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2022’sAll Quiet on the Western Frontis currently streaming on Netflix, a battle-torn drama adapted from the 1929 novel of the same name byErich Maria Remarque,who channeled his experiences as a German soldier during World War One in a criticism of the war itself. The groundbreaking story is the quintessential anti-war film depicting the proverbial hell-on-earth landscape of trench warfare as it follows an eager young soldier, Paul (Felix Kammerer), whose fantasies of heroism are quickly ravaged by warfare.
Now the concept of an anti-war film has been thoroughly debated, some critics, historians, and filmmakers would say any film about war is pro-war, while others find them inherently anti-war. Characterizing a war film as either pro or anti-war is entirely subjective and can fall along a diverse spectrum between the two polar opposites. However, the traits of films likeAll Quiet on the Western Frontthat do not idolize or romanticize warfare often focus on tragic events over heroic actions and beg the question if the bloodshed was even worth the cost.
Updated on July 09, 2025, by Hannah Saab:
Now the top pick among the war movies on Netflix, the German-language anti-war film,All Quiet on the Western Front, made its mark during the 95th Academy Awards by receiving the Oscars for Best International Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design (four out of its whopping nine nominations). It is now considered one of the best anti-war movies of all time, alongside some of the greats.
15’Born on the Fourth of July' (1989)
Born on the Fourth of Julyplays many of the same notes asAll Quiet on the Western Front, showcasing a main protagonist willing and eager to join the war effort only to become quickly disillusioned. Similar to Paul, Sergeant Ron Kovick,played byTom Cruise, is raised as a proud citizen and motivated to defend his country. However, both characters quickly experience brutality and loss as Kovick returns home physically and emotionally wounded.
The film is based on the autobiography of the realRon Kovick, who would return from the Vietnam War paralyzed and haunted by his experiences. The anti-war sentiment is mustered within the film as Kovick channeled his torment into activism, speaking out against the war and criticizing the government for the poor treatment of its traumatized veterans.
14’American Sniper'(2014)
Studying the complexities of war films reveals that the difference between an anti-war and pro-war film is not black and white, but a spectrum, andAmerican Sniperis a great exercise in this debate, having themes of both. It starsBradley Cooperas Chris Kyle, a real US Navy SEAL who became one of the deadliest marksmen in US History. Mobilized by the attacks on 9/11 Kyle acted as a protector, yet the war would take a tremendous toll on his civilian life.
The war film is a complex beast of emotions and actions, and like so many effective anti-war filmsAmerican Sniperfocuses the lens on the individual soldier and their hardships, a final lesson that begs the system to support its veterans, not the war itself. While every war is the same, every war is different by the man, woman, or child who experiences it, and in the end, the message often displays that the very nature of war, despite any good intentions, can negatively impact the soul.
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13’Fury' (2014)
Another war film that teeters between anti and pro,Furyis set in April 1945, when the Allies are preparing their final push. It follows a group manning a Sherman tank led by jaded Army sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt), who is about to take his five-man team on their most dangerous mission yet behind enemy lines. With more opposition than they can handle and a newbie (Logan Lerman) dragging the team down, the odds are stacked against them.
Written and directed byDavid Ayer,Furyhas been described byThe Independentas “a thoroughly contradictory affair” because it’s “an anti-war film that also wants to be an action thriller.” It manages to succeed in sending a haunting message about the pointlessness and harshness of war, while, likeAmerican Sniper, delivering some exhilarating moments for fans of the action-war genre.
Watch on Starz
12’The Deer Hunter' (1978)
Before 1978, most films depicting the Vietnam War still had a sense of heroics, morality, and justice in their narratives, however,The Deer Hunterwas one of the first to show the conflict in a negative light. Instead of focusing on the valor of men in combat, the film takes its time to study its main characters before, during, and after the war to see how their experiences affected them and their families back home.
Featuringstrong performances fromRobert DeNiro,Christopher Walken,Meryl Streep, and many more, the story is structured in three parts; before the war to establish the characters, during the war when the main two protagonists become prisoners of war, and after when the two grapple with their altered lives in very different ways. The simmering drama boils over during tense scenes of Russian Roulette, where the gamble of life and death during wartime shows the perverse nature of war.
