best war movies on amazon prime

Every bit the onetime proverb goes, war is hell. Fortunately, figuring out the best war movies on Prime Video is a decidedly less diabolical undertaking – all you lot have to do is read this handy round-upwards we've prepared for you lot.

Every possible spin on the genre is on this list, whether you're looking for a battlefield blockbuster, combat comedy, or something in-between. This being a armed services affair, rank also has a part to play – in the sense that we've also ranked each of these flicks from least to about entertaining. And so, your mission now is to review this listing of Prime Video's all-time war movies, pick the i that suits your personal taste, and and then sit down back and enjoy.

The Best War Movies On Amazon Prime number Video

fifteen. Windtalkers (2002)

Director: John Woo

In terms of sheer technical prowess, few movies on this list hold a candle to World War Ii ballsy Windtalkers. John Woo is 1 of the most accomplished action directors of his generation and this 2002 moving-picture show's masterfully planned and executed battle sequences reflect that. Ameliorate withal, each of Windtalkers' many skirmishes is expertly captured by cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball, with the sweeping shots he employs to certificate the invasion of Saipan a detail stand-out.

It's a shame so that Woo and screenwriters Joe Batteer and John Rice tell the true story of the US Army's Navajo code talkers from the perspective of Nic Cage's Sergeant Joe Enders. This ill-considered creative choice ways that Windtalkers doesn't really bring anything new to the table, narratively speaking. But then, not every movie has to interruption the mold, and what Windtalkers does well – activeness scenes – it does very well.

14. Pearl Harbor (2001)

Managing director: Michael Bay

The commencement one-half of Pearl Harbor's 183-infinitesimal runtime is a slog, patently and unproblematic. Screenwriter Randall Wallace (who shows upwards several times on this list) invests heavily in the honey triangle betwixt stars Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, and Josh Hartnett, only to saddle the trio with some truly atrocious dialogue. Worse withal, all this romance comes at the expense of setting the events of the film within any appreciable historical context. Past the finish, you'll know that Japan attacked the US, only yous won't actually know why.

Fast forward (literally) to the extended set up slice that lends Pearl Harbor its proper noun and things dramatically improve, though. Director Michael Bay is firmly in his wheelhouse helming blockbuster action scenes, and this infamous 1941 air strike gives him the perfect canvass to work on.

Information technology actually is bravura stuff, with cinematographer John Schwartzman's camera swooping from the fighter planes in the skies to the battleships below, as Bay coordinates the on-screen devastation equally only he tin.

xiii. Allied (2016)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Equal parts wartime romance and thriller, Allied didn't exactly conquer the box office when it marched into cinemas back in 2016. Robert Zemeckis' tale of a Canadian intelligence officer who falls for the French Resistance fighter posing as his wife fared about as well with critics, as well. Negative reviews of the moving picture at the time focused on the poor pacing and derivative nature of Steven Knight's screenplay, too as the absenteeism of whatsoever romantic spark between stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard.

Yet Allied all the same has plenty going for it. For starters, Pitt and Cotillard's performances are first-rate, while their lack of chemistry was exaggerated somewhat in initial reviews. Then there's the combination of Don Burgess' gorgeous cinematography and Joanna Johnston's impeccably researched costumes, which perfectly captures the sumptuous experience of similar epics from a bygone era.

Toss in a stunning score by the always fantabulous Alan Silvestri, and it becomes articulate that Allied is one cinematic entrada worth re-examining.

12. We Were Soldiers (2002)

Director: Randall Wallace

In that location'due south a lot to like nigh We Were Soldiers, the 2002 adaptation of Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore's starting time-hand account of the Vietnam War (which he co-authored with journalist Joseph Fifty. Galloway).

Manager Randall Wallace recreates the Boxing of Ia Drang with an impressive degree of fidelity, and his screenplay is admirably even-handed in the way information technology portrays both sides of the disharmonize. The film's controversial lead actor Mel Gibson also turns in a creditable functioning every bit Moore that benefits greatly from his undeniable charisma.

