War movies have been produced almost since the inception of Hollywood. There is something just so alluring about the war genre, maybe because war is, by and large, the worst thing that has ever happened and continues to happen throughout humanity’s history. Thus, movies like Saving Private Ryan and Come and See showcase the tragedy of war without their viewers having to risk their lives by experiencing war firsthand.

As the decades have passed, many war movies have become long-time classics that hold up just as much now as they did at the time of their release. Truly, it’s no surprise at all that some of these films have become classics, especially with their macabre narratives and grisly visuals. Luckily, Hollywood continues to produce war movies, and many modern masterpieces came out only a few years ago. These are the best war movies of the last five years, proving that the genre will keep thriving as long as cinema itself thrives.

10 ‘The Outpost’ (2019)

Conflict: War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)

The Outpost is based on a true story that occurred at PRT Kamdesh, an American military outpost in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. The soldiers spend most of their days defending the outpost, but the camp itself has one major flaw: PRT Kamdesh lay at the bottom of a gully, surrounded by mountains on all sides and leaving an infinite amount of places for enemy insurgents to hide. Being assigned to PRT Kamdesh was akin to a death sentence, and the soldiers all knew it.

The movie brings an interesting dynamic as the troops break under the stress of knowing they are sitting ducks in their current position. It brings a terrifying feeling of claustrophobia, knowing that there is nowhere to run when things get bad, which happens on an almost daily basis. Nerve-wracking but absolutely brilliant, The Outpost explores tragedy and camaraderie in the face of certain destruction, making it not only an action-packed war movie but also a heartfelt story of brotherhood.

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9 ‘1917’ (2019)

Conflict: World War I (1914-1918)

1917 takes place on the Western Front near the end of the First World War and is shot in a style that makes it seem like it’s been done all in one take through a clever series of hidden edits. It follows two British runners who are assigned to deliver a crucial message to another battalion on another part of the front before they press their attack and walk right into an enemy trap.

The movie is anxiety-inducing, with the sense of urgency slowly mounting and getting worse every time something goes wrong. With every misstep or unexpected detour, the clock keeps ticking, and the characters must find a way to advance through the danger in order to keep their pace. One of the most endlessly rewatchable war movies, 1917 is a pressing, unique World War I flick with style and emotion to spare.

8 ‘The Woman King’ (2022)

Conflict: Unnamed fictional war (1823)

The Woman King takes place in the kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa, who find themselves at odds with the neighboring Oyo society after they take slaves from Dahomey. As tensions simmer, Dahomey dispatches the Agojie, an all-female contingent of warriors, to fight this new threat. The brilliant, Oscar-winning Viola Davis headlines this riveting story, accompanied by a stellar supporting cast.

While there was an actual war between these two kingdoms, it actually occurred a lot earlier. Thus, The Woman Kingplays into the alternate history genre by showing a war that never happened in real life. Still, with its unique and interesting premise, it earned rave reviews from critics and was commended for drawing attention to a real group of warriors that, until its release, were rarely acknowledged, if at all.

7 ‘The Forgotten Battle’ (2021)

Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)

The Forgotten Battle is a Netflix movie that, coincidentally, has been pretty much forgotten about. To this day, it remains one of the most underrated World War II movies ever produced, never receiving the attention that it deserves. It centers on the Battle of the Scheldt in the Netherlands, an overlooked yet pivotal moment in the Allied advance across the Western Front.

The movie takes multiple avenues of approach, depicting the battle as seen from different sides and exploring the challenges that British, American, and German troops were faced with, along with the Dutch civilians living in the area. This underappreciated flick portrays the war on a massive scale, utilizing multiple assets like planes and tanks to make sure this long-forgotten moment in history is shown as accurately as possible.

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6 ‘Sisu’ (2022)

Conflict: Lapland War (1944)

Sisu is a Finnish film that takes place during the Lapland War, a smaller conflict that came as part of World War II. It stars Jorma Tommila as Aatami, a disgruntled prospector who is pretty fed up with the Nazi occupation of his country, especially now that the Nazis are interested in the gold that he dug up with his two hands. The film then becomes an action-thriller with a few surprisingly comedic moments, with Aatami coming with the hilarious “grumpy old man” energy that really makes the narrative shine.

