There’s always a risk involved with making a war movie thrilling, given thatmany great war moviesaim to show the tedium, horror, and uselessness of conflict by making things grim and oftentimes not very entertaining.The thriller genre, on the other hand, is one that tends to succeed by providing excitement and suspense, with thrillers generally – though not always – being fun films, to some extent.
The following war movies can also be categorized as thrillers, with many being the darker sorts of thrillers that can be suspenseful, sure, but might not necessarily be entertaining. Tonally, however, some of these movies do lean toward having a bit more fun, all the while not shying away from the death and destruction present in all wars. These war/thriller hybrid movies are ranked below, starting with the good and ending with the great.
13’Where Eagles Dare' (1968)
Directed by Brian G. Hutton
Where Eagles Darestars late classic Hollywood legendRichard Burtonopposite a then-38-year-oldClint Eastwood. The film centers on a Special Operations Executive team trying to save an American general from the fictionalSchloß Adlerfortress, only to discover there’s more to their mission than they previously thought.
A favoriteofAcademy Award-winning directorSteven Spielberg,Where Eagles Dareremains a seminal entry in the war genre. The film is narratively challenging to the point of being slightly confusing, which only adds to its enthralling quality, yet it never forgets to be entertaining, thanks to a perfect cast and assured direction. Unlike other war movies,Where Eagles Dareis more about the courage of men in war than war itself, giving it a timeless and inspiring tone that contributes to its legacy.
Where Eagles Dare
Where Eagles Dare: During World War II, an elite team of Allied soldiers embarks on a daring mission to rescue an American general held captive in the impregnable Schloss Adler, a remote Bavarian fortress. As they navigate treacherous terrain and formidable adversaries, the team must employ cunning strategies to achieve their objective.
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12’Das Boot' (1981)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
The West German war thrillerDas Bootis among the most thrilling and claustrophobic depictions of wartime in cinema. Set during World War II, the plot follows the crew of the German submarineU-96during their patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Das Bootpresents a nuanced view of these men, acknowledging their allegiance without subscribing to traditional good-versus-evil tropes. Instead, it focuses on the human aspect of warfare, depicting the crew’s sentiments of excitement, anticipation, anxiety, fear, and disappointment. Nominated for six Oscars,Das Bootis one ofthe best World War II movies, presenting another side to a conflict that shaped world history and adding layers to what is already a complex situation.
11’Dunkirk' (2017)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Oscar-winnerChristopher Nolanis behind some of the best thrillers in the 21st century. 2017’sDunkirkcenters on the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II, following several characters and showing perspectives of the event from land, sea, and air.
Like every Nolan movie,Dunkirkis thrilling, tense, action-packed, and technically dazzling. The film throws the audience into the middle of the grueling action, and Nolan’s camera expertly captures every detail.Dunkirkis the perfect mix of jaw-dropping spectacle and emotionally resonant storytelling; it’s chaotic and harrowing, never shying away from the horrors of war, yet still moving and cathartic, a true modern masterpiece in the war and thriller genres.
10’Eye in the Sky' (2015)
Director: Gavin Hood
More of a political thrillerthan a traditional war movie,Eye in the Skydoes, nevertheless, revolve around warfare, and a particularly contemporary version of it at that. It’s all about the complicated nature of combat that involves the use of drones, showing the various people waging war from afar and exploring what happens when civilian casualties become a possibility, dividing individuals and causing debate.
It’s a fairly bleak movie, but does succeed in being suspenseful and even quite nail-biting in parts, which is what ultimately makesEye in the Skyfeel partly like a thriller and partly like a war movie. It’sa somewhat overlooked movie overall, exploring its complex themes with a straightforward storywell, and boasting very good performances from a talented cast that includesHelen Mirren,Aaron Paul, andAlan Rickman.
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9’Civil War' (2024)
Director: Alex Garland
Though there’s fear the events depicted inCivil Warcould come true, at least for now, this 2024 release is about a fictional conflict. Effectively, it shows what a modern-day civil war in the U.S. may look like, depicting it through the eyes of a group of journalists who undertake a risky mission over hundreds of miles to cover the inevitable overthrow of the President in Washington D.C.
