The Best War Movies on Netflix Right Now

Most war movies are popular among viewers not for their heroics or exaggerated portrayal of events, but for the mood they create. War films, whatever depressing they may be, are a method of transforming humanity’s most heinous crimes into a compelling and immersive works of art.

Here’s a roundup of the best war Movies available on Netflix right now. There are heroic sacrifices, psychological battles, political intrigues, historical occurrences, and more on this list. Whether you’re a history buff or just curious about the past, these Netflix war movies will satisfy all of your entertainment needs.

The Outlaw King (2018)

Outlaw King is a terrific follow-up to Braveheart if you’re looking for a violent slice of Scottish history. Outlaw King follows up with a second rebel movement led by Wallace’s close buddy, Robert the Bruce, after the death of rebel leader William Wallace during the battle against the English throne in Mel Gibson’s Best Picture-winning epic (Chris Pine). 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Zero Dark Thirty was a critical and commercial success, earning five Oscar nominations and grossing more than $130 million. Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a CIA analyst entrusted with finding Osama bin Laden, the guy responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Darkest Hour (2017)

Gary Oldman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance as Winston Churchill in Joe Wright’s biography. Rather than focusing on Churchill’s entire life, Darkest Hour focuses on the important period surrounding his surprising election to office and the early stages of World War II.

Diamond of Blood (2006)

Blood Diamond is a riveting action-thriller set during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Decades of civil war have stained the country, and many families have been split as a result of the never-ending cycle of violence. Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a local fish merchant, is compelled to solicit the help of a Rhodesian smuggler, Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), to find rare diamonds that will help his family live. 

Outside the Wire (2021)

Outside the Wire is a science-fiction military picture that appears to be nothing more than an action-packed adventure at first glance, yet it has so much more to offer. Damson Idris plays drone pilot Harp, who makes a tactical error and is then punished for it in the near future. He is redeployed and assigned to work alongside Captain Leo (Anthony Mackie), who is secretly a highly clever robotic super-soldier, for his misdeeds. 

Redux of Apocalypse Now (2001)

If you’ve seen the original Apocalypse Now, this should be your next stop. And if you haven’t already, this should be at the top of your list of classic war movies. This epic psychological war film is regarded as one of award-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s best efforts. 

The Monarch (2019)

Despite being based on and constructed as an epic, The King is a film about a historical war. The plot is inspired by William Shakespeare’s Henriad. The plot focuses on Henry V, the eldest son of King Henry IV of England, and is adapted from three distinct plays concerning Henry IV and Henry V. 

First, they murdered my father (2017)

Loung Ung, a Cambodian-American novelist, and human rights campaigner, wrote First They Killed My Father about her personal experiences as a child during the Khmer Rouge government. 

Too Young The Hero (1988)

This historical war drama film, set in 1942, follows Graham, a 12-year-old boy who joins the United States Navy in Houston. He is only 12 years old, but he appears much older, and he enlists in the navy by forging his mother’s signature. 

The War Machine (2017)

War is not funny, but sometimes the greatest way to grasp the most difficult and horrible things is to make them funny. War Machine is one such film. The satirical, dark military comedy is set against the backdrop of the Afghanistan conflict and is based on Michael Hastings’ nonfiction book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan.

The Wolf’s Scream (2019)

This 2019 film offers a glimpse into a grittier, darker narrative that many people do not associate with French filmmaking. The Wolf’s Call, also known as Le Chant du Loup in French, follows the events on board the French submarine Titane.

Shadow (2018) 

Warfare does not always have to entail cutting-edge technology or global political schemes. War stories may be epic, romantic, and even magical. With this 2018 picture, legendary Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou proves it once more. 

The Battle of Jadotville (2016)

This action-drama war film, based on Declan Power’s 2005 book The Siege of Jadotville: The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle, examines the Irish Army’s role in a UN peacekeeping mission in Congo.