So what bumps We Were Soldiers and then far downward this list of the best war movies on Prime Video? The biggest culprit is Wallace'southward heavy-handed approach to the genre. Information technology's nearly equally subtle as one of the many aerial bombardments that punctuate its narrative, while the familiar war picture cliches – well-nigh notably, the stoic commanding officeholder/wise-ass second-in-control pairing – pepper proceedings with the same rapid-fire infrequency as an artillery flare-up.

xi. Valkyrie (2008)

Manager: Bryan Vocaliser

If there's a more than controversial filmmaker on this list than Mel Gibson, it's Valkyrie director Bryan Singer. That said, those viewers who can dissever the art from the artist will find that Valkyrie does an effective if unremarkable job dramatizing the 1940 German plot to bump off Adolf Hitler.

On a purely mechanical level, Valkyrie is rock solid. Screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander lead the charge, doing a great job streamlining the potentially labyrinthine narrative and edifice tension. Singer's direction and Newton Thomas Sigel'south cinematography then add a layer of old-school moving picture-making charm on summit, which perfectly suits the material.

Information technology'south but when Valkyrie tries to forge an emotional connection with its audience that it comes unstuck. Star Tom Cruise is the existent weak link, failing to fully convince equally Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a role which is admittedly two-dimensional at best. Normally undecayed British thespians like Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Terence Stamp don't fare much better, either, left to build whole characters out of a scattering of traits each.

10. Braveheart (1995)

Manager: Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson's Braveheart has a complicated legacy. Although this 1995 William Wallace biopic nabbed the Best Movie Oscar at the 68th Academy Awards, these days it'south cited as one of the worst films to claim that honour. Common complaints about Braveheart include its litany of glaring historical accuracies and ambitious Anglophobia, while the less said about its subplot involving two homosexual characters, the better.

So how did a movie with so many obvious flaws rank so highly on this listing of the all-time war movies on Prime number Video? One give-and-take: emotion. As a filmmaker, Gibson has an innate knack for making audiences care almost his characters by painting in wide, archetypal strokes. And when that fails, screenwriter Randall Wallace comes to the rescue with chest-thumping speeches that instantly rally us behind the Scottish regular army'due south fight for independence.

In that location are also Braveheart's numerous compact battle scenes to consider, which merchandise the bloodless, CGI-driven warfare of today for hundreds of extras and buckets of gore. The performances are strong, especially (dodgy accent aside) Gibson equally Wallace, Angus Macfadyen as the conflicted Robert the Bruce, and Patrick McGoohan as the villainous King Edward I.

9. Beneath Hill sixty (2010)

Director: Jeremy Sims

Beneath Loma threescore follows the unsung efforts of an Australian unit tasked with planting explosive charges beneath enemy territory during World War I.

Information technology was inspired by the real-life experiences of Captain Oliver Woodward and the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, and David Roach's script does their extraordinary story justice. The same goes for Toby Oliver'due south textured cinematography and Clayton Jauncey's product design, which both epitomize the grimy, claustrophobic conditions Woodward and his men endured.

Below Hill 60 is far from perfect, however. Director Jeremy Sims and editor Toby Oliver struggle to build momentum early on, in part due to the flick'south exhaustive (and, at times, exhausting) employ of flashbacks. The troops under Woodward'due south command aren't always every bit fully fleshed out as you desire them to exist, either. Still these flaws are piece of cake to overlook thanks to the raw power of the story itself, every bit well as the stellar cast led past Brendan Cowell as Woodward himself.

8. The Courier (2020)

Managing director: Dominic Cooke

Not many people got to see Dominic Cooke'southward The Courier in 2020. All the same those who did see this Cold War thriller tend to agree information technology tells the truthful story of British man of affairs turned SIS spy Greville Wynne and his Russian mole Oleg Penkovsky with beauteous panache.

