Top Ten Historical War Movies on Netflix November 2023
Saving Private ryan
A well known classic war movie directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks, and winner of the academy award, this movie has an almost perfect score from critics and general audience alike: 9.5/10. With reviews like that, you can be pretty confident you will enjoy the movie.
“Arguably Spielberg’s most visceral and inspired work, Saving Private Ryan speaks to devout patriotism, sacrifice and unflappable camaraderie.” -Epoch Times
Black Hawk Down
This movie received a 77% from critics and an 87% approval from the general audience.
“Black Hawk Down makes that point without preachment, in precise and pitiless imagery. And for that reason alone it takes its place on the very short list of the unforgettable movies about war and its ineradicable and immeasurable costs.” -TIME Magazine
Hacksaw ridge
84% from critics and 91% from audience, this movie should be on your list of must-see war movies.
“Gibson has made a movie that’s nearly pathological in its love of violence-but he nonetheless counterbalances its amoral pleasures with an understanding of the psychological devastation that war wreaks.” -New Yorker
All Quiet on the Western front
This recent war movie received a 9/10 from both critics and audience. It is based on the classic book by Erich Maria Remarque, about a young German soldier fighting in World War I. It was nominated for nine Oscars and took home four.
“A striking and harrowing portrait of the perils of nationalism, the chaos and madness of combat, and the lasting physical and psychological scars produced by both.” -The Daily Beast
The Outpost
Critics gave The Outpost a 9/10 while general audience gave it a 8/10.
“For those who appreciate the genre, this is a better-than-average merging of technical craftsmanship, narrative coherence, and competent acting.” -ReelViews
The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game received a 9/10 review from critics and general audience. It is not about the battle aspect of war, but rather a historical biography of the mathematician Alan Turing, who helped crack codes during World War II. Despite a lot of historical inaccuracies, it is still a very good film and story.
“Call out the “Oscar bait” planning and intentional polish all you want, but you won’t be seeing a bad film whatsoever. You will be seeing a calculated crowd pleaser with perfect delivery, through and through.” -Every Movie has a Lesson
The Darkest Hour
The Darkest Hour is another historical war drama rather than a graphic depiction of the brutalities of war. If you are interested in World War II from a political and historical perspective this is a good pick, coming in at roughly 83% approval from both critics and audience.
“Darkest Hour is a straightforward, day-by-day depiction of world-changing events, told with meticulous simplicity.” -Seattle Times
They Shall Not Grow Old
If you are looking for a purely historical documentary, you should watch They Shall Not Grow Old. It received a 99% approval rating from critics and 92% from the general audience.
“Peter Jackson has taken a mass of World War I archival clips from Britain’s Imperial War Museum and fashioned it into a brisk, absorbing and moving experience.” -New York Times
Operation Mincemeat
Although this does not have a review of 8/10 or higher, because the general audience gave it a review of 66% while critics gave it 83%, I still am putting it on this list because it qualifies as “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. Sometimes you end up enjoying a movie that others didn’t prefer, so although it is not the top rated, it may be worth a shot.
“Sometimes a shamelessly retro wartime romance is all the escape you need and Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen add class and wicked humor to this fact-based WW2 spy thriller about how British intelligence used a corpse to put one over on Hitler.” -ABC News
Munich: the edge of war
“A mixture of well-researched historical fact and pure fiction, “Munich: The Edge of War” is a smart and entertaining thriller that suffers from just one thing: We all know how it ends.” -Washington Post