When it comes to depicting the terrors of war on screen, no war has been represented more in the cinema than World War 2. Even today, movies are made about this hellacious global conflict to eradicate fascism and genocide, with stories that cover many different aspects of the war. There are love stories set against the backdrop of espionage and resistance, tales from the brutal bullet-riddled battlefields, and stark dramas that shine a spotlight on the atrocities committed, which we all must never forget.
We've collected, from the past eight decades, 10 of the very best World War 2 films of all time from acclaimed directors like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, David Lean, and more. These are stories of horror, heartbreak, heroism, and humility that sometimes offer up different tonal takes on this utterly incomparable era of destruction.
Here are the 10 best World War 2 movies of all time.
10. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Quentin Tarantino's violent, clever re-history, Inglourious Basterds, features a Nazi-killing brigade, a Jewish movie theater owner, a ruthless SS officer, and a German film star-turned-spy as they all converge on occupied Paris for a movie premiere that proves to be quite crucial for the Allied war effort. Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Mélanie Laurent, and Christoph Waltz (who won an Academy Award for his role) star in this tense, quirky revenge saga nestled among the horrors of war.
See more Quentin Tarantino movies.
9. Das Boot (1981)
Written and directed by German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen (who would go on to direct Air Force One and Troy), Das Boot is hailed as one of the greatest war films ever made. Taut, thrilling, and smart, this epic naval adventure follows the crew of a German U-boat as they set out on to patrol the waters during the Battle of the Atlantic. Das Boot is moving, exciting, and claustrophobic, depicting both the anxiety and banality of combat.
8. Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit is a coming-of-age dramedy about a 10-year-old boy, a Hitler Youth member, who finds out that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Waititi presents an unusually whimsical and disarming look at Nazism, bordering on satire at times, as the boy, "Jojo" Betzler, has an imaginary friend in the form of Adolf Hitler (Waititi himself in the role). The end result is purposefully insensitive anti-hate fable that's ultimately about empathy and inclusion.
7. Casablanca (1942)
A pivotal cinema classic, Best Picture-winner Casablanca is a gem from the "Golden Age" of Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart, in one of his most famous roles, plays a sly ex-pat who must choose between the love of a woman (Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa) and helping her resistance leader husband escape their fascist-occupied city. Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, and Peter Lorre also star in this influential, timeless masterwork of intrigue and romance.
6. Dunkirk (2017)
Christopher Nolan's sweeping, complex, timey-wimey ensemble war film depicting the Dunkirk evacuation of over 300,000 Allied soldiers in Northern France, is a deeply moving spectacle full of dazzling imagery and an impressive sense of grandeur. Fionn Whitehead, Harry Styles, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy are just some of the names here as three stories unspool, via overlapping timelines, depicting the land, sea, and air efforts to mount a massive rescue mission. It's one of the best Christopher Nolan movies everyone should see.
5. Come and See (1985)
War films can shine a light on heroism and triumph or reach into the darker corners of battle and reveal the true evils committed against humanity. '80's Soviet anti-war film Come and See, directed by Elem Klimov, fought its way through nearly a decade of State censorship to get made, and delivered the shocking, sobering story of the atrocities witnessed by a teenager during Nazi-occupied Belarus. It's a harrowing, graphic presentation, using both realism and surrealism, that dares its audience to face the diabolical and devilish nature of war.
4. Schindler’s List (1993)
Director Steven Spielberg had long been a household name before the release of Schindler’s List, which would go on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. He'd even directed dramas before, most notably The Color Purple and (World War 2-set) Empire of the Sun. But nothing quite prepared audiences for the abject horror of the Holocaust presented in Schindler’s List, which starred Liam Neeson as German industrialist Oskar Schindler, whose growing conscience helped him save more than a thousand Jewish refugees by employing them in his factories. Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, and Embeth Davidtz co-starred in what would instantly become one of the most culturally and socially important films of all time.
3. The Thin Red Line (1998)
Focusing on the Pacific Theater of World War 2 -- in particular the Battle of Mount Austen in Guadalcanal -- The Thin Red Line is a soaring, philosophical war poem directed by Terrence Malick, who was delivering his first film in 20 years. Stars flocked to this enormous ensemble (many finding themselves completely cut out of the film in the end) as Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, John C. Reilly, and many more joined the cause (helping the first edit of the film run five hours). The Thin Red Line is a beautiful, haunting look at the toll of war on both humans and nature.
2. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai, based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle, stars William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa in a clever, complex, psychologically tense story about the construction of the Burma Railway. With expert performances, seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture) under its belt, and the highest box office of 1957, this landmark movie is hailed as a towering cinematic achievement with career-defining work from all involved.
1. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Presenting both courage and chaos, heroism and heinous violence, Saving Private Ryan is a superb swirl of every war movie touchstone, kicking things off with a chilling, nerve-shattering look at the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach. Director Steven Spielberg merged both warmth and wickedness for this boots-on-the-ground look at soldiers scouring war-torn France for a paratrooper. Private first class James Ryan. Tom Hanks headlined a cast that also featured Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Giovanni Ribisi, Barry Pepper, and Vin Diesel. It's an unflinching look at war that moved the entire genre forward.
Upcoming World War 2 Movies
There are a couple of new World War 2 movies in the works, which just goes to show that the conflict continues to inspire new and reflective stories decades later. Here are all the World War 2 movies we know are coming in the next few years:
- Nuremberg (TBA)
- Pressure (TBA)
That's it for our pick of the best World War 2 movies of all time. Make sure to let us know if we missed your favorite in the comments.
Looking for more genre-defining films? Take a look at our guide to the best thriller movies of all time as well as the best horror movies.
