By Janelle Sheetz
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Historical films, war films in particular, offer a unique way to reexamine some of the most notable events of our past. And although they're not quite as popular now as they were in the past, they still do well, drawing in diverse audiences interested in the stories they tell. The genre can be something of a blockbuster, with big budgets, meticulously planned scenes and star-studded casts.
War films also tend to do well at the box office, both domestically and abroad. Often, the highest-grossing films in a given year, war or otherwise, are American, but in recent years, foreign offerings have dominated the top spot at the box office, with Box Office Mojo reporting record-breaking earnings. Stories of World War II remain particularly popular and lucrative, and modern war films are among the most successful, thanks in part to the filmmaking techniques of their directors, their stunning cinematography and above all, their compelling stories and characters.
10 'Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
Dir. Mel Gibson
Army medic Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) not only refuses to fire a single shot during his deployment in World War II, but he refuses to carry a weapon at all for religious reasons in Hacksaw Ridge, based on a true story. Despite this, he still managed to save 75 men, and as a result, he was the only person to be award the Medal of Honor without having fired a single shot. The film grossed $180 million worldwide.
War movies often cover the role of a specific person in certain events, and Hacksaw Ridge presents an interesting story unusual for a war film, made all the more compelling by its historical basis. While not as highly regarded as other war films like Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge is still a well-done film which addresses the horrors of war and why one might join to help without contributing to the violence.
Hacksaw Ridge
Where to Watch
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*Availability in US
- Release Date
- November 4, 2016
- Director
- Mel Gibson
- Cast
- Andrew Garfield, Richard Pyros, Jacob Warner, Milo Gibson, Darcy Bryce, Roman Guerriero
- Writers
- Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight
9 '1917' (2019)
Dir. Sam Mendes
In 1917, set during World War I, two soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), are tasked with delivering a message across enemy lines to their superiors asking them to call off an ill-fated attack, as it would instead lead to thousands of soldiers from heading directly into a trap. The film earned $384 million at the box office worldwide, $159 million of which was from domestic ticket sales.
1917’s success was well-deserved. It’s a thrilling movie with a high-stakes mission, as well as wonderful filmmaking. It’s an intense, harrowing film from beginning to end—it wastes very little time getting to the heart of the plot, and from there, it dives straight into the action, throwing one hurdle after another at the two soldiers. It’s easy to root for them due to the admirable determination to deliver the message before it’s too late.
8 'Pearl Harbor' (2001)
Dir. Michael Bay
Pearl Harbor follows childhood friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they become pilots in 1941, during World War II. After Rafe is presumed dead and his girlfriend, Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), is left heartbroken, she turns to Danny for comfort, and the two begin a relationship—just when Rafe returns, alive, before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie earned $449 million worldwide, $198 of which came from domestic ticket sales.
Pearl Harbor is an epic drama, equal parts romance and war film, with a focus on how the war affects the lives of the main characters. While much of the criticism of the film stems from those elements, plus its three-hour runtime and historical inaccuracies, there’s no denying it was a huge financial success. It’s also a visually stunning film, with impressive action sequences—not surprising given the involvement of director Michael Bay.
Pearl Harbor
A tale of war and romance mixed in with history. The story follows two lifelong friends and a beautiful nurse who are caught up in the horror of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941.
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- Release Date
- May 25, 2001
- Director
- Michael Bay
- Cast
- Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Colm Feore, Alec Baldwin
- Writers
- Randall Wallace
7 'The Eight Hundred' (2020)
Dir. Guan Hu
Set in 1937, Chinese war film The Eight Hundred follows 800 Chinese soldiers as they fight to defend the Sihang Warehouse in the middle of the Shanghai battlefield, with the Imperial Japanese Army closing in. Despite expectations, the soldiers manage to hold out for four days. The movie was based on actual events, including Chinese NRA troops’ defense of Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai during the Battle of Shanghai. It grossed $461 million worldwide.
The Eight Hundred is an ambitious film which deals with morality during war and the difficult decisions those fighting it are forced to make. Despite some issues with pacing, it’s a great film overall, with some fantastic action sequences. The movie’s impressive box-office numbers led to it being the second-highest-grossing movie of 2020 in the entire world, a year in which COVID-19 disrupted the film industry, making its success all the more impressive.
6 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998)
Dir. Steven Spielberg
After just barely surviving D-Day in Normandy in Saving Private Ryan, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his men are ordered to seek out Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have been killed in action, and try to get him to safety to ensure his entire family isn’t killed in the war. The movie’s box-office returns totaled over $482 million worldwide, $217 million of which was earned domestically.
