favorite military war tv shows movies and documentaries to date
favorite military war tv shows movies and documentaries that have been released in the modern era between 1980-present. Work in progress.
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- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom SizemoreFollowing the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsJosh HartnettEwan McGregorTom SizemoreThe story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJeremy RennerAnthony MackieBrian GeraghtyDuring the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
- DirectorKang Je-kyuStarsJang Dong-gunWon BinEun-ju LeeWhen two brothers are forced to fight in the Korean War, the elder decides to take the riskiest missions if it will help shield the younger from battle.
- DirectorJohn H. LeeStarsCha Seung-wonKwon Sang-wooChoi Seung-hyunThe story of student-soldiers trying to protect a middle school during the early days of the Korean War.
- DirectorHun JangStarsShin Ha-kyunGo SooRyu Seung-suA drama centered on the Korean War's final battle that will determine the border between north and south.
- Excellent Documentary about north korea
- DirectorCarla GarapedianStarsJoe LayburnA documentary about a North Korean that repeatedly goes back into the country with a hidden camera to film the orphans dying of starvation in the streets.Another excellent documentary about north korea both are must see documentaries.
- DirectorRandall WallaceStarsMel GibsonMadeleine StoweGreg KinnearThe story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsBruce WillisCole HauserMonica BellucciA Special-Ops commander leads his team into the Nigerian jungle in order to rescue a doctor who will only join them if they agree to save 70 refugees too.
- DirectorJohn MooreStarsGene HackmanOwen WilsonGabriel MachtA disillusioned pilot shot down over war-torn Bosnia goes on the run from the local military and an assassin, as his commanding officer risks all to save him.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsTommy Lee JonesSamuel L. JacksonGuy PearceAn attorney defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a Middle Eastern country.
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanJamie BartlettKevin CollinsThis is the true story of the most highly decorated British patrol since the Boer war: an eight man SAS team inserted behind Iraqi lines during the Gulf War in January 1991. Their mission was to take out the scud missiles which Saddam Hussein was using to terrorize his enemies, as well as to sever strategic communication lines between Baghdad and North West Iraq. This top secret mission was called "Bravo Two Zero" and it was commanded by Sergeant Andy McNab. Of the eight who went out, only five returned. Dropped into "scud alley" carrying 210-pound packs, McNab and his men soon found themselves surrounded by Saddam's army. Their radios didn't work; the weather was brutally cold. And they had been spotted.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsJohn TravoltaSamuel L. JacksonConnie NielsenA D.E.A. Agent investigates the disappearance of a legendary Army Ranger Drill Sergeant and several of his cadets during a training exercise gone severely awry.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsDaniel CraigLiev SchreiberJamie BellJewish brothers in German-occupied Eastern Europe escape into a Belorussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters, and endeavor to build a village, in order to protect themselves and about one thousand Jewish non-combatants.
- DirectorJoseph ZitoStarsDolph LundgrenM. Emmet WalshAl WhiteA Spetsnaz commando is sent on a covert mission by his Soviet superiors to infiltrate a rebel army and assassinate its leader.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsCharlie SheenMichael BiehnJoanne WhalleyA battle-hardened SEAL Team set off on a mission to destroy a shipment of US-built Stinger missiles that have fallen into terrorist hands.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsBrad PittDiane KrugerEli RothIn Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsMel GibsonHeath LedgerJoely RichardsonPeaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsJude LawEd HarrisJoseph FiennesA Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad.
- StarsScott GrimesDamian LewisRon LivingstonThe story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
- StarsJames Badge DaleJoseph MazzelloJon SedaThe Pacific Theatre of World War II, as seen through the eyes of several young Marines.
- DirectorDan KraussStarsAdam WinfieldChristopher WinfieldEmma WinfieldThis provocative, bold, and deeply moving documentary profiles Adam Winfield, a soldier-turned-whistleblower who returns from the battlefield to expose shocking war crimes that the U.S. Army will do anything to cover up.
- DirectorHeather CourtneyA documentary that chronicles four years in the lives of childhood friends as they enter a faraway war.
- DirectorDan KraussStarsNat WolffAlexander SkarsgårdAdam LongA young American soldier in Afghanistan is disturbed by his commanding officer's behavior and is faced with a moral dilemma.
- DirectorNick BicanicJason BourqueStarsAlan BellPhil LancasterMadelaine DrohanA groundbreaking investigation into the secretive world of private security forces in Iraq.Must See Documentary about private contractors(Mercenaries). Something a bit different then your typical military documentary about war. Interviews, footage etc that are broken up with little narratored sequences by Gerard Butler[300] about an existing contractors letters to his family in iraq. Easily my favorite documentary of what i have seen thus far but not by much.
