5 Great Military Movies With the Same Mix of Heart and Action as Warfare

Director Alex Garland‘s new movie Warfare features a compelling blend of heartfelt character dynamics and breathtaking action. Inspired by Iraq War veteran and co-director Ray Mendoza’s combat experiences, Warfare centers on a group of Navy SEALs during the Battle of Ramadi in 2006, depicting their agonizing encounters with insurgents. Based on past titles such as Civil War and Annihilation, Garland has proven a skill for delivering captivating combat sequences while making audiences care about the characters involved in them. Many other acclaimed directors have done the same with war movies over the decades, and those who enjoy the intensity and heart of a great military film should check them out.

Videos by ComicBook.com

The following five military movies boast narratives with sincere emotional appeal and enthralling action. Film fanatics seeking films similar to Garland’s Warfare should add these titles to their watchlist.

Saving Private Ryan

In 1998, Steven Spielberg‘s Saving Private Ryan became one of history’s most graphic war films. The story chronicles the 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy from the perspective of a group of U.S. Army soldiers led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks). After the gruesome opening sequence depicting the men landing at Omaha Beach, Miller and co. embark on a mission to find Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) and bring him home following the deaths of his two brothers.

Saving Private Ryan‘s charming band of characters provides key emotional stakes amid the horrors of World War II. The movie’s numerous gunfights are gripping and gory, and the fleshing out of the soldiers’ personalities and backstories makes them matter. Even 27 years later, it’s hard to identify a war movie as well executed as Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, and its success on all fronts has made it a timeless classic.

Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan’s 2017 World War II movie Dunkirk details the evacuation of more than 300,000 British and French troops from the port city of Dunkirk, France. The movie’s action is far from non-stop, but when danger descends upon the stranded soldiers, Dunkirk delivers top-notch suspense and eye-catching visuals. The frequent spells of downtime on the beaches enable the film to develop its characters and the bonds they share.

Dunkirk also features a variety of viewpoints, including that of the courageous civilians who arrived in their small vessels to rescue some men. Its depiction of one of World War II’s most extraordinary endeavors, Dunkirk succeeds in emphasizing the soldiers’ terrifying experience of being under siege while awaiting salvation, as well as the humanity of each character.

[RELATED: 7 Best War Movies That Don’t Show Combat]

Glory

1989’s Glory, directed by Edward Zwick, tells an important Civil War true story. The movie focuses on the Union Army’s 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, a unit entirely made up of Black soldiers — minus its commanding officer, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick). Glory follows the 54th Massachusetts’ recruitment, training, and eventual bouts in combat, highlighting the unique and heroic journeys of the men fighting for freedom.

Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman are among the excellent actors portraying members of the 54th Massachusetts, and their layered performances elevate Glory‘s engaging narrative. Before the action on the frontlines, Glory spends a good deal of time characterizing the soldiers, making the film’s combat-filled third act carry a lot more weight.

1917

1917 paints a fascinating and grim portrait of World War I combat. The 2019 movie, directed by Sam Mendes, follows Lance Corporal William Schofield (George MacKay) and Lance Corporal Thomas Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) — two British soldiers tasked with delivering a crucial message to their allies to halt a planned attack. Their race against time after leaving the safety of the trenches is plagued with danger and death.

1917 takes a more personal approach compared to most war movies, allowing audiences to learn about and grow attached to Will and Tom over the course of the film. Still, 1917 produces some of the most brutal action sequences in a military flick, and its two-hour-long horrific series of events will stay with viewers long after the credits roll.

The Hurt Locker

2008’s The Hurt Locker is a Best Picture Oscar winner for a reason. Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War movie fixates on a bomb disposal squad thrown in the midst of high-stakes combat missions. Comprised of Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner), Sergeant J. T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson (Guy Pearce), and numerous others, the group diffuses explosives while facing attacks by armed insurgents.

Brimming with hair-raising intensity and action, The Hurt Locker also incorporates heavy emotions through the American soldiers’ relationships with Iraqi civilians, especially children. A top-notch work of cinema, The Hurt Locker authentically highlights the lasting impact of war.

All of these titles can be rented, purchased, or streamed across various platforms.