11’Platoon' (1986)
As a veteran of the Vietnam War, filmmakerOliver Stonecrafted many of hismovies to criticize the human cost of warand the darkness of humanity he witnessed, depicting warfare with cynicism, narcissism, and savagery. As a result,Platoondisplays a grisly take on war as the group of U.S. Army soldiers are conflicted between two radically different leaders, one evil and the other good.
Platoonfollows newly volunteered soldier Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), who witnesses a split between his platoon siding with either the ruthless and cynical Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) or the more idealistic and moral compass of Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe). Like many negative interpretations of war, Barnes is willing to commit horrendous actions in order to get the job done, seeing Elias' moral code as a weakness that is expendable.
Watch on HBO Max
10’Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
Hacksaw Ridgedoes depict acts of heroism, however, what sets this film apart is that the heroics come from the protection of life rather than extinguishing it. The film starsAndrew Garfieldin the true story ofDesmond Doss, an American combat medic who received the medal of honor for saving countless lives during the battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Doss was a conscientious objector, who through his devout religious and pacifist ideals refused to carry a weapon or kill in combat. The film showcases Doss' criticisms from his comrades, going against the basic principles of the mission of war, but his selfless actions as a medic to save lives is a unique take on the anti-war characteristics of this heroic war film.
Watch on Hulu
9’Waltz with Bashir' (2008)
Agreat animated film for adultsand a war movie unlike any other,Waltz with Bashirwas written, produced, and directed byAri Folman, and is about his own experiences fighting during the 1982 Lebanon War. While it is about many horrific aspects of the conflict, Folman particularly focuses on his lack of memory around the Sabra and Shatila massacre, which he witnessed.
The film uses beautifully animated scenes in stark contrast with the terrifying events it chronicles. It also has interviews with other soldiers who were in Beirut like Folman, as well as a psychologist who delves into post-traumatic stress disorders. LikeAll Quiet on the Western Front, it centers on the individuals that become victims of warfare, and who are forever changed by it.
8’The Great Dictator' (1940)
The Great Dictatorwas written, directed, produced, scored by andstarring the legendaryCharlie Chaplinin the first talking film of his career. In a deliberate criticism of the rise of Fascism in Europe, Chaplin crafted a satirical comedy and portrayed both a power hungry dictator and a humble Jewish barber. Through a string of gags and stunts, Chaplin delivered his trademark humor, before turning the film into a platform for one of cinema’s most enthralling monologues.
In an impassioned speech that is still all too relevant today, Chaplin denounces evil to promote compassion and love for one another. While Chaplin was calling out the dictators that came to power, the message as a whole was anti-war, anti-greed, and anti-hatred. In the reaction to the bloodshed and lessons of history, Chaplin hoped to inspire humanity to take a course of action to protect humanity as a whole.
7’All Quiet on the Western Front' (1930)
A glaring difference between Milestone’s version and its contemporary counterpart is that the 1930 film was extremely controversial when it first premiered. According toBritannica, it was banned in numerous countries (including Germany) because of its pacificist theme. But like its modern counterpart, the 1930 epic anti-war film sends a message about war that’s impossible to ignore, by depicting harrowing and jarring events that its likable main characters go through.
6’Full Metal Jacket' (1987)
Full Metal Jacketfalls in line with so many negative interpretations of the Vietnam War, depicting the dehumanization and depravity of war. The film tip-toes the line in being purely anti-war, however, the film is included inStanley Kubrick’s impressive filmographythat features many anti-war tendencies. Kubrick has never been known to be so blatant but instead displays certain contradictions and hypocrisies of the military.
Full Metal JacketstarsMatthew Modineas Private J.T. “Joker” Davis, in his path through the Vietnam War starting with boot camp. Joker is put through the wringer by the harsh Drill Sergeant (R. Lee Ermey) and faced with communal punishment caused by the slowly adapting Private Pyle (Vincent D’Onofrio). While it wasn’t actual war that crushes Pyle’s humanity, it is just the first of many shattering experiences the characters would go through in the war ahead as their humanity is slowly beaten down.