- DirectorScott MactavishStarsMichael P. MurphyJohnny McElhoneHector Velez Jr.A documentary based on the honor, courage and commitment of Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy, who gave his life for his men in 2005 and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2007.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsPat TillmanJosh BrolinMary TillmanChronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan.Must see documentary.
- DirectorDavid MichôdStarsBrad PittDaniel BettsJohn MagaroAn idiosyncratic general confronts opposition from enemies, allies, and bureaucrats while leading a massive rebuilding operation in Afghanistan.
- DirectorJanus MetzDanish soldiers are sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for 6 months, to help stabilize the country against the Taliban. They're stationed on Armadillo military base in Helman province. Unlike other war movies, this is the real deal - no actors.Must see documentary.
- DirectorRichie SmythStarsJamie DornanEmmanuelle SeignerMark StrongIrish Commandant Pat Quinlan leads a stand off with troops against French and Belgian Mercenaries in the Congo during the early 1960s.
- DirectorTim HetheringtonSebastian JungerStarsThe Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat TeamJuan 'Doc RestrepoDan KearneyA year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.Must see documentary
- DirectorDeborah ScrantonStarsZack BazziDuncan DomeyBen FlandersCalled up for service in Iraq, several members of the National Guard were given digital video cameras. This film, edited from their footage, provides a perspective on a complex and troubled conflict.Must see documentary.
- DirectorPatricia FoulkrodStarsHerold Noel Jr.Robert AcostaSean HuzeThis powerful film shows how the Iraq War's ground conflicts are only a prelude to the challenging and grueling battles heroic veterans face when they return home from duty.Must see documentary.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsKaty Helvenston-WettengalScott HelvenstonDonna ZovkoRobert Greenwald looks at war profiteering in Iraq by private contracting companies Halliburton, CACI, and KBR.must see documentary about private contractors.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsAmy ZieringKirby DickKori CiocaAn investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
- DirectorCanaan BrumleyStarsDrill Instructor MarananDrill Instructor MartinezDrill Instructor LiebfriedDocumentary of the life of a USMC Drill Instructor, and the recruits that they mold.Must see documentary
- StarsAndrew HastieVince ConnellyThis 2 part series shows what it takes to pass the Australian SAS course which is known to be the toughest military selection trial in the world. Most will not complete this 21-day trial.Follows the first few weeks of SAS selection process. Excellent documentary.
- StarsDermot O'LearyEddie StoneAnna McCormackMust see tv series
- A hard hitting ITV series that follows Royal Marines recruits from day one of training, through 32 weeks of the longest and hardest military training in the world and then to the front line in Afghanistan.
- CreatorElisabeth NordStarsPaul McGannThe documentary series looks beyond the myths and brutal reputation of the Legion, portrays the legionnaires' daily life, and reveals the true face of one of the most famous, mysterious and secretive fighting forces in the world.Must see tv series
- DirectorScott HillierStarsBouquinRandolph ClarkPhilippe DelapelleIt's been called an army of thieves and cutthroats. A band of hired killers. But from the burning sands of Northern Africa to the jungles of South America, whenever the odds are long and the battle fierce, the French Foreign legion has been called into action.Must see documentary
- DirectorIan OldsGarrett ScottStarsMatthew BacikChris CorcioneEric ForbesIn January, 2004, in Al-Falluja, Iraq, a documentary film crew follows an infantry squad of the 82nd Airborne, US Army. Cameras accompany the squad of seven on day and night patrols, as they watch their backs, kick down doors, search for weapons, interrogate women, detain a few people, and listen to the complaints of locals. At their barracks, a former Baathist retreat called Dreamland, the men talk: about why they enlisted, civilian prospects, feelings about the war and Iraqis, where they were when a comrade died a few weeks before. We see them wait for translators and try a few words of Arabic; we hear their frustrations. We watch them pressured to reenlist. Tensions mount in Falluja.Good documentary.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMatthew ModineR. Lee ErmeyVincent D'OnofrioA pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsMichael J. FoxSean PennDon HarveyDuring the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.
- StarsAlexander SkarsgårdJames RansoneLee TergesenA Rolling Stone reporter, embedded with The 1st Recon Marines chronicles his experiences during the first wave of the American-led assault on Baghdad in 2003.
- CreatorDavid MametStarsDennis HaysbertRegina TaylorAudrey Marie AndersonA secret US military group conducts covert operations across the world, facing several life-threatening situations during their missions.
- DirectorTony BillStarsJames FrancoJean RenoJennifer DeckerThe adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots.
