Best War Movies on Netflix to Watch in 2022

War has always been a popular topic of debate.

Whether it was about showcasing the drastic events of the two World Wars which would leave a long-lasting effect on the world, or to dive into the world of science fiction and spin-offs, telling their own stories about conflicts, romance and resolution in great times of despair.

You will find some of the best war movies on Netflix or best movies on Netflix Canada whether you are interested in learning more about individual stories and smaller battles that ultimately led to the Allies victory over the Axis, or more modern-day issues such as operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Regardless of what intrigues you about the Vietnam war genre, our selection of movies below consists of the best war movies Netflix has to offer for all of your action-packed and high stakes cravings.

Let’s dive straight into the list of best wat films on Netflix!

 The Outpost (2020)

Based on true-life events, this War film tells the true story of a small unit of American soldiers stationed at PRT Kamdesh (later called Combat Outpost Keating) situated deep in the valleys along the Hindu Kush.

The soldiers had to battle against some 300 Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack in the Battle of Kamdesh, what’s to be known as the bloodiest American engagement of the war in Afghanistan during operations in 2009.

Director: Rod Lurie

Stars: Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood

IMDb rating: 6.8/10

Ghosts of war (2020)

5 war-hardened American soldiers in Nazi-occupied France in 1944 are tasked to watch over a countryside Chateau, which had served as a command post for the armed forces of Nazi Germany.

However, upon arrival, the group encounters strange noises and apparitions beyond their understanding and face a paranormal enemy far more hostile than anything they’ve encountered before.

Considered as one of Netflix best War movies to dig in.

Director: Eric Bress

Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Kyle Gallner, Alan Ritchson

IMDb rating: 5.6/10

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

A group of African-American US Army veterans who call themselves the ‘Bloods’ secure the CIA plane crash site, recovering a locker of gold bars intended as payment to the indigenous people for helping them in fighting the Viet Cong.

The Bloods decide to keep the gold bars for themselves but in the emerging Vietnamese counter-attack, the squad leader is killed and the area obliterated by a napalm strike, making the site where the gold was buried unrecognizable.

The remaining 4 return to Vietnam upon learning that a landslide has revealed the tail of the crashed plane, in hopes of recovering the buried fortune and the body of their fallen squad leader.

Director: Spike Lee

Stars: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters

IMDb rating: 6.5/10

Outlaw King (2018)

Legendary warrior Robert the Bruce is forced into exile by King Edward I and with cunningness and bravery, leads a gang of outlaws to overthrow the much more powerful and better equipped Irish army’s forgotten battle and regain his throne as King of Scotland.

Director: David Mackenzie

Stars: Chris PineStephen DillaneRebecca Robin

IMDb rating: 6.9/10

The photographer of Mauthausen (2018)

Based on real-life events, the movie is about Spanish Civil War veteran Francisco Boix, who was a prisoner at a Nazi concentration camp, Mauthausen, who tried to preserve and hide photographic evidence of the atrocities committed within the walls of the concentration camp, while risking his and his fellow prisoners lives in the process.

Director: Mar Targarona

Stars: Mario Casas, Richard van Weyden, Alain Hernández

IMDb Rating: 6.8/10

Sand castle (2017)

Private Matt Ocre, who had enlisted in the army in 2001 to get money for college, tries to get sent back home at the start of the Iraq War in 2003.

His attempt fails and gets sent to Baghdad where he learns about the dangers of war when his team gets attacked by insurgents during their mission to repair a rural water pumping station in an Iraqi Village.

Director: Fernando Coimbra

Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green, Henry Cavill

IMDb rating: 6.3/10

War Dogs (2016) 

Based on a true story, the movie follows two men who win a $300 million dollar Pentagon contract, tasked with supplying ammunition to America’s Allies in the east as part of the ongoing War on Terror

Director: Todd Phillips

Stars: Jonah Hill, Bradley Cooper, Miles Teller

IMDb Rating: 7.1/10

War Machine (2017)

A US Army general lands in Afghanistan as part of rebuilding measures for the ongoing War on Terror, where he confronts opposition leaders, enemies of the state and ally forces, before deciding on military action to guarantee US victory

Director: David Michod

Stars: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hayes, Topher Grace

IMDb Rating: 6.0/10

 The Resistance Banker (2018)

Based on real-life events, this movie tells the tale of dutch banker Walraven (Wally) van Hall who in the midst of second World War decides to fight back against the Nazis in occupied Amsterdam and found an underground bank focused on financing the resistance and those affected by the occupation.

