We already told you about some of the very best military documentaries currently available to stream on Netflix, but now we're going to recommend some fictional war movies for you to check out while you celebrate Veterans Day. There are quite a few noteworthy war films available on the streaming service, but these 10 should provide a good way to start loading up your queue.
1. Black Hawk Down (2001)
Ridley Scott's 2001 film Black Hawk Down tells the harrowing story of the 1993 attempt to capture Mohammed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu, Somalia. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring a great ensemble cast that includes Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, and William Fichtner, Black Hawk Down became a critical success and eventually garnered four Academy Award nominations. It ended up winning for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
2. Das Boot (1981)
The last German-language film director Wolfgang Petersen made before making his English-language debut with 1984's The NeverEnding Story, 1981's Das Boot is one of the most tense, claustrophic films ever made. Telling the fictional story of a U-96 U-boat and its crew during World War II, the film has become a huge worldwide financial success and a favorite among war movie fans. Put on your big boy pants and stop worrying about the subtitles. Just watch it. You won't regret it.
3. The Longest Day (1962)
John Wayne may be better known for his westerns, but his work in several war films is nearly just as impressive. In 1962's The Longest Day, The Duke joins an incredible ensemble cast alongside folks like Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Red Buttons, and many more to tell the story of the June 6, 1944 Normandy landings (otherwise known as D-Day) during World War II. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and took home the statue in two categories (Best Cinematography and Best Special Effects).
4. The Way Back (2010)
The most recent war film on our list, Peter Weir's The Way Back flew under the radar in 2010 despite receiving mostly positive reviews. Inspired by Slawomir Rawicz's memoir The Long Walk, the film tells the tale of a Polish military officer named Janusz Wieszczek (played by Jim Sturgess) who is sentenced to 20 years in a Siberian Gulag before escaping and making the long journey (on foot) to freedom during World War II. With excellent performances by Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, and Ed Harris, The Way Back is one of the best (and most underappreciated) films on our list.
5. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Richard Fleisher's 1970 film about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor still packs quite an emotional punch today. Starring Martin Balsam, Joseph Cotton, and Jason Robards, Tora! Tora! Tora! is basically the antithesis to something like Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor. Gritty and much more historically accurate, the film went on to garner five Academy Award nominations, but only came home with the Oscar for Best Special Effects.
6. Rescue Dawn (2006)
Simply telling you that Rescue Dawn is written and directed by the great Werner Herzog should be enough to convince you that this film belongs in your queue. If you need more convincing, however, suffice to say that Christian Bale's incredible performance is a highlight, but the supporting cast of Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, and Pat Healy is also game. Shot in the jungles of Thailand, Rescue Dawn tells the story of German-American pilot Dieter Dengler who was shot down and captured during the Vietnam War. The film's screenplay was actually adapted from Herzog's own 1997 documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly.
7. We Were Soldiers (2002)
Randall Wallace's 2002 film We Were Soldiers, about the November 14, 1965 Battle of la Drang stars Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Sam Elliott, and Greg Kinnear and is yet another film on our list about events during the Vietnam War. Based on Lieutenant General Hal Moore's book We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, the film was both well received and a box office success.
8. Patton (1970)
One of the greatest war films of all time (and perhaps the best film on this list), Franklin J. Schaffner's Patton won seven Academy Award, including Best Picture, upon its release. The film is a career-making moment for the great George C. Scott who plays the titular United States General, and it even earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1971. He, quite famously, refused to accept the award. If there is one film on this list that is an absolute must-watch, Patton is the one. Even four decades later, its holds up incredibly well.
9. The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Based on Tom Clancy's hit novel of the same name, John McTiernan's The Hunt for Red October is a fictional tale about a Soviet naval captain (played by Sean Connery) and his attempt to defect to the United States. Alec Baldwin plays Clancy's famous Jack Ryan character and the supporting cast features Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill. The Hunt for Red October became a massive box office hit (and did pretty well critically) and spawned several Jack Ryan sequels. Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine would all go on to eventually play the role in subsequent films.
10. Tears of the Sun (2003)
Antoine Fuqua's 2003 war drama Tears of the Sun might not stack up to the quality of some of the other films on this list, but it's worth watching nonetheless. Starring Bruce Willis and Monica Bellucci, the film follows a U.S. Navy SEAL team into the civil war in Nigeria, on a mission to rescue Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks (Bellucci). The movie is also the first to film aboard the USS Harry S. Truman.
