Dating as far back as the 30s and 40s, war movies have had a unique ability to capture the attention of audiences, inspiring awe in viewers as they depict heroism and death on the astounding stage of human history. Every decade since has had its own collection of war films, with the 2010s exploring the genre in a great many interesting, powerful, and refreshing ways.
Such is the strength of 2010s war cinema, excellent films likeLone Survivor,Darkest Hour, and the criminally underappreciatedA Hidden Lifehave not made the cut for this list.The 10 pictures that are featured exemplify the absolute best of war cinema, from its ability to depict real-life stories of sacrifice and heroism to intelligent dramatizations of significant chapters in modern history, and, of course, to some of the most captivating and commanding spectacles in film history.
10’Fury' (2014)
Directed by David Ayer
While it is somewhat let down by a final act that replaces gripping war drama with something more akin to action heroics,Furylargely thrives asa challenging and coarse story of American soldiers in the dying days of WWII. With the allies pressing into Germany, the crew of a tank see their fallen comrade replaced by a naïve young typist. Tensions arise between the new crewman and the veteran tankers as they embark on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines.
At its very best, the taut psychological war drama excels at depicting the trauma of war in a manner that is confronting and intimidating while still striving to humanize the men made monstrous because of it.David Ayer’s reach sometimes exceeds its grasp, butFuryis ultimatelyan adequate depiction of the horrors of warthat has the gall to explore the ugly side of the soldiers who fight as well.
Watch on Netflix
9’Beneath Hill 60' (2010)
Directed by Jeremy Sims
An underrated Australian war film,Beneath Hill 60has a fascinating basis on true events, following the soldiers who mined under enemy lines to plant bombs on the Western Front during WWI. It followsOliver Woodward(Brendan Cowell), an Australian miner who leaves his wife behind to fight in the war where he finds himself in charge of a squad tasked with tunneling deep under German lines to plant a huge load of dynamite beneath their enemies.
The tight confines make for some excruciating, claustrophobic thrills which are amplified by the need to work silently in order to avoid detection from the German tunnelers who could be just metres away from them.Beneath Hill 60is realized in outstanding fashion to bean engrossing, suspenseful, and emotionally harrowing story of the unbearable tension of battleand the dreadful cost of war.
Watch on Amazon
8’Zero Dark Thirty' (2012)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Following her Oscar-winning masterpieceThe Hurt Locker– which ranks highly among the best war films of the 2000s –Kathryn Bigelowembarked on another modern war epic in the form ofZero Dark Thirty. It is a dramatization of the manhunt forOsama bin Ladenin the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It follows Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA intelligence analyst, through her work to uncover the Al-Qaeda leader’s whereabouts, finally culminating in Seal Team Six’s successful assault on his compound in 2011.
While it is light in terms of boots-on-the-ground combat action,Zero Dark Thirtystill thrives asa pulsating war thriller as it depicts the hunt for information carried out by the U.S. government against terrorist factions. It is incredibly intelligent and excels with its appetite for fine details andJessica Chastain’s assertive lead performance. It adequately covers one of the biggest military and political endeavors of this century.
Zero Dark Thirty
Watch on Hulu
7’Beasts of No Nation' (2015)
Directed by Cary Fukunaga
A haunting depiction of modern warfare in West Africa,Beasts of No Nationisa sobering, uncompromising, and eye-opening drama of tremendous urgencywhich implores people to take heed of the atrocities happening around the world. It follows Agu (Abraham Attah), a young boy who, after his small village is besieged by war, is forced to join a rebel faction fighting a ruthless civil war. As he forms a peculiar bond with the commandant, Agu slowly transforms into a savage cold-blooded murderer.
WhileCary Fukunaga’s direction occasionally highlights to absurdity of the whole scenario rather than staying entrenched in Agu’s journey, his inspired camera work and editing ensures the film borders on a hallucinatory nightmare without ever losing touch of the reality of the situation.Idris Elbaalso stands as a captivating highlight of the film as the commander of revolutionary soldiers.Beasts of No Nationwasthe first ever film to be released directly to Netflix.
Beasts of No Nation
6’Son of Saul' (2015)
Directed by László Nemes
Profound and powerful,Son of Saulpresentsa harrowing story of grief and religion withinthe hellscape that was Auschwitz and the Holocaust. The Hungarian war drama follows Saul (Géza Röhrig), a Jewish-Hungarian prisoner tasked with burning the bodies in the gas chambers who sets out to give a proper Jewish burial to a young boy he mistook for his son. His personal mission sees him risk his own life as he tries to find a rabbi who can conduct the burial.