Lead actors Bridegroom Cumberbatch (Wynne) and Merab Ninidze (Penkovsky) evangelize the appurtenances, supported by a strong supporting cast that includes Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, Angus Wright, and Kirill Pirogov. Cooke is likewise on tiptop form in the director'due south chair, wringing every ounce of tension out of Tom O'Connor's taut script.

Does it reach the aforementioned heights equally Tomas Alfredson'due south tiptop 2011 adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy? Not actually. Simply does it more than than earn its spot on this list of the best war movies on Prime Video? Absolutely.

7. Courage Under Fire (1996)

Director: Edward Zwick

Your response to Courage Under Fire will inevitably boil down to i elementary question: tin can you lot purchase America's Sweetheart Meg Ryan equally hardened soldier Captain Karen Emma Walden? Ryan gives the role her all, so if y'all tin can set bated your preconceived notions of her range as an actor, chances are you'll quickly get wrapped up in this Gulf War drama.

Only then how could you lot not, when Denzel Washington reports for duty equally the leading human? Predictably, the Oscar-winner is magnetic every bit the The states Army officer charged with figuring out whether the late Helm Walden should become the beginning female recipient of the Medal of Laurels. Supporting cast members Lou Diamond Phillips and Matt Damon are no less effective, either.

Better still, everything else in Courage Nether Burn – Edward Zwick's direction, Patrick Sheane Duncan'southward screenplay, Roger Deakins' cinematography, and James Horner's score – is similarly accomplished. And so if the only thing stopping you from watching this picture is Million Ryan, it might be time for a rethink.

6. Practiced Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Director: Barry Levinson

Skilful Morning, Vietnam is i of the finest showcases for the late Robin Williams' talents equally both a comedian and a dramatic actor. Amazingly, Williams improvised much of the side-splitting dialogue for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Adrian Cronauer in this loose accommodation of Cronauer's career as an Armed Forces Radio Service DJ during the Vietnam War. The Hollywood legend proved every bit good during Good Morning, Vietnam's more poignant moments exploring the harsh realities of war, too.

The rest of the film doesn't quite accomplish the same heights as its pb actor's towering turn, though. Mitch Markowitz's screenplay comes beyond as disappointingly rote at times and managing director Barry Levinson occasionally struggles to shift gears betwixt humor and heartbreak. It'southward also not a motion picture for military history buffs, equally many of the central plot developments never happened in real life.

Fortunately, the unbridled brilliance of Williams' powerhouse performance is plenty to finish Good Morning, Vietnam from ever veering too far off target.

5. Heart in the Sky (2015)

Manager: Gavin Hood

Easily the most timely pic on this list, Centre in the Sky sets its sights on the ethical minefield presented by drone warfare. Director Gavin Hood has marshaled a tiptop-notch cast for this mod-twenty-four hour period morality play, too, including Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi, and the tardily Alan Rickman in his last e'er live-activity role.

Working from a precipitous script by Guy Hibbert, Hood and editor Megan Gill ratchet up the tension to nigh unbearable levels, as the ethics of Colonel Katherine Powell's mission grow increasingly murky. Information technology's the kind of movie that constantly has viewers asking themselves what they'd do in a similar situation and, best of all, avoids offer them any piece of cake answers.

Of course, this activeness-low-cal, cerebral take on the war movie genre won't be for everyone, while tech geeks will likely guffaw at some of the motion picture's more fanciful hardware. Simply if you're searching for a war movie for grown-ups, expect no further than Eye in the Sky.

4. The Full general (1926)

Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

They don't brand movies like The Full general anymore – literally. Based on William Pittenger's 1889 memoir The Peachy Locomotive Chase, it was shot in black and white and without sound, and features more than plenty poorly supervised stuntwork to get a modern production shut down. It's also one of the greatest films e'er made, thanks in big function to co-director and star Buster Keaton.

