100 Best War Movies of All Time

From peacetime to frontlines, from coming home to left behind: Rotten Tomatoes presents the 100 best-reviewed war movies of all time, ranked by Certified Fresh films first. —Alex Vo

Page 1: Movies #1-#100 | Page 2: Movies #101-#137

#101

The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#101
Critics Consensus: Bolstered by a cast of memorable stars and an impressive sense of scale, The Guns of the Navarone fires with vivid characterization and entertaining spectacle.
Synopsis: In 1943, a small commando team is sent to destroy huge German guns on the Greek Island of Navarone in [More]
Starring: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker
Directed By: J. Lee Thompson

#102

Salvador (1986)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#102
Critics Consensus: Despite its somewhat disjointed narrative, Oliver Stone's Salvador is a vivid and powerful political drama that sets an early tone for the director's similarly provocative future projects.
Synopsis: Unable to find work in America because of his penchant for booze and drugs, photojournalist Richard Boyle (James Woods) heads [More]
Starring: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage
Directed By: Oliver Stone

#103

Sergeant York (1941)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#103
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Prize-winning Tennessee marksman Alvin York (Gary Cooper), a recent convert to Christianity, finds himself torn between his non-violent beliefs and [More]
Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie, George Tobias
Directed By: Howard Hawks

#104

Where Eagles Dare (1969)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#104
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A crack team of Allied soldiers stages a daring rescue during World War II. A U.S. general is being held [More]
Starring: Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark
Directed By: Brian G. Hutton

#105

The Longest Day (1962)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#105
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1944, the U.S. Army and Allied forces plan a huge invasion landing in Normandy, France. Despite bad weather, General [More]
Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger
Directed By: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki

#106

Coming Home (1978)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#106
Critics Consensus: Coming Home's stellar cast elevates the love triangle in the center of its story - and adds a necessary human component to its none-too-subtle political message.
Synopsis: The wife of a Marine serving in Vietnam, Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) decides to volunteer at a local veterans hospital [More]
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Robert Ginty
Directed By: Hal Ashby

#107

The Tin Drum (1979)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#107
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Oskar Matzerath (David Bennent) is a very unusual boy. Refusing to leave the womb until promised a tin drum by [More]
Starring: David Bennent, Angela Winkler, Mario Adorf, Daniel Olbrychski
Directed By: Volker Schlöndorff

#108

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#108
Critics Consensus: Worthy themes and strong performances across the board make Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence an impactful story about bridging cultural divides.
Synopsis: During World War II, British soldier Jack Celliers (David Bowie) is captured by Japanese forces and held in a prison [More]
Starring: David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano
Directed By: Nagisa Ôshima

#109

Private Benjamin (1980)
Tomatometer icon 82%

#109
Critics Consensus: Private Benjamin proves a potent showcase for its Oscar-nominated star, with Hawn making the most of a story that rests almost completely on her daffily irresistible charm.
Synopsis: A Jewish-American princess, Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn), is devastated when her husband (Albert Brooks) drops dead on their wedding night. [More]
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Armand Assante, Robert Webber
Directed By: Howard Zieff

#110

Catch-22 (1970)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#110
Critics Consensus: Catch-22 takes entertainingly chaotic aim at the insanity of armed conflict, supported by a terrific cast and smart, funny work from Buck Henry and Mike Nichols.
Synopsis: This scathing war satire follows Capt. John Yossarian (Alan Arkin), a pilot stationed in the Mediterranean who flies bombing missions [More]
Starring: Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel
Directed By: Mike Nichols

#111

Kelly's Heroes (1970)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#111
Critics Consensus: Kelly's Heroes subverts its World War II setting with pointed satirical commentary on modern military efforts, offering an entertaining hybrid of heist caper and battlefield action.
Synopsis: In the midst of World War II, an array of colorful American soldiers gets inside information from a drunk German [More]
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland
Directed By: Brian G. Hutton

#112

Gettysburg (1993)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#112
Critics Consensus: Gettysburg's reverent approach to history is balanced with the committed work of a talented cast - and the hard-hitting dramatization of a bloody turning point in the Civil War.
Synopsis: This war drama depicts one of the biggest events of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. The massive [More]
Starring: Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang, Jeff Daniels
Directed By: Ronald F. Maxwell

