Human warfare is a naturally-dramatic lens through which some of cinema’s greatest filmmakers have created dramatic masterpieces. As special effects techniques and technology have improved over the decades, their ability to depict the drama, violence, horror, and valor found in war has improved immensely. As a result, the 21st century has yielded many of the very best war movies ever put to film, some of which rank among the best movies ever made regardless of genre.
The list below is composed of movies from the 21st century that put the violence and drama of warfare front and center. I chose not to include famously excellent movies like Zero Dark Thirty or The Pianist on the grounds that while war and conflict drive the narratives, they are a political thriller and human drama (respectively) set in and around a major war as opposed to a war movie specifically. Each of the movies on this list is celebrated by both critics and audiences, and while the heavy subject matter makes the use of the word “entertaining” perhaps inappropriate, each is incredibly engaging and compelling in action and drama.
Why You Should Trust Me: From the great WWII dramas of John Wayne through the grisly depictions of modern warfare, I’ve spent nearly three decades engrossed with war movies. As a professional entertainment writer, I’ve had the privilege of covering and analyzing all manner of war movies over the last five years for Movie Web and Screen Rant. I’ve watched dozens of the greatest war films of the last century from visionary filmmakers, and know what makes for a truly groundbreaking depiction of human warfare.
10
Sisu (2022)
A gloriously over-the-top WWII revenge action thriller.
Unlike many of the movies on this list, Sisu isn’t based on a real battle or personality from history. Rather, it follows a Finnish army commando-turned-gold-prospector during the Lapland War (the Finland vs. Germany extension of WWII) as he attempts to defend himself from a diabolical Waffen-SS platoon set on robbing him. The narrative is simple, the action is chaotic, and the violence is intense, ultimately yielding a final product that’s as satisfying as an action or war film can be.
9
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Clint Eastwood’s examination of the Japanese perspective in WWII.
Letters From Iwo Jima is considered truly groundbreaking thanks to its portrayal of the Japanese soldiers who fought to defend the infamous WWII battleground. Clint Eastwood produced perhaps his most thought-provoking narrative by treating the group of soldiers typically portrayed as faceless, fanatical enemies as unique men with families, their own fears, and individual lives that mattered. Based on actual Iwo Jima correspondence, Letters From Iwo Jima is at its best in the quiet moments with its exceptional cast, highlighting the humanity that lies on both sides of any major armed conflict.
8
Warfare (2025)
A reality-based, white-knuckle Iraq War experience.
Acclaimed writer-director Alex Garland followed up his controversial yet excellent Civil War with a borderline experimental look at modern warfare. Co-written and co-directed by Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL and Garland’s military supervisor on Civil War, Warfare examines a real burst of military action that occurred after the Battle of Ramadi during the Iraq War. The movie, which follows the action in real time from the shifting perspectives of two different platoons, is based on Mendoza’s own experience in the real conflict, starring D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Mendoza himself. It’s an immersive sensory experience that ascends to greatness thanks to razor-sharp writing, editing, and tremendous ensemble performances.
7
The Outpost (2019)
A harrowing view of an overlooked moment in the war in Afghanistan.
The Outpost might be the least-seen movie on this list, but it’s certainly among the most harrowing. Directed by Rod Lurie, The Outpost follows the weeks leading up to and finally the action of the Battle of Kamdesh that occurred in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan. It follows the soldiers stationed at the American Combat Outpost Keating, which was infamously nestled in a valley deep in the mountains that allowed enemies to fire down on the base at will with cover intact. Lurie’s skillfully depicts the white-knuckle claustrophobia and desperation of the soldiers essentially trapped in their own base, which was eventually partially overrun before reinforcements arrived. It’s a technical masterclass in addition to being completely engrossing, as Lurie’s depiction of the base and the military action received near-universal praise (including from those who fought the battle itself).
6
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
The award-winning remake of an iconic WWI classic.
Based on the unparalleled 1929 novel of the same name, Netflix’s 2022 remake of All Quiet on the Western Front set a new standard for the famous narrative. Told from the German perspective of World War I, Edward Berger’s vision of All Quiet on the Western Front captures the essential themes of the novel regarding the futility of war and absence of glorious heroism, but through a technically brilliant lens. It captured nine Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, for its unflinching depiction of the nihilistic desperation of a global war that scarred millions.
5
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
An unflinching look at African civil war through the eyes of a child soldier.
Beasts of No Nation makes for a difficult watch at times, given its dark subject matter, but that doesn’t make it any less incredible a film. It provides a heartbreakingly tragic look at how child soldiers in Africa come to exist, starring Idris Elba in a brilliant turn as the charismatic yet deeply evil leader who brainwashes his “troops” into committing violent acts that would scar even the hardiest adult veterans. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga smartly keeps the focus on Agu (played with incredible skill by Abraham Attah), the young Ghanaian soldier whose transformation the audience watches unfold, and the resulting film is a must-watch, even if its only once.
4
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Ridley Scott’s brutal modern combat masterpiece.
Black Hawk Down set the bar for the depiction of modern urban warfare all the way back in 2001, and very few movies have ever lived up to some of the heights that Ridley Scott achieved therein. Shifting between different perspectives on the ground, in the air, and from command, Black Hawk Down chronicles the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 between U.S. forces in support of the United Nations and Somali National Alliance militia. An outstanding ensemble cast certainly makes Black Hawk Down better, but Scott’s ability to mastermind combat with precision using scale, space (or lack thereof), and sound is what makes the movie a masterpiece. Brutal violence and gore are used to great effect to provide one of the most breathtaking visions of modern warfare ever made.
3
Dunkirk (2017)
Christopher Nolan’s epic chronicling the famed WWII escape.
In true Christopher Nolan fashion, Dunkirk completely reinvents the traditional war movie formula by refusing to bog itself down in character backstories or exposition to tell a story. It instead relies on Hans Zimmer’s outstanding score, three separate narrative timelines, and character reactions to create outstanding tension. There are very few epic war scenes or moments of singular war heroism, but rather a focus on the collective work towards survival for all the soldiers, generals, and civilians involved with the famous flight off the European mainland. Dunkirk features some of Christopher Nolan’s very best work as a cinematographer and sound designer, and the Oscar-winning end result proves it.
2
The Hurt Locker (2008)
An Oscar-winning suspenseful modern war thriller.
Kathryn Bigelow threw out the war movie rulebook with The Hurt Locker by omitting grand battle sequences almost entirely. Instead, her artfully-crafted narrative about a bomb disposal unit in the Iraq War relies on prolonged periods of extreme tension, whether it’s a soldier choosing which wires to cut to avoid a city-block-sized explosion or a unit frozen in place by an enemy sniper. Complex, well-acted characters drive the narrative forward, highlighted by the work of Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie in particular. An array of Academy Award nominations across various categories are proof-positive of just how good Bigelow’s masterpiece really is.
1
1917 (2019)
Sam Mendes’ WWI opus is a masterclass in cinematography.
Sam Mendes made literal movie magic in his depiction of a race against the clock in World War I, as the entire movie appears, on the surface, to occur in one continuous shot. 1917 follows two soldiers as they race across the war-torn remains of France, frantically trying to reach a unit miles away that is about to unknowingly walk into a trap. The cinematography on display is among the best ever put to film, and certainly among the best in the war genre. Mendes’ world feels gritty, real, and properly communicates the desolation of the land ravaged by artillery and trench warfare. It’s a completely immersive experience that lets the audience feel the desperation of the ticking clock at all times, making for a harrowing yet intoxicating war movie.
