The World War 2 Film subgenre is the most popular War genre with more films combined than the World War 1, Vietnam War and Cold War film subgenres. Given the global scale of World War 2, this subgenre has been popular with U.S Cinema, European Cinema and Asian Cinema. Also, different aspects of the war have been covered from specific operations or battles to historical biopics to even romantic dramas. Though World War 2 was officially from 1939 – 1945, there are tertiary conflicts that fall under the subgenre such as the Chinese Civil War from 1927 – 1949, The Spanish Civil War from 1936 – 1939, and the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 – 1945.
Though War films had been made since the advent of film, the War genre and its subgenres exploded in popularity during and shortly after World War 2. While classics of the subgenre including Casablanca (1942) and Lifeboat (1944) were released during World War 2, it wasn’t until the 1950’s and 1960’s that the genre became a staple of Hollywood releases. From Here to Eternity (1953), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Run Silent, Run Deep (1958), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), The Longest Day (1962), The Great Escape (1963), The Sound of Music (1965), Battle of the Bulge (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Battle of Britain (1969) were all classic films of the World War 2 subgenre.
The popularity of World War 2 films continued into the 1970’s with a variety of different themes. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Midway (1976) and A Bridge Too Far (1977) covered specific battles or operations from the war. Kelly’s Heroes (1970), Catch-22 (1970) and Murphy’s War (1971) incorporated the anti-Vietnam War themes of the decade into their World War 2 narratives. And World Cinema War films became more popular with different countries around the world producing their own World War 2-based films including Overlord (1975), The Ascent (1977) and Soldier of Orange (1977). Other classics of the subgenre from the 1970’s included Patton (1970), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), The Eagle Has Landed (1977), MacArthur (1977) and Force 10 From Navarone (1978). This decade also featured one of the few misfires of Steven Spielberg’s career with the World War 2 parody 1941 (1979).
In the 1980’s the World War 2 film subgenre started to branch out under additional film genres. Sci-fi was a popular genre for World War 2 films in the 1980’s with The Final Countdown (1980), The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) and Zone Troopers (1985). Historical Biopics of World War 2 figures also grew in popularity with Sophie’s Choice (1982), Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story (1985) and Fat Man and Little Boy (1989). This decade also produced one of the most disturbing films of the War genre and most disturbing of all time with Men Behind the Sun (1988). This film from Hong Kong reenacts the atrocities committed by the Japanese with Unit 731 during World War 2. It’s a film that should be seen to learn about the evils of war but is very difficult to watch. Other classic World War 2 subgenre films of the 1980’s included The Big Red One (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Victory (1981), Das Boot (1981), A Soldier’s Story (1984), Come and See (1985), Hope and Glory (1987), Empire of the Sun (1987) and Farewell to the King (1989).
The 1990’s continued to produce World War 2 films but the decade was dominated by 4 films in particular which all won numerous awards including the Academy Award’s Best Picture and Best Foreign Film awards. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993) is considered the best film about The Holocaust and one of the best of the subgenre. Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient (1996) also won Best Picture with its romantic drama set during World War 2. And the Italian film Life is Beautiful (1997) by Roberto Benigni, while not nominated for Best Picture, won Best Foreign Film in 1997. Finally, Steven Spielberg’s second World War 2 film of the decade, Saving Private Ryan (1998), was nominated for 11 Academy Award categories and also won Best Picture for The Golden Globes, Producers Guild of America and Critic’s Choice Awards. Somehow Shakespeare in Love (1998) won the Academy Award’s Best Picture that year over the World War 2 classic Saving Private Ryan in a very controversial decision. Other classic films of this decade included Europa Europa (1990), Indochine (1992), Stalin (1992), Seven Years In Tibet (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998) and Sunshine (1999).