#113

Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
Tomatometer icon 73%

#113
Critics Consensus: Overall, this caustic comedy hits more of its targets than it misses.
Synopsis: Set on an American Army base in 1989, as the Berlin Wall is about to fall, Buffalo Soldiers takes a [More]
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Anna Paquin
Directed By: Gregor Jordan

#114

Bent (1997)
Tomatometer icon 74%

#114
Critics Consensus: Bent juggles heavy topics with style, though its heavy-handedness at times feels more like exploitation than exploration.
Synopsis: In 1930s Berlin, homosexual Max (Clive Owen) sleeps with German officer Wolf (Nikolaj Waldau), only to see him killed by [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau, Brian Webber, Ian McKellen
Directed By: Sean Mathias

#115

The King (2019)
Tomatometer icon 71%

#115
Critics Consensus: While The King is sometimes less than the sum of its impressive parts, strong source material and gripping performances make this a period drama worth hailing.
Synopsis: Young Henry V encounters deceit, war and treachery after becoming king of England in the 15th century. [More]
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson
Directed By: David Michôd

#116

Cold Mountain (2003)
Tomatometer icon 70%

#116
Critics Consensus: The well-crafted Cold Mountain has an epic sweep and captures the horror and brutal hardship of war.
Synopsis: In this classic story of love and devotion set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, a wounded Confederate [More]
Starring: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Eileen Atkins
Directed By: Anthony Minghella

#117

The Grey Zone (2001)
Tomatometer icon 70%

#117
Critics Consensus: A grim and devastating tale of the Holocaust.
Synopsis: Based on actual events, "The Grey Zone" is the staggeringly powerful story of the Auschwitz's twelfth Sonderkommando -- one of [More]
Starring: David Arquette, Daniel Benzali, Steve Buscemi, David Chandler
Directed By: Tim Blake Nelson

#118

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#118
Critics Consensus: While WTF is far from FUBAR, Tina Fey and Martin Freeman are just barely enough to overcome the picture's glib predictability and limited worldview.
Synopsis: In 2002, cable news producer Kim Barker (Tina Fey) decides to shake up her routine by taking a daring new [More]
Starring: Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina
Directed By: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

#119

Che: Part One (2008)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#119
Critics Consensus: Though lengthy and at times plodding, Soderbergh's vision and Benicio Del Toro's understated performance ensure that Che always fascinates.
Synopsis: Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio del Toro) transforms from intellectual, asthmatic doctor to one of Latin America's legendary revolutionaries. In the [More]
Starring: Benicio del Toro, Demián Bichir, Santiago Cabrera, Elvira Mínguez
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

#120

U-571 (2000)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#120
Critics Consensus: Excellent cinematography and an interesting plot accompanied by a talented cast and crew make U-571 a tense thriller.
Synopsis: When a German U-571 submarine with a sophisticated encryption machine onboard is sunk during a World War II battle at [More]
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi
Directed By: Jonathan Mostow

#121

Memphis Belle (1990)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#121
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: At a U.S. Army Air Force base in England, the crew members of B-17 bomber Memphis Belle prepare for their [More]
Starring: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D.B. Sweeney
Directed By: Michael Caton-Jones

#122

Anthropoid (2016)
Tomatometer icon 67%

#122
Critics Consensus: Anthropoid completes its mission rather unevenly but delivers a historically illuminating story with great performances to back it up.
Synopsis: In December 1941, two Czech soldiers (Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan) parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard [More]
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerová
Directed By: Sean Ellis

#123

The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
Tomatometer icon 71%

#123
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: During World War II, Nazi officer Max Radl (Robert Duvall) devises a plan to kidnap or kill the British prime [More]
Starring: Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter
Directed By: John Sturges

#124

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Tomatometer icon 65%

#124
Critics Consensus: A touching and haunting family film that deals with the Holocaust in an arresting and unusual manner, and packs a brutal final punch of a twist.
Synopsis: During World War II, 8-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and his family leave Berlin to take up residence near the concentration [More]
Starring: David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Rupert Friend, Asa Butterfield
Directed By: Mark Herman

#125

Stop-Loss (2008)
Tomatometer icon 64%

#125
Critics Consensus: Stop-Loss is sincere and complex, and features strong performances, even if it tries to cover too much ground.
Synopsis: His tour of duty in Iraq finally over, Staff Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) returns home to Brazos, Texas, ready [More]
Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed By: Kimberly Peirce

