There have been some incredible war movies made in the 21st century, covering everything from the two World Wars to other conflicts abroad. When fans discuss the best war movies of all time, there are often many suggestions about older movies, even up through the 1990s. But, the 21st century holds up well to many of those.
Some of the biggest filmmakers in Hollywood have made war movies in the new century. One of the biggest names in the business, Christopher Nolan made a war movie, as well as another film that is about the behind-the-scenes operations during a war. These both look at the horrors of war and celebrate the soldiers involved.
Jarhead (2005)
Sam Mendes was on top of the world when he made Jarhead in 2005. He had won an Oscar for his directorial debut, American Beauty, and followed it up with the critically acclaimed gangster movie Road to Perdition with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. Jarhead continued his excellence behind the camera.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Anthony “Swoff” Swofford, a second-generation soldier whose dad served during the Vietnam War. Swoff struggles through basic training and prepares to enter the war in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield. However, this is primarily an anti-war movie.
Swoff and his fellow soldiers realize, as they go through all the training and their wartime experiences, that their jobs are mostly meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Seeing their fates in the real world after the war shows how their country and government barely acknowledge their sacrifices.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Ridley Scott directed Black Hawk Down, and at the time of its release, it was considered one of the most harrowing war movies of the new century. The movie followed the soldiers on a Black Hawk helicopter that was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia.
The cast was impressive, with Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Hugh Dancy, and more in the lead roles. The film was a survival movie as the soldiers had to hunker down and fight for their lives, all while waiting for someone to show up to pull them out of this mess.
Black Hawk Down won two Oscars with four nominations. While Ridley Scott didn’t win for Best Director, the film did pick up wins for Film Editing and Sound. It also received positive reviews, with critics praising its depiction of the war and the dangers of troops on the ground.
Downfall (2004)
Released in 2004, Downfall was a controversial historical war drama because it showed the end of World War II from the point of view of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. While there were complaints that the film humanized Hitler, it actually showed the Nazi leader as a real person, and one who still did horrible things.
Even with the war coming to an end, Hitler demanded that his troops fight to their deaths, and then ended up taking his own life rather than follow his own edict. Bruno Ganz was masterful in his performance as the German dictator, and the story was highly accurate, based on the memories of those in the bunker during this time.
The Oscars nominated Downfall for Best Foreign Language Film, although it didn’t win the award.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
For anyone who wants to see a war movie from the 21st century that is 100% fictional, Inglourious Basterds is the best of that subgenre. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the film is set during World War II and features an ensemble cast that tells three different stories, all of which tie together.
The movie follows a plot by the Allies to stage an attack at a movie screening of a propaganda film about a Nazi war hero. What makes the film so shocking is that Tarantino sets the story in an Elseworlds format where the Allies succeed, trap the Nazi leaders (including Hitler) in a theater, and then execute them all.
The cast was incredible, with Christoph Waltz winning an Oscar for his performance and names like Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender delivering great performances as well. Tarantino calls Inglourious Basterds his masterpiece.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
All Quiet on the Western Front was a 2022 adaptation of the 1929 German novel by Erich Maria Remarque about the Germans fighting in the trenches during World War I. Previously, it was made into a movie in 1930 and 1979, and the 2022 version was the first to be made in Germany.
The German government initially criticized the novel during the Nazi regime, but it has since become recognized as one of the most notable depictions of wartime trauma in literary history. Netflix picked up the 2022 movie, and it became a massive hit for the streamer.
All Quiet on the Western Front earned nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It won Best International Feature Film, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Cinematography.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Released in 2008. Kathryn Bigelow directed the war thriller The Hurt Locker. This was another movie that plays out as more of an anti-war film. Jeremy Renner stars as Sergeant First Class William James, serving during the second year of the Iraq War.
His job is one of the most stressful imaginable, as he is part of the team that identifies and destroys explosive devices. The film opens with an explosive, traumatic scene when the former team leader (Guy Pearce) is blown up by one of these devices.
Renner is incredible in his performance, and this is yet another movie that shows how America ignores and shuns its veterans when they return home after risking their lives for their country. The Hurt Locker won six out of nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Bigelow became the first ever female Best Director winner.
The Zone Of Interest (2023)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest is a very different kind of war movie. Instead of focusing on wartime battles or people trying to survive during the war, this puts the focus on the life of a German Auschwitz commandant and his family as they try to make it through the war.
The title of the film is the name of the place where he lives with his family while serving at the camp. It was a fascinating film, exploring the personal lives of individuals who were complicit in horrific crimes against other humans, and how mundane life can be behind the scenes for some of these monsters.
Steven Spielberg and Alfonso Cuarón both praised the film, as did several other filmmakers. The Zone of Interest earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and Best Director, and it won Best International Feature Film at the awards.
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Letters From Iwo Jima was one of two World War II movies that Clint Eastwood made in conjunction with each other in 2006. He directed Flags of Our Fathers about the Allied experience at the Battle of Iwo Jima, and Letters from Iwo Jima was from the Japanese soldiers’ point of view.
Shockingly, it was Letters from Iwo Jima that was the better of the two releases. Ken Watanabe led the cast, as it showed how the Japanese soldiers both fought in and some survived the experience of this terrible World War.
Letters from Iwo Jima earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It received a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score and was highly successful in Japan at the box office.
Zero Dark Thirty (2013)
Zero Dark Thirty was Kathryn Bigelow’s second war movie of the 21st century. In this film, Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a CIA analyst tasked with figuring out where Osama bin Laden is hiding out. The film then follows her investigation, and ends with the actual attack that took out the al-Qaeda leader.
Coming just 11 years after the September 11 attacks, and only one year after his assassination, Zero Dark Thirty was a very timely movie, and that helped aid its success at the box office. It was also a critical success, with a 91% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score.
However, Bigelow was not as successful with this film as she was with The Hurt Locker. Zero Dark Thirty was only nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Chastain. Bigelow was snubbed for her directing, but earned nominations at the BAFTAs and Golden Globe Awards.
Dunkirk (2017)
Christopher Nolan seems to find magic in everything he touches. He made two movies set during World War II in the 21st century. His most successful was Oppenheimer, but when it comes to actually showing the brutality of the war, Dunkirk was his masterpiece.
The movie is told with a nonlinear narrative, reflecting Nolan’s fascination with exploring time in his films. The story follows the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II from the point of view of soldiers on land, sea, and air. It is also known for its minimal use of dialogue throughout the film, focusing on the sounds of war.