By its very nature, thewar genreaccounts for some of the most exciting movies that popular culture has to offer. Bringing the life-and-death nature of armed conflict to life onscreen, thebest war films of all timeblend high stakes, spectacular action sequences, andstunning levels of realismto produce a viewing experience for the ages. As such, it’s hardly surprising that the genre’s faster-paced offerings account 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.
Fury
Cast
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 Germany 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’sFuryoffers an unflinching view of the European theatre’s endgame from the perspective of the eponymous M1 Sherman tank’s crew. One of thebest war movie depictions of camaraderiebetween 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’sharrowing 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 aboutFury’spremise or narrative, but an array of excellent performances complement the electrifying action to steer this enthralling tank offering clear of its more prevalent shortcomings.
Where Eagles Dare
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.
One of cinema’s earliest white-knuckle war movies, 1968’sWhere Eagles Dareadapts 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 labeledWhere Eagles Dareas his favorite war movie of all time.
Loaded with explosive narrative twists and turns to complement an array of spectacular action sequences,Where Eagles Daresteadily builds in intensity across 155 adrenaline-soaked minutes to produce an absolutely thrilling viewing experience. Leveraging the kick-ass aura ofClint Eastwood in one of his best war movieappearances to maximum effect, this classic blend of action and adventure still holds up flawlessly to this very day.
Sisu
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.
A wicked thrill ride from Finnish director Jalmari Helander, 2022’sSisuis 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 terms of outrageous gore and sheer white-knuckle entertainment.
Combining supremely graphic violence with some wickedly tongue-in-cheek humor,Sisurams 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.
The Hurt Locker
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 squadmates.
While 2008’sThe Hurt Lockerproved 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.
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 passes 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 Lockerstands as an adrenaline-fused triumph to this day.
The quintessential example of anexcellent war movie that only focuses on one person, Yann Demange’s'71follows 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,‘71is contentiously the best war movie from the last decade that you’ve never heard of.
…‘71leverages the high stakes posed by its fraught historical backdrop to produce a gripping and terrifyingly realistic story…
Featuring an exemplary bow from O’Connell, theSkinsstar’s performance lends stunning authenticity to this visceral fight for survival. A taut and meticulously crafted war thriller from Demange in his directorial debut,‘71leverages 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.
Black Hawk Down
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.
Based on the true story of a US military helicopter crash against the chaotic backdrop of the Battle of Mogadishu, 2001’sBlack Hawk Downis widely regarded as one of thebest 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’sfirst-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’sfirst-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.
Dunkirk
This epic tale of World War II tells the story of soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who are surrounded by the German army, and the dangerous operation that evacuated and saved the lives of thousands.
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’sDunkirkis one of the most audacious films in cinematic history. One of thefinest 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’scollection 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.
1917
Set against the backdrop of war-torn France 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.
Earning 10 Academy Award nominations on release in 2019, Sam Mendes'1917is rightly viewed as one of thebest 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,1917is 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.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this World War II drama follows Captain John Miller, portrayed by Tom Hanks, as he leads a group of U.S. soldiers on a mission to rescue Private James Ryan, the sole surviving brother of four, from behind enemy lines in German-occupied France.
A front-runner for Steven Spielberg’s magnum opus, 1998’sSaving Private Ryanis 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 this1990s movie masterpiece, from the unforgettable opening sequences depicting the D-Day landings to the harrowing climactic showdown for the town of Ramelle.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Notwithstanding its iconic battles,Saving Private Ryanstill 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.
Lone Survivor
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.
A dramatization of an ill-fated Navy SEAL reconnaissance mission during the War in Afghanistan, Peter Berg’sLone Survivoris based on the true storyof 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 knockoutwar moviefor the ages nonetheless.
