If you think movies based on the war theme are boring then I am sure the best war movies on Netflix are going to change your mind completely. I personally think that war movies contain every single element which can entertain the audience like emotions, action, drama, amazing visuals and of course a tight storyline.
10 Best War Movies on Netflix
If you want to watch the best war movies then I would recommend you to immediately move to Netflix and start streaming the war movies which I am going to mention in the list given below.
1. Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes:Â 91% 
IMDb: 7.8/10Â
Beasts of No Nation is my first pick under the category of best war movies on Netflix. In fact, this movie was originally released on Netflix globally. This is an American war drama movie which is directed and co-written by Cary Joji Fukunaga and based on the novel of the same name.
The movie is a typical war flick which is mostly shot in Ghana and stars Idris Alba, Abraham Attah and other fabulous actors in it.
The plot of Beasts of No Nation is based on the story of a boy named Agu who is quite young but becomes a child soldier as a horrific war is going on in his country. The movie has every element of emotions like agony, anger, helplessness which is beautifully portrayed in it.
Beasts of No Nation won so many accolades and critical acclaim but the movie could not do wonders on box office. However, it won the Marcello Mastroianni Award and premiered in various film festivals too. No other movie can match up the level of war scenes which has been shown in this movie.
2. Sand Castle (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 47% IMDb: 6.3/10Â 
Another Netflix original release is Sand Castle which is a war-drama that perfectly fits into the category of best war movies on Netflix. This movie is directed by Fernando Coimbra and it stars Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Tommy Flanagan and many other talented actors.
Sand Castle is based on the theme of United States Army and a young rifleman in it. The plot is set in Iraq and also shows the ongoing Iraq war too.
Sand Castle is the story of a young rifleman, Matt Ocre in US Army who has been allotted the task of restoring water in an Iraq Village. Matt actually got into army to get some money for his college fee but eventually find himself in the middle of a war like situation where he shows great bravery and courage.
Sand Castle is amongst such war movies which are based on the true events. Hence, it brings out an image which is easily understood and quite relatable too. The movie can really leave you speechless.
3. War Machine (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 53% IMDb: 6.1/10Â
Forget war drama movies, this is the time that you should watch some satirical comedy which comes with the theme of war. War Machine is quite different from the rest of the best war movies on Netflix and that is mainly because of the comic elements in it.
The movie is directed by David Michod and it is based on the book The Operators by Michael Hastings. War Machine stars Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Kingsley like big names in it.
War Machine is based on the United States Army general Glen McMahon and his fictional encounters. Glen was awarded for his excellent leadership in Iraq and hence sent to Afghanistan to assess the ongoing situation so that war can be stopped there.
You are going to see a lot of puns, satires and comic elements in the movie along with great hidden messages and powerful acting of Brad Pitt and Anthony Michael Hall. The movie received mixed reviews by the critics.
4. The Hurt Locker (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% IMDb: 7.6/10Â
The Hurt Locker is an American war thriller movie directed by Kathryn Bigelow. I would personally recommend this movie to the viewers who are a big fan of watching war movies as this one just stands out amongst all.
I would call The Hurt Locker to be one of the finest and best war movies on Netflix which stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Christian Camargo and other actors.
The movie is focused on an US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit who has just received its new leader William James in Iraq War. After this recruit team members find him a little arrogant and hence conflicts arise within the team itself.
What follows next are the sudden situations where the team needs to act as one to handle it carefully. I would call this movie to be a cult classic and also one of the best movies on Netflix too. The movie also won so many Academy and other awards and did great on the box office too.
5. Korengal (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% IMDb: 6.8/10Â
Korengal is different from other best war movies on Netflix which are mentioned in this list, mainly because this is more like a documentary. Actually, this documentary starts where the movie Restrepo was ended.
This is directed by Sebastian Junger and gives a deep encounter by the soldiers who are fighting in the war in Korengal Valley of Afghanistan.
You are going to see the closeup shots and personal interviews of the soldiers at outpost Restrepo. This is the side of a war which is rarely got to be seen by the viewers and this documentary is a little effort to bring this side in light.
Korengal utilizes the footage shot by Tim Hetherington who spent 10 months in shooting the videos and collecting such information. However, he died and hence it became more difficult to proceed on this documentary. But somehow, it came out great and received amazing reviews too.