Some of it is a little ridiculous and highly implausible, but the film remains self-aware enough to justify the abrupt change in tone. Sisu definitely earns bonus points for depicting the Nazis as bumbling idiots that are easily outsmarted. By playing to a subtle sense of humor that audiences can chuckle along to, the film makes Aatami’s quest for revenge far more engaging and refreshing compared to other similar movies.

5 ‘Da 5 Bloods’ (2020)

Conflict: Vietnam War (1955-1975)

Da 5 Bloods comes as one of the latest films from master film director Spike Lee and marks one of the final film performances of beloved actor Chadwick Boseman prior to his untimely passing. The movie follows an all-Black group of veterans from the Vietnam War who are glad to be back home from their nightmarish deployments. In their old age, they plan to return to the jungle and recover the lost treasure their former leader buried.

To put it simply, Da 5 Bloods is one of the best Vietnam War movies and a resounding triumph for Lee. It was nominated for a few major awards, especially for Delroy Lindo‘s career-defining performance; sadly, he was snubbed for an Oscar but still managed to win multiple other awards from several organizations, notably the New York Film Critics Circle. Da 5 Bloods is a little funny but also a little sad and dives deep into all sorts of emotions that make us human.

4 ‘The Zone of Interest’ (2023)

Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)

The Zone of Interest follows the foreman of the most notorious Nazi death camp, Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel). While choosing to focus on a Nazi commandant is definitely a controversial choice, the film did so with elegance and grace, depicting the casual evils that the Nazis were truly capable of. The conversations in which Höss and his superiors discuss the best ways to kill people are appalling — it feels like they could just be discussing the weather.

Though the atrocities of the Third Reich aren’t fully portrayed because it’s likely impossible to commit them in film, The Zone of Interest tells the story from the perspective of the villains without glorifying them. Instead, it offers a harrowing and profoundly disturbing portrayal of the banality of evil and the true extent of human delusion. The Zone of Interest is a masterfully-crated and heartbreaking drama in which the characters that aren’t always in the spotlight prove to be the most sympathetic.

3 ‘Narvik’ (2023)

Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)

Narvik is another Netflix movie, this time about the battle of the same name, which occurred in Norway in 1940. It came as a direct result of the Nazi invasion of the country and was a defense that was, unfortunately, doomed to fail. Now, Netflix really could have taken the easy route and just showed the battle and the determined defenders who go down in a blaze of glory, but they decided to add a few more layers.

It’s not just about the looming evil of the Third Reich but about familial divide, as some of the defenders’ families begin to sympathize with the Nazis. While harrowing and bearing an aura of terrible hopelessness, considering the heroes lose the battle, Narvik shows the importance of gritting one’s teeth and fighting in the face of tyranny, no matter the cost. Sadly, Narvik also remains underrated, deserving of much more attention than it received.

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2 ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022)

Conflict: World War I (1914-1918)

All Quiet on the Western Front is the third film to be released based on Erich Maria Remarque‘s 1929 novel of the same name. The Oscar-winning movie stars Felix Kammerer as Paul Bäumer, a German student who falls for propaganda and joins the war effort with his best friends. Unfortunately, it only spells disaster for the young men, who clearly have no idea how bad things really are on the front.

This movie is pure art, with loads of hidden details accompanied by heart-wrenching emotion and a haunting soundtrack. All Quiet on the Western Front puts audiences right into Paul’s boots, following him through the mud and the muck of the trenches as he slowly becomes aware that his country is going to lose. Perhaps the most striking part is that the sacrifices are gruesome but ultimately meaningless, which sets it apart from other war movies. All Quiet feels truly anti-war because it paints a brutally realistic truth: war itself and the lives lost are, more often than not, completely pointless.

1 ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)

Oppenheimer, the most recent flick from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, is a biopic following the scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). Near the end of the Second World War, Oppenheimer is assigned to lead the Manhattan Project and develop the first atomic bomb, later used in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While these bombings were instrumental in winning the war, they killed thousands of innocent civilians, and their destructive power deeply affected the lead designer.

Oppenheimer explores the journey to create the deadliest weapon known to humanity, along with the moral and ethical implications of creating it. Murphy brings a profound sadness to his character, making him feel like the guilty and remorseful man that he reportedly was. A booming, haunting score and Nolan’s confident behind-the-camera approach further enhance the movie’s themes. Oppenheimer is not only a near-perfect war movie but also an important movie that should never be forgotten.

NEXT: The Best War Movies of the 21st Century So Far