“War is hell,” goes the old saying, and yet, war movies that explore conflict across the globe and throughout history continue to be extremely popular. That’s no more evident than on Netflix, where any war movie added to the streaming service tends to attract near instant attention.
At present, the streaming platform is a little lacking in movies set within contemporary warfare, but there are plenty of must-watch picks that take place during the 20th century, with thrilling, thoughtful and powerful flicks set during both World Wars and the Vietnam War.
I’ve searched through the Netflix movie library and picked out the five war movies you won’t want to miss, and these selections range in tone and approach, so whether you want a gripping thriller, character-driven drama, or even a game of spies taking place largely on the home front, there’s a Netflix war movie worth adding to your watchlist down below.
‘Operation Mincemeat’ (2022)
No, this isn’t a big-screen adaptation of the “Operation Mincemeat” musical, which opened on Broadway earlier this year. While it does cover the same historical subject matter, there are no toe-tapping musical numbers. Instead, this 2021 movie is a dramatic retelling of the eponymous operation, which was an act of subterfuge carried out by the British intelligence service to mislead the German forces. In the war genre, which often focuses on the frontline, “Operation Mincemeat provides insight into an act of spycraft, which helps it feel refreshing.
In 1943, the Allied forces are planning an invasion of Sicily to break Hitler’s hold on Europe. However, the odds of success appear extremely remote, with the German command expecting the island to be targeted. Therefore, British intelligence, led by Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen), creates an audacious scheme to hookwink the enemy forces using a corpse and a set of fake classified documents. It’s a risky endeavor that tests all those involved.
Watch "Operation Mincemeat" on Netflix now
‘1917’ (2019)
![1917 - Official Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YqNYrYUiMfg/maxresdefault.jpg)
“1917” is one of my favorite war movies ever made, and even after multiple rewatches, its most bombastic moments (including the stunning finale) still give me chills. What’s so remarkable about this Sam Mendes movie is that it’s presented as a single continuous shot, with no cuts in the action. This draws you into the plight of its two protagonists and really does make you feel like you’re walking through muddy trenches alongside them. Plus, Roger Deakins is on cinematography duty, so it’s no surprise the whole movie looks stunning.
Inspired by the story told to Mendes by his own grandfather, who served during World War I, “1917” centers on a desperate race against time. Two young soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible task: To cross enemy territory before an attack that’s doomed to fail can be carried out. If they succeed, they could save more than 1,600 innocent lives, but as the tagline goes, “time is the enemy.”
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‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022)
I’m always skeptical of modern remakes of classic movies, and considering 1930's “All Quiet on the Western Front” remains a masterwork even almost a century later, when this new spin on the iconic anti-war story was announced, I wasn’t at all convinced of its necessity. So, credit to director Edward Berger for delivering an updated adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel that captures the same brutality as its predecessor without feeling derivative.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” opens in a classroom of optimistic and naive schoolboys, who leap at the chance to enlist in the Imperial German Army to serve in World War I. They believe they’re setting off to fight a noble cause and to become heroes to their loved ones back home. But once on the frontlines, they face the brutal realities of conflict, and the horrors they encounter destroy their previously held romantic views of war. Much like “1917,” this is another war movie that looks absolutely stunning, but what will stick with you is its important message.
Watch "All Quiet on the Western Front" on Netflix now
‘Da 5 Bloods’ (2020)
“Da 5 Bloods” is energetic and stylish in a way that only Spike Lee can craft. It’s also packed with strong performances from Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and there’s a remarkable supporting turn from the late Chadwick Boseman. The movie is a near-perfect union of smart scripting, inventive directing and stellar acting — it’s got everything you could want from a war drama. It takes place (for the most part) after the fight has finished, but for its core characters, the war being over doesn’t end their torment.
The Spike Lee joint sees four African American veterans return to Vietnam years after the war has concluded. Their goal is two-pronged; they’re seeking to find the remains of their fallen squad leader, so he can be properly laid to rest, but also dig up a cache of buried gold that they hid during the conflict. Naturally, this mission doesn’t quite go to plan, and the foursome find themselves facing unexpected obstacles, both from the past and the present.
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‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)
Earlier this year, Quentin Tarantino declared “Inglourious Basterds” his “masterpiece,” and who am I to disagree with the celebrated director? “Inglorious Basterds” is one of the most riotously enjoyable movies ever made, with its smart screenplay, fantastic multi-perspective narrative structure, and one of the most loathsome villains in cinema history in Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). It’s the type of war movie that only Tarantino could make, and I love it.
The darkly funny war movie tells two intertwining stories: One sees a French cinema owner, Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent), seek revenge after her Jewish family is murdered at the hands of Landa, while the other centers on Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), who leads a feared band of American soldiers behind enemy lines to seek retribution for the German army's war crimes. These two plotlines eventually converge as a daring plot to bring down the Third Reich is concocted.
Watch "Inglorious Basterds" on Netflix now
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