In the 2000’s, there was a shift back to action-based World War 2 films and World War 2-themed films about P.O.W.’s and Spies and Espionage. World War 2 action films from the 2000’s included U-571 (2000), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), Windtalkers (2002), Saints and Soldiers (2003), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Valkyrie (2008) and Inglourious Basterds (2009). World War 2 P.O.W films included To End All Wars (2001), As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me (2001), Hart’s War (2002), The Great Raid (2005) and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008). And World War 2 films about Spies and Espionage included Charlotte Gray (2001), Spy Sorge (2003), Sophie Scholl – The Final Days (2005), Black Book (2006) and Lust, Caution (2007). Other classic and notable films of the subgenre from this decade included Malena (2000), The Pianist (2002), Operation Valkyrie (2004), Downfall (2004), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Dresden (2006), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Atonement (2007), Eichmann (2007), Australia (2008) and John Rabe (2009).
The 2010’s produced more classic films of the subgenre along with more notable World Cinema War films and War Horror Films set during World War 2. The Devil’s Rock (2011), Outpost: Black Sun (2012), Frankenstein’s Army (2013), Overlord (2018) and Blood Vessel (2019) were a few Horror films set during World War 2. Notable World Cinema War films about World War 2 included White Tiger (2012), Lore (2012), Rommel (2012), The Eternal Zero (2013), Fire on the Plain (2014), 1944 (2015), Battle for Sevastopol (2015), Land of Mine (2015), The Age of Shadows (2016), Panfilov’s 28 Men (2016) and Werewolf (2019). Classic World War 2 films of the 2010’s included The King’s Speech (2010), The Flowers of War (2011), Emperor (2012), The Book Thief (2013), Fury (2014), The Imitation Game (2014), Unbroken (2014), Race (2016), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Dunkirk (2017), Darkest Hour (2017), The 12th Man (2017) and Jojo Rabbit (2019).
The 2020’s haven’t yet produced any classic World War 2 films but there have been a few notable efforts such as Beanpole (2020), Resistance (2020) and Greyhound (2020).
Our list of World War 2 films includes films from 1942 – 2022. Our list of films includes both Hollywood-based films and World Cinema War films from around the world. Our list also covers different events during World War 2 including the Chinese Civil War, Spanish Civil War and Second Sino-Japanese War. Though we have created a list of Top World War 2 Films You Haven’t Seen, we will likely have to produce a second part to this list given the number of lesser-known hidden gems in this subgenre. For now, our honorable mentions include Kelly’s Heroes (1970), Murphy’s War (1971), Soldier of Orange (1977), The Final Countdown (1980), Das Boot (1981), Men Behind the Sun (1988), Memphis Belle (1990), Stalin (1992), Nuremberg (2000), Downfall (2004), The Sun (2005), Yamato (2005), Dresden (2006), Operation Valkyrie (2004), Jackboots on Whitehall (2010), Emperor (2012), Race (2016), The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) and Overlord (2018).
Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Here is our list of Top World War 2 Films You Haven’t Seen:
Plot: Dramatization of the life of Albert Speer and his rise through the Nazi hierarchy.
KBZ’s Take: This little- known film is a great look at politics of the Nazi regime through the eyes of Albert Speer (Rutger Hauer). It also delves into the Speer’s family conflicts as his older generation parents aren’t thrilled with Nazism or Speer’s desire to work with them. The film also has a great cast with Hauer, John Gielgud, Blythe Danner, Trevor Howard and Derek Jacobi (as Hitler). Though it’s hard to find, it’s definitely a film fans of the subgenre shouldn’t miss.
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#9
Yanks
Plot: A U.S Army Captain falls for a British woman whose husband is away at war.
KBZ’s Take: Though this is a Romantic Drama, it’s also a great look at how U.S. forces were treated while stationed in Britain during World War 2. While the main focus is between the budding romance between Dyson (Richard Gere) and Jean (Lisa Eichorn), there’s also a secondary (and more interesting) relationship between Helen (Vanessa Redgrave) and John (William Devane). Though most older generations likely saw this during the late 1970’s, it’s a film younger fans of the subgenre shouldn’t miss for a different perspective on Allied relations during the war.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Y6DOFU
#8
Rebel
Plot: AWOL U.S. soldier stationed in Australia falls for a nightclub singer.
KBZ’s Take: One of Matt Dillon’s lesser-known films and while it’s not one of his best, it’s a good romantic drama. It’s also not a musical (as it’s listed as sometimes) but does have some musical numbers that Kathy McLeod (Debra Byrne) sings in the nightclub. It’s another film (similar to Yanks) that examines the relationship between U.S. soldiers and native Australians during wartime. This is a hidden gem of a film with an ending (and song) you won’t get out of your head after watching. Another film fans of the subgenre should seek out.
