One of cinema's most storied flavors of film, the best war movies ever made predate the new millennium, the 21st century has seen several standout modern films throw their name into the hat for consideration, earning rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
As with most forms of film, the abundance of streaming services in this day and age means that there's no shortage of options of modern war movies to watch. Many of the biggest hits from the genre are available across a range of the biggest streaming platforms currently on offer, meaning that a veritable laundry list of knockout war movies is just a few short clicks away.
12 Civil War (2024)
Streaming On Prime Video
One of the best war movies of 2024, Alex Garland's Civil War received positive reviews from critics. Depicting an alternate reality where civil war has engulfed the United States, this dystopian war thriller was lauded for its unique premise, gripping performances, and masterful cinematography, clocking in with a respectable Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 81%.
What Caused The Civil War In A24's New 2024 Movie?
Alex Garland's new A24 blockbuster Civil War makes a bold cautionary statement about a divided and war-ridden United States under fascist rule.
Kirsten Dunst particularly shines as war journalist Lee Smith, turning in a powerful performance that even received praise from the minority of viewers decrying the wider movie. A gripping and visceral depiction of modern warfare set against the backdrop of a soul-sick United States, one of the better films of the last year, irrespective of genre, is now streaming on Prime Video.
11 Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Streaming On Disney+
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Jojo Rabbit
- Release Date
- October 18, 2019
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
A satirical war drama for the ages, there has never been a film quite like Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit. Chronicling the harrowing events of WWII through the naive lense of a young Hitler Youth member's eyes, Waititi's 2019 film follows Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a 10-year-old boy whose imaginary friend so just happens to be a buffoonish caricature of Adolf Hitler.
Jojo Rabbit marked the third year in a row that Sam Rockwell had appeared in a movie nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, following 2017's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and 2018's Vice.
Jojo Rabbit's fraught central premise arguably shouldn't even begin to work on paper, making it all the more pleasantly surprising when viewers realize what a quality piece of cinema they have on their hands. Leveraging a gleefully unrestrained turn by Waititi himself as Jojo's imaginary friend to complement this wider anti-hate triumph, Jojo Rabbit is available for streaming on Disney+.
10 All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)
Streaming On Netflix
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All Quiet on the Western Front
- Release Date
- September 29, 2022
- Runtime
- 143 Minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
The third harrowing cinematic adaptation of the novel of the same name, 2022's All Quiet on the Western Front may not have measured up to the stratospheric standards of the 1930 original, but it still presents a quality war movie across the board. Edward Berger's lauded epic anti-war movie received 9 Academy Award nominations, taking home 4 statuettes to boot.
For viewers looking to immerse themselves in the horrors of the Western Front firsthand, this German-language outing is still streaming on Netflix, the platform it was initially released on. The quintessential example of a superb modern World War movie that doesn't focus on the USA, All Quiet on the Western Front's unflinching depiction of the horrors of war might not make for the easiest viewing, but that does little to take away from the movie's impressive quality.
9 Anthropoid (2016)
Streaming On Prime Video
One of Cillian Murphy's best and most underrated movies, 2016's Anthropoid is based on a thrilling true story from WWII. Chronicling a plot to assassinate a high-ranking SS official by exiled Czechoslovak soldiers, Sean Ellis' movie bombed at the box office, leading to its relatively obscure status as of 2025.
...Anthropoid leverages the considerable talents of its leading duo to produce a taut, white-knuckle war thriller that holds up to this day.
Featuring The Fall star Jamie Dornan alongside Murphy, Anthropoid leverages the considerable talents of its leading duo to produce a taut, white-knuckle war thriller that holds up to this day. A poignant tribute to the heroism of the soldiers who lost their lives in this daring mission, Anthropoid is well worth a watch for any fan of the genre, and it's currently available for streaming on Prime Video.
8 1917 (2019)
Streaming On Netflix
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One of the best British war movies ever made, Sam Mendes' 1917 depicts a desperate race against time to save a doomed offensive from certain annihilation. Shot using a remarkable series of long takes, this thrilling tale from the First World War has been lauded as one of the finest war movies of all time for its stirring performances and revolutionary cinematography.