Civil Waris aslow-burn movie, but builds in intensity wellandhas some genuinely intense action/suspense sequences as it progresses. Cashing in on what feels like a particularly divided time in history (and coming out in an election year, no less),Civil Warhas proven quite successful financiallyand critically, and is up there with the most gripping war movies in recent memory.
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8’Joint Security Area' (2000)
Director: Park Chan-wook
Joint Security Areais a movie that explores how,even though the Korean War has officially ended, North Korea and South Korea are still engaged in a tense conflict of sorts. It takes place in and around the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea, with the narrative principally being about a South Korean soldier being accused of murdering two North Korean soldiers.
There’s an element of mystery toJoint Security Areathat drives much of the story, with an inventive structure that also works to build suspense, intrigue, and emotion. It’s a unique spin on the war genre and a very engaging movie all around, beinganother winner found within thevaried and surprisingly consistent filmography of Park Chan-wook(and being released several years before his most acclaimed film,Oldboy).
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7’The Train' (1964)
Director: John Frankenheimer
A classic 1960s war movie,The Traintakes place during World War II, and revolves around a German Colonel’s plans to steal valuable artwork from France and transport it back to Germany. Naturally, a group of French resistance fighters aren’t too thrilled by that idea, setting in motion a conflict that feels like a microcosm of the war as a whole, and succeeds in being generally entertaining and exciting.
The Trainhas aged remarkably well for a movie that’s now 60 years old, standing as something that’s likely to prove engaging for contemporary viewers in much the same way it would’ve been for audiences decades ago. It’sa movie that understands how surprisingly cinematic trains are (particularly when it comes to action), and it’s an overall undeniably gripping World War II film.
Director: John Woo
John Woois wellknown for his action/thriller/crime movies, withBullet in the Headbeing something of a change of pace for the filmmaker, released at a time when Woo was one of the best filmmakers working in Hong Kong. It does contain action and the main characters are wrapped up in a life of crime, butBullet in the Headalso crosses over intobecoming a prisoner of war movie, owing to the story involving the Vietnam War.
It’s an unpredictable ride of a film, andthough it’s very engaging and memorable, it’s also quite grim and shocking in parts. John Woo pulled no punches in showing some of the most unpleasant parts of the conflict fought in Vietnam during the 1960s and ‘70s, withBullet in the Headultimately being underrated, not to mention admirably ambitious when it comes to its willingness to blend genres.
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5'1917' (2019)
Director: Sam Mendes
Alongside 2022’sAll Quiet on the Western Frontand the 2018 documentaryThey Shall Not Grow Old,1917is a movie that’s part of aresurgence of sorts for World War I films. That could well have something to do with the 2010s marking 100 years since the conflict commenced and ended, with the title of1917making it obvious that it’s set just over a century before the film’s year of release.
The premise of1917is simple, with the film following two young soldiers tasked with carrying out a dangerous and time-sensitive mission that involves crossing no man’s land, withthe filmmaking and technical aspects of1917providing complexity and spectacle. It’s intended to look like it was filmed in a single take, and therefore mostly feels like it takes place in real-time, which naturally makes the entire thing (and especially the combat scenes) exceedingly tense.
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4’Army of Shadows' (1969)
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Jean-Pierre Melville’ssensibilities as a filmmaker were perfectly suited to heist/crime movies, withArmy of Shadowsbeing something of a change of pace, at least compared to some of his other acclaimed works. It’s a film that’s just as intense as his very best crime movies, but deals with World War II and the plight of a French resistance fighter who escapes a prison camp and continues his desperate battle against Nazi forces.
Army of Shadowsis as dark and unnerving as the title suggests it would be, and stands as a World War II movie that manages to feel realistic while also being visually bold and stylish.It’s sometimes regarded as one ofthe very best movies of the 1960s, and rightly so, blending war and thriller genres more seamlessly than most other films that attempt to do the same.