Keaton'southward perfectionism, artistry, and sheer physical daring combine to brand The General's train hunt a jaw-dropping spectacle that's as scenic today as it was in 1926. The aforementioned goes for the moving-picture show's climactic crash sequence, which was accomplished with a locomotive, a bridge, 6 cameras, and a mountain of cash – and without the do good of CGI.

Of course, your mileage volition vary on how well The Full general'due south silent film-era sense of humor holds up near a century later. Similarly, the motion-picture show's lack of spoken dialogue and sound effects is a definite barrier to entry. That said, prospective viewers who can look by (or even cover) these shortcomings will observe a lot to honey about this American Civil War caper.

3. Rescue Dawn

Director: Werner Herzog

Rescue Dawn sees Christian Bale portraying a man possessed of a singular, seemingly impossible dream – a recurring motif in the work of writer-director Werner Herzog. The dreamer in question is existent-life airplane pilot Dieter Dengler, who plots to escape a prisoner of war army camp during the Vietnam War. True to class, Bale turns in a fully committed operation that reflects Dengler'southward complex psychology and malnourished physique, conveying the picture show on his scrawny shoulders.

Rescue Dawn likewise explores some other of Herzog's thematic obsessions, the lone individual pitting themself against nature. Cheers to Peter Zeitlinger'southward lush cinematography, this struggle has never been portrayed more tangibly on screen.

Filmed in the jungles of Thailand (substituting for those of Vietnam), at that place'south a verisimilitude to each shot in Rescue Dawn that lesser movies tin't lucifer. We can almost experience the stifling humidity on our faces and muddy terrain between our toes that Dengler and fellow prisoner Duane Martin (Steve Zahn) have to contend with. This is far from the easiest watch on this list of the best war movies on Prime Video, but information technology'due south an undeniably moving i nevertheless.

2. Lincoln (2012)

Director: Steven Spielberg

As much a biopic as it is a war movie, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln charts the final months of ol' Honest Abe'due south life, as he fights to abolish slavery against the backdrop of the American Civil War.

It offers up an uncommonly nuanced portrait of Lincoln, also. As envisioned past Spielberg, screenwriter Tony Kushner, and star Daniel Twenty-four hour period-Lewis, the 16th President of the United States isn't a saintly figure. He's a skilled politician non above bending the truth in the service of the greater good, and capable of losing his legendary absurd when those around him falter. In short: he's an bodily mankind-and-blood human – and that alone is revelatory.

The other great joy with Lincoln comes from watching Twenty-four hour period-Lewis spark off the brigade of accomplished supporting players Spielberg has assembled. Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, and Tommy Lee Jones exit the biggest impression, but most every speaking office is expertly filled past a recognisable actor. This, along with the faultless product blueprint, cinematography, and score add to Lincoln'southward sense of grandeur, making for a fittingly well-crafted recreation of 1 of America's biggest moments.

1. Hamburger Hill (1987)

Managing director: John Irvin

Hamburger Loma had the misfortune of hitting cinemas within the same 12-month period as Platoon and Full Metal Jacket – both considered among the greatest Vietnam War movies always. As such, John Irvin'southward 1987 dramatization of the Battle of Hamburger Colina often gets overlooked compared to its more celebrated contest, despite its many strong points.

For one matter, the bandage – including Dylan McDermott, Steven Weber, Courtney B. Vance, Don Cheadle, and Michael Boatman – are uniformly excellent. For another, there'southward something remarkably affecting about the stripped-back approach taken past Irvin and screenwriter James Carabatsos. Forget the loftier-brow philosophizing and symbolism of Platoon or the detached nihilistic wit of Full Metal Jacket.

This is a movie that puts all its creative free energy into making you care virtually whether the men of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Segmentation (Airmobile) live or dice. For these reasons and more, when information technology came time to fill the acme spot on this list of the best war movies on Prime Video, Hamburger Loma was the only choice.

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