Actor |
Nominated |
Best Original Score |
Nominated |
Best Original Screenplay |
Nominated |
Best Production Design |
Nominated |
Best Makeup and Hairstyling |
Nominated |
Notwithstanding its iconic battles, Saving Private Ryan still features some of the most engrossing moments that the genre has ever witnessed, from the epic sniper duel in the rain to the squad's harrowing charge on a German machine gun nest. There are lulls in the action throughout Spielberg's epic, but he fills the downtime with exquisitely selected material to invoke a greater human connection to his characters, raising the emotional stakes even higher for when battle inevitably resumes.
1 Lone Survivor (2013)
Directed By Peter Berg
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Lone Survivor
- Release Date
- December 25, 2013
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Director
- Peter Berg
Cast
Taylor Kitsch
WHERE TO WATCH
Lone Survivor is a dramatization of the United States Navy SEALs' Operation Red Wing, an unsuccessful military operation that aimed to track down the leader of the Taliban. The film follows the four-man SEAL team, and the danger and psychological strain they faced on their mission.
- Writers
- Peter Berg
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
A dramatization of an ill-fated Navy SEAL reconnaissance mission during the War in Afghanistan, Peter Berg's Lone Survivor is based on the true story of Operation Red Wings. Led by Mark Wahlberg as the titular last man standing, the thrilling 2013 outing is notable for featuring some of the most immersive depictions of armed combat in cinematic history, resulting in an absolutely electrifying depiction of the brutal mountainside battle between Marcus Luttrell's squad and Taliban insurgents.
The Dark Truth Of What The Boy & Old Man Say In Lone Survivor
The incident that set in motion the tragic events detailed in Lone Survivor features a dark promise from the goat herders the Navy SEALs encounter.
Respectfully honoring the SEALs' bravery, resilience, and near-superhuman levels of physical toughness while still producing a heart-pounding war movie is no mean feat, but Berg's high-paced outing ticks the boxes across the board. Leveraging a selection of stellar performances from the men tasked with bringing these elite soldiers to life, the director takes some creative liberties with history's actual version of events but still produces a knockout war movie for the ages nonetheless.
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