Saving Private Ryan is a brutal, graphic depiction of the realities of war with relentless intensity, starting with its infamous Omaha Beach scene and carrying through to the very end. It not only earned impressive numbers at the box office—at the time, it was the highest-grossing war movie ever—but it holds up years later and is still hailed as one of the best war movies ever made, thanks in part to its realism.
Saving Private Ryan
Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
Where to Watch
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- Release Date
- July 24, 1998
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Cast
- Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon
- Writers
- Robert Rodat
5 'Dunkirk' (2017)
Dir. Christopher Nolan
In Dunkirk, set during World War II in May 1940, Allied troops from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire and France are surrounded by German troops, trapping them on Dunkirk beach with nowhere else to go. The story of their evacuation is told through three different timelines, set in different locations and different times, including different lengths of time, which come together in the end. The movie earned $527 million worldwide.
Director Christopher Nolan is best-known for dark sci-fi films like Inception and Tenet, but Dunkirk was his first war film—and it was a huge success for him, both critically and commercially. The film is notable for its realism and immersive feel, with a narrative centered on survival more than a true plot. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, making it Nolan’s first nod as director.
Dunkirk
Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2017
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Kenneth Branagh, Aneurin Barnard, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, James D'Arcy, Jack Lowden, Cillian Murphy, Harry Styles, Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan
4 'American Sniper' (2014)
Dir. Clint Eastwood
American Sniper follows U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) as his impressive accuracy helps him become one of the most lethal snipers in American history over the course of his four deployments, earning him the nickname “Legend.” It was based on the memoir of the same name by Chris Kyle himself. The film earned $547 million worldwide, $107 million of which came on its opening day alone. It earned $302 million domestically.
American Sniper received praise from both critics and audiences, and at the time, it was the highest-grossing war movie ever, making it one of the only successful films about the Iraq war. It’s also still the highest-grossing of director Clint Eastwood’s career. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, although it only won one—Best Sound Editing. The movie also attracted some controversy, however, due in part to Kyle himself and his claims about his military service.
American Sniper
Where to Watch
- stream
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Not available
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*Availability in US
- Release Date
- December 25, 2014
- Director
- Clint Eastwood
- Cast
- Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, E.R. Ruiz, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Max Charles
- Writers
- Jason Hall
3 'Operation Red Sea' (2018)
Dir. Dante Lam
After a coup during a civil war makes things unstable, a special task force of the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps takes on the risky mission of evacuating civilians in the fictional Republic of Ihwea in Operation Red Sea, a sequel to Operation Mekong set during a fictionalized version of Yemeni Civil War. The plot also follows a journalist working to expose the terrorists’ plans. The film grossed $579 worldwide.
Operation Red Sea was designed as a propaganda film to celebrate the Chinese military, although its tone is similar to plenty of American war movies. Despite not being as successful internationally—$577 million of its $579 million gross came from China—the film won awards in a few Asian film festivals. It has often been compared to Wolf Warrior 2, the highest-grossing film in China, or American war blockbuster Black Hawk Down.
2 'The Battle at Lake Changjin II' (2022)
Dir. Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam
In the sequel to The Battle at Lake Changjin, the soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers are given a new mission—to attack the Sumun Bridge and stop American troops’ attempts to rebuild it. The Battle at Lake Changjin II, also known as Water Gate Bridge, earned $626 million at the box office worldwide and, like its predecessor, was directed by the trio of Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam.
Although not nearly as financially successful as the previous film, The Battle at Lake Changjin II still earned a record-setting amount at the box office—enough to make it the highest-grossing film of 2022. Although it received slightly better reviews than its predecessor, both films are propaganda films and were released as part of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, and both have been criticized for numerous historical inaccuracies.
1 'The Battle at Lake Changjin' (2021)
Dir. Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam
In The Battle at Lake Changjin, two brothers—Wu Qian Li and Wu Wan Li—join the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War in 1950. After the Chinese forces invaded Korea, they fight to push back against American Marines, a battle made even more difficult by the harsh weather conditions. The film earned $902 million at the box office worldwide, although much of that came from domestic ticket sales.
The Battle at Lake Changjin was a huge financial success in China—fitting, because it was also China’s most expensive film ever made. It received mixed reviews, however, especially in America. While just about all war movies take some liberties for the sake of narrative, the film has been criticized for its inaccuracies and is considered by some to be a propaganda film. Despite this, though, it does present a sympathetic view of the enemy American soldiers.
NEXT: The 10 Most Controversial War Movies, Ranked
- Movie
- Dunkirk
- Hacksaw Ridge
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