Shot in an entrancing manner that focuses on the unflinching and stoic central character while the horrors transpiring around him blur in the background,Son of Saulis confronting yet entirely engrossing. It’s exploration of themes of self-preservation and violence is brilliantly thought-provoking. The fact that it marks the feature film debut of directorLászló Nemesis truly astounding given the maturity and mastery he displays.
Son of Saul
Rent on Amazon
5’Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
Directed by Mel Gibson
A brilliant biographical war film that uses its true story basis to honor the heroism, valor, and incredible courage of soldiers,Hacksaw Ridgeis a defining highlight of 2010s war cinema.Andrew GarfieldportraysDesmond Doss, a pacifist who enlists to serve as a medic despite his refusal to carry a gun on religious grounds. While he is initially vilified by his fellow soldiers for his anti-gun stance, he proves his bravery in the Battle of Okinawa when he rescues 75 men from the battlefield without firing a shot.
Re-affirming his talents as a director,Mel Gibsonexcels at using the violent atrocities of war as a means to define and enhance Doss’ pacifism rather than counter it, even when presenting some of the most punishing battle sequences ever put to screen. With this striking juxtaposition,Hacksaw Ridgeis a brilliant and unforgettable war movie that honors a real-life herowhile using his achievements to present a painstaking story of nobility, faith, and moral conviction.
Hacksaw Ridge
4’Land of Mine' (2015)
Directed by Martin Pieter Zandvliet
Coming from Denmark,Land of Mineis a gripping and poignant historical war film that tiptoes on a challenging moral query with its basis on true events. In the aftermath of Germany’s surrender, a group of young German POWs are sent to the west coast of Denmark to clear the beach of landmines planted during Germany’s occupation. Untrained and without sufficient equipment, the young soldiers try to carry out the assignment to earn their freedom.
There are moments of unbearable tension throughout, but what truly makes the film an effective war film is the feelings of injustice and tragedy when a boy errs in his task and pays the ultimate price. It prods at notions of penitence and forgiveness,using a bleak and secluded chapter of WWII to present a story of striking humanity. It marks a fantastic albeit upsetting war movie as well as one ofthe finest films Denmark has ever produced.
3’Incendies' (2010)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Today,Denis Villeneuveis universally acclaimedfor his direction of such pictures as theDunemovies,Blade Runner 2049, andArrival. However, one of his greatest achievements as a filmmaker comes in the form of the devastating 2010 war drama,Incendies. Knowing she is dying, a Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal leaves a letter for each of her children to deliver, one to the father they never met and the other to a brother they never knew they had. In order to complete the task, the twins must venture to the Middle East to decipher their mother’s harrowing past.
To callIncendiesa brutal viewing experience would be an understatement. While focusing on just one woman’s life, it examines the futility of conflict, the dangers of religious conflict, the trauma of terrorist acts, and the debilitating aftermath of war in general. Emotionally overwhelming, deeply disturbing, and sublimely acted,Incendiesis something of a hidden gem in Villeneuve’s filmography as well as a distressing tale of human evil that is difficult to watch.
Incendies (2010)
2'1917' (2019)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes’ WWI epic can be seen as a bit of a gimmick, but what it does with its unique premise is quite incredible, to say the least.Shot and edited to appear as a one-take journeythrough the First World War, it tracks two English soldiers on a mission to make contact with another battalion to warn them that they are walking into an ambush.
It’s famed one-shot approach should be distracting, but1917thrives asa richly immersive albeit relatively simple story of war as well as a truly stunning technical triumph. Visceral, precise, and engrossing, the WWI movie is perhaps more thriller than drama, but it still astounds consistently throughout as it delves into the heinousness of trench warfare and effectively showcases the brutal circumstances so many soldiers faced.
1’Dunkirk' (2017)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan’s portrayal of the evacuation of Dunkirkmarks one of the most fascinating war movies ever made, regardless of whether viewers love the approach or are deterred by it. With each of its three stories transpiring over different lengths of time,Dunkirkexplores how the pivotal evacuation was executed by focusing on a soldier stranded on the beach, a civilian sailing to aid the escape, and an ace defending the operation from German air attacks.
The technical mastery of the film is an achievement to behold, with the dogfight sequences particularly captivating. Likewise, the lack of backstories given to the characters gives the film an urgency which it is wise to persist with right up to the end.Further complemented by spectacular sound design, the talents of an ensemble cast, and a heart-pounding score fromHans Zimmer,Dunkirkis among the greatest war movies ever made and thrives as an earnest depiction of Operation Dynamo.