- DirectorNikolai MüllerschönStarsMatthias SchweighöferLena HeadeyTil SchweigerGerman biopic loosely based on the World War I fighter ace Manfred Von Richthofen, nicknamed the Red Baron by friend and foe alike.
- DirectorMichael BayStarsBen AffleckKate BeckinsaleJosh HartnettA 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.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsTom CruiseTim RobbinsKelly McGillisAs students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.
- DirectorDavid GreenStarsNicolas CageTommy Lee JonesSean YoungElite Apache helicopter pilots are tasked with destroying powerful armed drug cartels operating in South America.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsRoy ScheiderWarren OatesCandy ClarkThe cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.
- DirectorRob CohenStarsJosh LucasJessica BielJamie FoxxDeeply ensconced in a top-secret military program, three pilots struggle to bring an artificial intelligence program under control before it initiates the next world war.
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsCuba Gooding Jr.Robert De NiroCharlize TheronThe story of Carl Brashear, the first African-American U.S. Navy Diver, and the man who trained him.
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsDustin HoffmanRene RussoMorgan FreemanArmy doctors struggle to find a cure for a deadly virus spreading throughout a California town that was brought to America by an African monkey.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsMatthew BroderickDenzel WashingtonCary ElwesRobert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsDenzel WashingtonMeg RyanLou Diamond PhillipsA U.S. Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsDemi MooreViggo MortensenAnne BancroftLt. Jordan, a US Navy topographic analyst, joins the US Navy Special Warfare Group and struggles to prove her worth in a unit dominated by men. But a cynical woman Texan senator has sold her out.
- DirectorPaul HaggisStarsTommy Lee JonesCharlize TheronJonathan TuckerA retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsGeorge ClooneyMark WahlbergIce CubeIn the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, four soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who desperately need their help.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
- DirectorStefan RuzowitzkyStarsKarl MarkovicsAugust DiehlDevid StriesowThe story of the Operation Bernhard, the largest counterfeiting operation in history, carried out by Germany during World War II.
- DirectorRoberto BenigniStarsRoberto BenigniNicoletta BraschiGiorgio CantariniWhen an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsChristian BaleNi NiXinyi ZhangAn American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJeremy IrvineEmily WatsonDavid ThewlisA young farm boy enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. His hopeful journey takes him out of England and onto the front lines as the war rages on.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsBrad PittAnthony HopkinsAidan QuinnIn the early 1900s, three brothers and their father living in the remote wilderness of Montana are affected by betrayal, history, love, nature, and war.
- DirectorSylvester StalloneStarsSylvester StalloneJulie BenzMatthew MarsdenIn Thailand, John Rambo joins a group of mercenaries to venture into war-torn Burma, and rescue a group of Christian aid workers who were kidnapped by the ruthless local infantry unit.Best of the whole series
- DirectorSylvester StalloneStarsSylvester StalloneJason StathamJet LiA CIA operative hires a team of mercenaries to eliminate a Latin dictator and a renegade CIA agent.
- DirectorLuis LlosaStarsTom BerengerBilly ZaneJ.T. WalshA veteran US Marine sniper is partnered with a rookie sniper as his spotter to take out a politician and a rebel leader in the jungles of Panama.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsMark WahlbergMichael PeñaRhona MitraA marksman living in exile is coaxed back into action after hearing of a plot to kill the President. After being-double crossed for the attempt and on the run, he sets out for the real killer and the truth.
- DirectorTerry GeorgeStarsDon CheadleSophie OkonedoJoaquin PhoenixPaul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerWillem DafoeChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsBrad PittEric BanaOrlando BloomAn adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweCate BlanchettMatthew MacfadyenIn twelfth-century England, Robin Longstride and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsOrlando BloomEva GreenLiam NeesonBalian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsClive OwenStephen DillaneKeira KnightleyA demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsTom CruiseKen WatanabeBilly ConnollyNathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKoji YakushoTakayuki YamadaYûsuke IseyaA group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsJean-Claude Van DammeDolph LundgrenAlly WalkerSoldiers who were killed in action are brought back to life in a top secret military experiment that creates superhuman warriors.
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsSean PertweeKevin McKiddEmma CleasbyA routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scottish wilderness.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorThree years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
- DirectorRichard MarquandStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsWill SmithBill PullmanJeff GoldblumThe aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsCasper Van DienDenise RichardsDina MeyerHumans, in a fascist militaristic future, wage war with giant alien bugs.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCarl WeathersKevin Peter HallA team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
- DirectorMikael HåfströmStarsAnthony MackieDamson IdrisEnzo CilentiIn the near future, a drone pilot sent into a war zone finds himself paired with a top-secret android officer on a mission to stop a nuclear attack.