There’s no way around it: World War II is still the most relevant conflict in modern history. With so much death and destruction, it took decades for some countries to recover from the bloodshed; some countries are still affected by the aftermath almost a century afterward.
Because of the layered, multifaceted extent of the war, filmmakers have been able to dissect and analyze various stories, people, and places that shaped the war period. One of the lastest Christopher Nolan movies, Oppenheimer, covers the process of how the atomic bomb was created — the weapon that essentially ended the war. To get ready, we’re here to give you our top picks for the best World War II movies.
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Saving Private Ryan (1998)
169m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Watch on Paramount+
This Steven Spielberg-directed film contains some of the most famous portrayals of violence during wartime in the history of film. The opening sequence in which we see graphic depictions of the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach in France remains an iconic and perfectly vivid representation of the horrific experiences soldiers had to live through to obtain victory during World War II. Tom Hanks gives a chilling performance as Captain John Miller.
The Pianist (2002)
150m
Genre
Drama, War
Stars
Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay
Directed by
Roman Polanski
Watch on Amazon
Sometimes we get so caught up in the violence and the toll of the battlefield that we forget the very human and emotional traumas that affect people who never step one foot into the military world. World War II was the type of conflict that defined these struggles for civilians. The Pianist captures one man’s immensely depraved situation in Warsaw, Poland, after the Nazi regime takes over the country. Adrien Brody delivers his best-ever performance, one that earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. The main character’s propensity for playing the piano helps us see the beauty and perseverance in even the darkest of times in our world’s history.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
161m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins
Directed by
David Lean
Watch on Amazon
The Bridge on the River Kwai was considered one of the most vast and ambitious films from the 1950s; it still holds up on re-watch today for its dedication to telling a story of usually forgotten circumstances. Japan forced British prisoners of war to build a passageway across the aforementioned river during World War II. It was one of the horrific black marks on the country of Japan during this time period, and the movie helps to focus on the human aspects of the tragedy, painting a clearer picture of the people involved.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
153m
Genre
Drama, Thriller, War
Stars
Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz
Directed by
Quentin Tarantino
Watch on Amazon
War isn’t supposed to be funny, but Quentin Tarantino can to juggle the sincerity of the time period with his signature blend of outlandish, violent humor in this Academy Award darling from the late 2000s. The story follows vengeful Jewish soldiers who use chaotic and dark means to fight back against the Nazi regime during World War II. Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz are the standout performers here.
Schindler's List (1993)
195m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Watch on Apple TV+
There isn’t much more that can be said about Steven Spielberg’s historical drama Schindler’s List. This biographical story shows how Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist, came to save the lives of an immense number of Jewish civilians who would have otherwise died in the Holocaust. Schindler used his power as an employer to keep Jewish people working under his watch in factories, and in return, those Jewish people helped support him later in life. The film is famous for its incredible cinematography and dedication to a melancholy aesthetic.
Dunkirk (2017)
107m
Genre
War, Action, Drama
Stars
Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance
Directed by
Christopher Nolan
Watch on Amazon
For film nerds, there isn’t a better spectacle than Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. The highest-grossing World War II film at the box office, this movie is chock-full of exciting yet realistic scenes that bring to light the magnitude of the conflict. The best parts of the story are those that show the most human elements of being in the military, giving credit to selfless acts of sacrifice in the name of others.
Casablanca (1942)
102m
Genre
Drama, Romance
Stars
Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
Directed by
Michael Curtiz
Watch on max
A true classic of Hollywood cinema and also the only film on this list that was made in the midst of the war itself, Casablanca is a romance movie at heart. The protagonist must battle his own personal convictions, sacrificing either his love for a woman or his loyalty to ending the German’s war efforts. The tone is surprisingly uplifting for a film that was closer to the happenings of real life than any other we’ve talked about here.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
89m
Genre
Animation, Drama, War
Stars
Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara
Directed by
Isao Takahata
Watch on Netflix
Americans often forget about the tragic and catastrophic consequences inflicted on Japan during World War II, especially the atomic bombings that ended the conflict in the Pacific and the war as a whole. This beautiful anime film remains the gravest reminder of the ways Japanese civilian life was changed forever in the 1940s, as it follows two young children in their quest for survival during wartime. The movie helped demonstrate the merit of Japanese anime in the United States and worldwide.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
116m
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini
Directed by
Roberto Benigni
Watch on Amazon
If you get over the subtitles in Life is Beautiful, your eyes will be opened to the power of parental creativity and selflessness. The movie follows a dad who has no other way to shield his child from the horrors of the Holocaust than to pretend the whole thing is one big farce. Not everyone will enjoy this comedic decision from the film, but it shows the lengths humans will go to to overcome adversity of the most despicable kind.
Sands of Iwo Jima (1950)
100m
Genre
War, Action, Drama, History
Stars
John Wayne, John Agar, Adele Mara
Directed by
Allan Dwan
Watch on Amazon
One of the most recognizable John Wayne films of the era, Sands of Iwo Jima is a story about hard-ass sergeant John Stryker and the relationships he built with his soldiers during the war that ended with the Allied victory in the Pacific. This movie is the second-oldest on the list behind Casablanca, and as such, it also helped show people what life was like in the midst of the battles during while memories of the war were still fresh.
The Thin Red Line (1998)
171m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, Dash Mihok
Directed by
Terrence Malick
Watch on Amazon
Set in the Pacific theater, The Thin Red Line tells the story of a soldier who leaves his unit behind, only to be forced back into fighting. As he and his regiment prepare to invade a Japanese position, the movie becomes rather discursive as it explores its various characters and how they feel about the war they are waging, and about the notion of war in general. Terence Malick’s movies are always unlike any other movie you’ve ever seen, and that’s never been more true than it is here. This is a movie about war that seems fascinated by the minutia of it, and it’s a gripping movie in spite of its long runtime.
Darkest Hour (2017)
125m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn
Directed by
Joe Wright
Watch on Netflix
A political thriller set against the darkest days of the war, Darkest Hour follows Winston Churchill’s rise to political prominence as the only man who seems capable of guiding Britain through the siege it’s undergoing against Germany. Featuring a ferocious performance from Gary Oldman, the movie is a tribute to an angry, curmudgeonly, brilliant man who may have single-handedly saved the United Kingdom from total German dominance. It’s a bit of a hagiography, but one that will undeniably leave you inspired and filled with patriotic verve.