If you are someone who is a die-hard fan of such war movies then you should definitely see this 84 minutes of documentary for sure.
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% IMDb: 8.6/10Â
Saving Private Ryan is a marvelous piece of creation by Steven Spielberg in this list of best war movies on Netflix which is set on the theme of epic war drama. The movie stars Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns and another talented team of amazing actors.
The plot of Saving Private Ryan is set in World War II and the graphic way in which the movie is portrayed is something which is rarely seen in movies.
This movie is based on the incident of an Army troop giving up everything to save a paratrooper. US Army Rangers Captain John J. Miller and his squad is set out on a mission to save James Francis Ryan who is the last surviving brother of four servicemen.
Saving Private Ryan is one of the most epic war movies on Netflix and it also broke so many records on the box office by grossing about 481 million worldwide. The magic spell of Spielberg will compel you to watch it without even blinking for a second.
7. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% IMDb: 8.3/10Â
You must be thinking as why I mentioned a movie this old in this list of best war movies on Netflix. Well, you must not know this but Full Metal Jacket is one of the finest movies of all time and directed by Stanley Kubrick.
This is a British American war film which is based on the novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford. The movie stars Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio and other actors.
Full Metal Jacket focuses on two privates Joker and Pyle who are struggling to get through a boot camp because of their arrogant drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. It is set in Vietnam War and the title is in reference to the Full Metal Jacket Bullet used by the soldiers in it.
Although the movie could not do wonders on box office but definitely got critically acclaimed by the critics and hence got fantastic ratings.
8. The Siege of Jadotville (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 60% IMDb: 7.3/10Â
The Siege of Jadotville is based on the true events and inspired from the book of the same name by Declan Power. This historical drama war movie is directed by Richie Smyth and stars Jamie Dornan in the lead role in it.
This is my next pick for the list of best war movies on Netflix and in fact the movie was originally distributed by Netflix only.
This movie is about the role of an Irish army unit in the peacekeeping mission of UN in the Congo which was held in 1961. It is set in State of Katanga and witnesses the after-effects of a Civil War which has aroused because of the killing of their Prime Minister.
The film portrays Irish Army in positive light and shows how they managed to bring the peace again. If you want to watch movies online like The Siege of Jadotville then you should immediately move to Netflix for that.
9. Tropic Thunder (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% IMDb: 7/10Â
After mentioning War Machine in this list of best war movies on Netflix, I think it is time for another satirical comedy movie which is Tropic Thunder. Despite having an action war theme, the comedy is something which never leaves the soul of Tropic Thunder.
Tropic Thunder features a hit and very rare trio of Jack Black, Ben Stiller and everyone’s favorite Robert Downey Jr. The movie is directed by Ben Stiller.
The movie stars this trio as a prima donna group who are being cast in a fictional Vietnam War movie. But things take a toll on them when their frustrated director leaves them in the middle of a Jungle. Now, the three of them needs to survive out there on the basis of their acting skills.
The movie was a great success on box office and also received praises for its satires and epic comic timings by the actors. I am sure more than anything else, you are going to love the lead trio of this movie.
10. Black Hawk Down (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes: 76% IMDb: 7.7/10Â
The last one of this list of best war movies on Netflix is Black Hawk Down which is directed by Ridley Scott. The movie is based on the book of same name by Mark Bowden. The movie stars Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana and various other actors in it along with cameo of Tom Hardy.
Black Hawk Down was a great commercial success and also won the hearts of critics too and hence received great ratings too.
The plot is based in an expedition in Somalia where a civil war is about to start. The movie shows a militia loyal Mohamed Farrah Aidid declaring a war against UN personnel and hence US army has to capture him. It basically shows a war like situation where US Military forces handle the situation by giving right response to terrorists.
Black Hawk Down was awarded with various awards but also raised a lot of controversies too because of its sensitive theme and content in it and therefore had to go under some cuts. You can easily get its online streaming on Netflix.
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Conclusion
These are just the best out of the rest of the collection on Netflix. If you want then you can search many more other best war movies on Netflix too. You just need to opt for one of the subscription before doing so.
I think Netflix has become a great source for watching all types of movies whether they belong to war theme or fantasy theme. You just need to know about the best of the flicks and I am sure the list which I have compiled above, is going to help you a lot for the same.