1917 True Story: How Much Of The Movie Was Real
1917 is directed by Sam Mendes, who based it on stories told to him by his grandfather, Lance Corporal Alfred H. Mendes, with some liberties taken.
Taking home 3 Oscars from a whopping 10 nominations, 1917's storied credentials speak for themselves. One of the highest-rated modern war films of all time on IMDb with an impressive score of 8.2, this audacious snapshot of the Western Front is one of recent cinema's finest entries, and anybody with a Netflix subscription can stream it right now.
7 Fury (2014)
Streaming On Netflix
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Chronicling WWII's endgame from the perspective of the eponymous M1 Sherman tank's crew, 2014's Fury is one of the most intensely paced war movies ever made. Providing arguably the most harrowing onscreen depictions of combat since Saving Private Ryan debuted in 1998, David Ayer's thrilling entry represents must-see viewing.
Leveraging superb performances to elevate the uncomplicated central story above its more unimaginative aspects, Fury is one of the best war movies of the 21st century and an absolutely indispensable modern entry for any fan of the genre. Fortunately for streamers, this blood-soaked tank epic is one of the best war movies currently in Netflix's ever-growing library.
6 Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Streaming On Netflix
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Inglourious Basterds
- Release Date
- August 21, 2009
- Runtime
- 153 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Spearheaded by a generational Christoph Waltz performance as one of the greatest war movie villains of all time, Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is a front-runner for cinema's best modern war film to date. Chronicling two interconnected assassination plots to dispose of the German high command during an alternate version of WWII, this revered war outing is regarded by many fans as Tarantino's best entry since Pulp Fiction.
Offering up the director's usual cocktail of polished dialogue, cultural references, and supremely graphic violence, Inglourious Basterds is streaming on Netflix. An essential piece of cinematic viewing for movie fans of all ilk, if you somehow haven't seen Tarantino's triumphant war outing, the time is now.
5 The Imitation Game (2014)
Streaming On Prime Video
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The Imitation Game
- Release Date
- November 28, 2014
- Runtime
- 114minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Released to highly positive reviews in 2014, Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game is based on the true story of Alan Turing, the cryptanalyst who played an integral role in cracking the Nazi coding machine, Enigma, during WWII. The movie received eight Oscar nominations, although it remarkably only ended up winning a single statuette for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Benedict Cumberbatch was beaten to the Academy Award for Best Actor by Eddie Redmayne for his turn as Professor Stephen Hawking in 2014's The Theory of Everything.
While the movie received some criticism for its historical accuracy, an evocative turn from Benedict Cumberbatch against the backdrop of an exquisitely paced war movie still makes for a first-rate viewing experience that is just a few short clicks away. This nail-biting race against time is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.
4 Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Streaming On Netflix
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Zero Dark Thirty
- Release Date
- December 19, 2012
- Runtime
- 157 Minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Don't look now, but one of the best modern war movies set in modern times is streaming on Netflix right now. An acclaimed film from the mind behind The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty is based on a true story, chronicling the decade-long hunt for the man behind the September 11th terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden.
Zero Dark Thirty was initially about the unsuccessful hunt for Bin Laden; the entire film was rewritten after news broke of the terrorist's death.
Receiving near universal acclaim for Bigelow's direction and Jessica Chastain's gripping lead performance, Zero Dark Thirty earned five Oscar nominations, taking home Best Sound Editing in a tie with Skyfall. While the 2012 film saw its fair share of controversy, this remains a slow-burn war outing of the highest order, chronicling one of the most significant international developments of the 21st century in thrilling fashion.
3 Greyhound (2020)
Streaming On Apple TV
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One of the best submarine war movies of all time, 2020's Greyhound is among the better titles that Apple TV+ currently has to offer. Spearheaded by the assured screen presence of cinematic legend Tom Hanks, Aaron Schneider's thrilling offering follows the titular submarine as it attempts to defend an Allied convoy from German U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic.
...one of the better war movies of the 2020s is still easily available for streaming to anybody with an Apple TV+ subscription.
Originally scheduled for a theatrical release that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony ended up selling the rights to Apple TV+. This development definitely worked out for war movie fans in the long run, as one of the better war movies of the 2020s is still easily available for anybody with a subscription to the increasingly popular streaming service.
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