Director: Joram Lursen

Stars: Barry Atsma, Jacob Derwig, Pierre Bokma

IMDb Rating: 6.9/10

Beasts of No Nation (2015)

A Netflix original movie and the movie centers around escaping from a clash between guerrilla and government forces, the movie follows the tale of a young boy from an unspecified African Country who ends up as a child soldier in the midst of an ongoing civil war.

Agu, the protagonist along with his battalion experience many victories, before being on the run from their enemies and their own military faction.

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga 

Stars: Idris Elba, Abraham Attu, Ama K Abebrese

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

Company of Heroes (2013)

The film features Vinnies jones and the storyline revolves towards the end of WW2, American Soldiers from a US platoon discover plans of Nazi Germany to turn defeat into victory with the help of a super bomb, capable of wiping out enemy states.

The soldiers hatch a plan to infiltrate the heart of Nazi Germany, locate and disable the bomb and extract the scientist who wishes to defect in charge of its development.

Director: Don Michael Paul

Stars: Tom Siezemore, Chad Michael Collins, Vinnie Jones

IMDb Rating: 5.1/10

 Sniper: Ghost Shooter (2016)

The storyline of this dark War Comedy follows snipers who are tasked with protecting a gas pipeline expected to be attacked by terrorists, suspect an inside job when a mystery shooter who knows exact movements manages to kill those protecting it.

Director: Don Michael Paul

Stars: Chad Michael Collins, Billy Zane, Dennis Haysbert

IMDb Rating: 5.4/10

First they killed my father (2017)

In the aftermath of the US evacuation from Cambodia, Loung Ung is a 5-year-old child when terrorist military faction Khmer Rouge assumes power and start a reign of genocide and terror, spanning over four years.

The movie revolves around the journey of the protagonist as a young soldier and her siblings as members of a labor camp, in one of the darkest times in Cambodia’s history. The films focus was mostly on this young soldier.

Director: Angelina Jolie

Stars: Sareum Srey Moch, Kompheak Phoeung, Socheata Sveng

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Recommended: Best Kids Movies on Netflix

Air Strike (2018)

Chinese pilots trained by US Colonel, Jack Jonson aim to defeat Japanese fighter planes looking to invade and occupy China, in response to military power shown by Japanese Imperial Forces

Director: Xiao Feng

Stars: Liu Ye, Bruce Willis, William Chan

IMDb Rating: 3.2/10

Defiance (2008)

Based on the events that unfolded in WW2, the movie focuses on Polish Jewish brothers who seek shelter from mass killings and oppression conducted by Nazi Forces, by hiding out in Belarussian Forests.

The brothers then come across thousands on non-combatant Jews, who they swear to protect and lead against Nazi forces sweeping across the nation.

Director: Edward Zwick

Stars: Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell, Alex Davalos

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Tears of the Sun (2003)

Navy seal commander Lieutenant A.K. Waters leads his time in the midst of a Nigerian jungle, to rescue US Citizen Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks who refuses to leave without taking her patients with her, as rebel forces advance on the jungle safe zone.

Most War films are boring but this War film will leave you in tears.

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Stars: Bruce Willis, Cole Hauser, Tom Skerrit

IMDb Rating: 6.6/10

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

The historical drama film follows a team of Allied forces tasked with the rescue of 2000 trapped British fellow Soliders on the desert Greek Island of Navarone, manned by Nazi forces and two enormous long distance field guns.

The team sails across stormy seas in the midst of an impending rescue deemed impossible.

Director: J Lee Thompson

Stars: Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

 Le Chant Du Loup (2019)

This War story follows a french submarine on a mission to rescue a Special Forces Unit comes across unidentified sonar contact, later revealed to be a rogue submarine, with the help of a man who is able to detect every sound but who makes an unforgivable mistake putting the entire mission in danger.

Director: Antonin Baudry

Stars: Francois Civil, Reda Kateb, Omar Sy

IMDb Rating: 6.9/10

Stretching from World War II to more recent conflicts raging in Afghanistan and Iraq, the list of best war movies on Netflix covers it all and is the best of the war genre which Netflix has to offer to its viewers.

Chris Mack

Meet Chris Mack, your go-to expert for the best of BBC iPlayer with a twist—he's also a cybersecurity enthusiast. Whether you're into British entertainment classics or searching for hidden gems, Chris has you covered, always with an eye for secure streaming practices. Beyond the screen, Chris blends his love for reading and exploring the outdoors with a passion for staying ahead in the world of cybersecurity, ensuring a safe viewing experience. If you're looking for top British TV picks or tips on keeping your digital viewing secure, Chris is your guide. Dive into the drama of British TV with Chris!