War movies [1] are a tried-and-true staple of the movie industry. We've all seen those deeply serious Oscar hopefuls [2], but there are also a lot more options for war movies on Netflix than you might think! The stereotype is, of course, the tear-jerking historical drama [3], but there are also surprisingly funny and satirical movies, as well as ones that don't solely focus on American and European history. We've rounded up some of the highlights of Netflix's library, including Oscar-winning classics and Netflix originals alike. The next time you feel like watching a war movie, check out one of these titles currently available for streaming!
Apache Warrior
This documentary follows an elite team of military helicopter aviators during the first wave of operations in Iraq in early 2003. It's a combination of real cockpit footage, interviews, and more to give audiences a look inside the realities of flight and combat.
Watch Apache Warrior on Netflix. [4]
Beasts of No Nation
In a never-specified West African country, civil war rages and warlords recruit anyone and everyone they can and forcen them to fight in their armies. One such warlord comes upon a young orphan boy, who he takes in and trains to become a child soldier.
Watch Beasts of No Nation on Netflix. [5]
Defiance
During World War II, Nazi troops are making their way through Belarus, capturing and killing Jews and other "undesirables" en masse. A trio of brothers manage to escape into the woods, and they set out to avenge their lost loved ones by forming a group to rescue Belarusian Jews and recruit some of them into a resistance fighter group.
Watch Defiance on Netflix. [6]
God of War
In Ming Dynasty China, an experienced leader teams up with a fast-rising and clever young officer. They've got a lot to deal with: internal politics, bureaucratic obstacles, and, most dangerous of all, a group of Japanese pirates closing in.
Watch God of War on Netflix. [7]
Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino [8]'s alt-history dark comedy focuses on a mismatched group of fighters determined to get violent revenge on Nazis. The Jewish-led group includes Allied officers, a German actress-turned-spy, and a Jewish theatre owner whose family was murdered — and they've all got their own dreams of brutal vengeance.
Watch Inglourious Basterds on Netflix. [9]
Jarhead
A young Marine trains in the 1980s under the supervision of a brutal and sadistic drill instructor and eventually becomes a sniper. When the Gulf War begins, he and his company are shipped out to the Middle East, where they struggle with what they're asked to do and try to keep a grip among all the uncertainty.
Watch Jarhead on Netflix. [10]
The King
Netflix's adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henriad" plays follows wayward young Prince Hal as he becomes King Henry V. The young king takes to the battlefield during the Hundred Years' War against France, fighting famed battles abroad while still trying to hold onto his crown back at home.
Watch The King on Netflix. [11]
The Last Samurai
An American soldier is hired by the emperor of Japan to educate his army on techniques of modern warfare. While the government tries to eliminate the old samurai warriors in favour of newer, Westernized technology, their American ally comes to realise just how much the old ways can inform the new.
Watch The Last Samurai on Netflix. [12]
Outlaw King
Robert the Bruce is a legendary warrior and the crowned king of Scotland, but in the 14th century, that's a more dangerous title than anything. The new king, forced into exile, rallies his people to fight a war against the English to try to preserve Scottish way of life.
Watch Outlaw King on Netflix. [13]
The Pianist
In Poland during World War II, a Jewish pianist is forced into hiding from the Nazi invaders. Separated from his family, he joins the resistance, but when he crosses paths with a music-loving German officer, it could put everything in danger.
Watch The Pianist on Netflix. [14]
War Horse
In the years before, during, and after World War I, a young British man and his beloved horse are separated time and time again. They both suffer through the war in their own way, and as the horse goes through a series of different owners, we follow their stories, too.
Watch War Horse on Netflix. [15]
War Machine
Tired of dark, dramatic war movies? Try this satirical dark comedy about an arrogant general who swoops in to take command of NATO forces in Afghanistan, only to find himself in way over his head.
Watch War Machine on Netflix. [16]
The Patriot
During the American Revolution, a young man enlists to fight against the British, frustrating his pacifist father. When he's captured, his father takes up arms to rescue him, forming a group of patriot fighters who prove invaluable to the overall colonial war effort.
Watch The Patriot on Netflix. [17]