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Plot: Double agent must infiltrate occupied France to stop the Germans from learning of Operation Overlord.
KBZ’s Take: This is not an action-packed film but rather a film that relies more on its atmosphere and superb acting. With Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Horst Bucholz, Eric Stoltz and Patrick Stewart, it’s surprising this film isn’t more well known. This is a spy-driven World War 2 picture that is one of the better films of the subgenre.
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Plot: 28 Russian soldiers hold off a Battalion of advancing Germans and tanks.
KBZ’s Take: One of the better World Cinema War films, Panfilov’s 28 Men straddles the line between propaganda and romanticization. Either way, it’s still a good film with a ton of action and great special effects. Like 300 (2007) which covered Spartan courage against insurmountable odds at the Battle of Thermopylae, Panfilov also shows the strategy used by a small group of soldiers about to be overwhelmed by numerous German forces. It’s also a great War Film About Tanks and shows a different perspective of World War 2 from Russia.
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#5
The 12th Man
Plot: A Norwegian resistance fighter flees the Nazis through Scandinavia.
KBZ’s Take: This film is defined by its 3rd Act which is one of the best suspense sequences in the entire World War 2 film subgenre. The film is part Survival Drama and part Chase film as Norwegian Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad) is relentlessly pursued by the German Kurt Stage (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). There’s a lot of great moments in this film and it’s one of the best of the entire World War 2 subgenre.
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Plot: An American pilot in England falls for a married British woman before going on a suicide mission with the woman’s husband (who is a secret agent).
KBZ’s Take: While the romance portion of the film happens in the first half, the second half is devoted to a secret (suicide) mission to infiltrate the Nazis – and that’s where the film excels. Starring Harrison Ford (shortly after debuting as Hans Solo in Star Wars (1977)), Christopher Plummer and Lesley-Anne Down, it’s a film that’s not well known which is hard to believe. There are great performances in this film and the 3rd Act especially is filled with action and suspense. Highly recommended film.
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Plot: Son of a Nazi German befriends a Jewish prisoner in a Polish Concentration Camp.
KBZ’s Take: Like Schindler’s List (1993) and The Pianist (2002), this is a film that will stay with you long after seeing it. It’s similar to the aforementioned films as it deals with The Holocaust and situations within the concentration camp. However, this film puts a dagger straight into your heart as the narrative develops and the ‘no, they’re really not going to go there’ ending comes to fruition. We don’t want to say much more other than this is a very depressing film but one that shouldn’t be missed like other classics of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Yc5h96
#2
Victory
Plot: POW’s in a German WW II prison camp play the German National Soccer Team.
KBZ’s Take: Of all the sports films we recommend, Victory (aka Escape to Victory) is always in our Top 5 recommendations. It’s a fascinating sports film and P.O.W. War Film that has equal parts of action-packed Soccer (Football) scenes as well as suspenseful World War 2 scenes. The film is always engaging and has great rapport between Michael Caine as the ‘coach’ and Sylvester Stallone as the American who only knows how to play American Football. Film is worth seeing alone for Pelé’s famous ‘bicycle kick’ during the end of film match.
Additional Lists: Top Sports Drama Films You Haven’t Seen #3
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Plot: Westerner trapped in Nanking during the Japanese invasion, poses as a priest to help save women and children.
KBZ’s Take: This is another film that we always recommend to people regardless of genre. It’s a lesser-known Christian Bale film that was produced and made in China. While it does feature some pro-China propaganda elements, it’s also a great look into a lesser-known event (by Western viewers) of a wartime atrocity committed by the Japanese against the Chinese – the Rape of Nanking. There are so many great elements in this film – the acting, the suspense and the emotional journey of Christian Bale’s drunk to eventual War Hero. It’s a great film with an ending that’s both uplifting and tragic that will leave even the most hardened World War 2 film fan with teared eyes. Highly recommended film and one of the best of the World War 2 film subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3jlxGuH