#126

The Wall (2017)
Tomatometer icon 65%

#126
Critics Consensus: The Wall makes the most of its limitations -- albeit perhaps not quite enough to stretch its tight-focused action into a consistently gripping feature-length thriller.
Synopsis: U.S. soldiers Allan "Ize" Isaac and Shane Matthews answer a distress call in the desert of postwar Iraq. Suddenly, gunshots [More]
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli
Directed By: Doug Liman

#127

The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)
Tomatometer icon 64%

#127
Critics Consensus: The Zookeeper's Wife has noble intentions, but is ultimately unable to bring its fact-based story to life with quite as much impact as it deserves.
Synopsis: The time is 1939 and the place is Poland, homeland of Antonina Zabinski and her husband, Dr. Jan Zabinski. The [More]
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Michael McElhatton, Daniel Brühl
Directed By: Niki Caro

#128

We Were Soldiers (2002)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#128
Critics Consensus: The war cliches are laid on a bit thick, but the movie succeeds at putting a human face on soldiers of both sides in the Vietnam War.
Synopsis: Based upon the best-selling book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott
Directed By: Randall Wallace

#129

Brothers (2009)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#129
Critics Consensus: It plays more like a traditional melodrama than the Susanne Bier film that inspired it, but Jim Sheridan's Brothers benefits from rock-solid performances by its three leads.
Synopsis: Siblings Sam (Tobey Maguire) and Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal) are as far apart as brothers can be; while Sam serves [More]
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Sam Shepard
Directed By: Jim Sheridan

#130

The Reader (2008)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#130
Critics Consensus: Despite Kate Winslet's superb portrayal, The Reader suggests an emotionally distant, Oscar-baiting historical drama.
Synopsis: Michael Berg (David Kross), a teen in postwar Germany, begins a passionate but clandestine affair with Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), [More]
Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Lena Olin
Directed By: Stephen Daldry

#131

A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Tomatometer icon 59%

#131
Critics Consensus: A Bridge Too Far is a war movie too long, although top-notch talent on both sides of the camera keeps the end result consistently watchable.
Synopsis: Late in 1944, the Allies seem to have the upper hand in the European land war. A combined British and [More]
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery
Directed By: Richard Attenborough

#132

Valkyrie (2008)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#132
Critics Consensus: Given the subject matter, Valkyrie could have been an outstanding historical thriller, but settles for being a mildly entertaining, but disposable yarn.
Synopsis: Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) serves Germany with loyalty and pride but fears that Hitler will destroy his country [More]
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson
Directed By: Bryan Singer

#133

The Patriot (2000)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#133
Critics Consensus: The Patriot can be entertaining to watch, but it relies too much on formula and melodrama.
Synopsis: Mel Gibson portrays Benjamin Martin, an unassuming man who is forced to join the American Revolution when the British threaten [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs
Directed By: Roland Emmerich

#134

300 (2007)
Tomatometer icon 61%

#134
Critics Consensus: A simple-minded but visually exciting experience, full of blood, violence, and ready-made movie quotes.
Synopsis: In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the [More]
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Directed By: Zack Snyder

#135

Jarhead (2005)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#135
Critics Consensus: This first person account of the first Gulf War scores with its performances and cinematography but lacks an emotional thrust.
Synopsis: In the late 1980s, Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) enlists as a Marine, training in boot camp under a sadistic drill [More]
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper
Directed By: Sam Mendes

#136

Operation Finale (2018)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#136
Critics Consensus: Operation Finale is well-intentioned, well-acted, and overall entertaining, even if the depth and complexity of the real-life events depicted can get a little lost in their dramatization.
Synopsis: Fifteen years after the end of World War II, a team of top-secret Israeli agents travels to Argentina to track [More]
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mélanie Laurent, Lior Raz
Directed By: Chris Weitz

#137

Allied (2016)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#137
Critics Consensus: Allied has its moments, but doesn't quite achieve epic wartime romance status -- a disappointment made more profound by the dazzling talent assembled on either side of the camera.
Synopsis: Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) and Marianne Beauséjour (Marion Cotillard) are World War II operatives who never reveal their true identities. [More]
Starring: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris, Simon McBurney
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

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