The Greatest Generation provided inspiration for some of the most compelling moments in cinema history. Here are the best World War II movies to educate and ent

The Greatest Generation provided inspiration for some of the most compelling moments in cinema history. Here are the best World War II movies to educate and entertain you.

The 23 best World War II movies of all time

The Greatest Generation provided inspiration for some of the most compelling moments in cinema history. Here are the best World War II movies to educate and entertain you.

By Robert English,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

EW's editorial guidelines

and James Mercadante

on August 5, 2025 06:27AM EDT

Tom Hanks as Captain Miller in 'Saving Private Ryan'; Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund in 'Casablanca'; Kenneth Branagh as Commander Bolton in 'Dunkirk'. Credit:

DreamWorks; Everett; Warner Bros.

The six years of global conflict that constituted World War II transformed the world politically, culturally, and technologically — and paved the way for some of the most provocative, engaging, and horrifying pieces of cinema ever created. These stories run the gamut, from celebrating the unsung heroes and those who died defending humanity, to historically recording the work of those who architected the atrocities and war efforts.

The movies and filmmakers featured on this list ensure the tragedies and traumas of WWII will never be forgotten. September 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the conflict, so now is the perfect opportunity to acquaint yourself with — or introduce yourself to — some of the best World War II films of all time.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Harold Russell as Homer Parrish, Fredric March as Al Stephenson, and Dana Andrews as Fred Derry in 'The Best Years of Our Lives'. Everett Collection

Released a year after the end of the war, *The Best Years of Our Lives* is an epic film about three soldiers who return home and soon realize their families are irrevocably changed. William Wyler's nearly three-hour masterpiece was both timely and timeless, with a smart script and a full range of emotional depth. The movie took home seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and an Honorary Oscar for actor Harold Russell for "bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." *—Robert English*

Where to watch *The Best Years of Our Lives*: Amazon Prime Video

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson and Sessue Hayakawa as Colonel Saito in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'. Everett Collection

Long before he was dueling Darth Vader in *Star Wars*, Sir Alec Guinness starred in this tour de force WWII film as Colonel Nicholson, a British POW who, with his unit, is tasked with building a railway bridge across the river Kwai in occupied Burma while Allied forces plan to destroy it.

The film is grand on every level, delving into the gray areas of war with a bombastic final act that rivals action scenes today. Director David Lean is perhaps the king of 20th-century historical epics (*Lawrence of Arabia*, *Doctor Zhivago*), but *The Bridge on the River Kwai *was his first foray into the genre, one that would lay the groundwork for his legacy. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *The Bridge on the River Kwai*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Casablanca (1942)

Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo and Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in 'Casablanca'. Everett Collection

Despite boasting some of the best quotes in all of cinematic history, *Casablanca* was just one of many films churned out by the studio system in the early years of World War II. But something about the movie's heart-wrenching love triangle, political and social relevance, and lush setting charmed viewers, propelling the project to an unexpected Best Picture win, and a permanent spot on almost every "best of" list.

Electricity rations were common at the time of the movie's release, but entirely unnecessary — the undeniable sparks between stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman had to have been strong enough to generate power for a small city, at the very least. *—Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *Casablanca*: HBO Max

Come and See (1985)

Aleksey Kravchenko as Flyora Gayshun in 'Come and See'. Everett Collection

Few films have captured the horrific experiences of war as vividly and poetically as director Elim Kilmov's 1985 picture. *Come and See* follows Flyora, a young Belarusian boy who joins the Soviet resistance against German forces after finding an old rifle. Atrocities await the child soldier at every turn, as he endures unimaginable suffering through a lens that's somehow both surreal and all too real. Drawn from the personal experiences of Kilmov and co-writer Ales Adamovich, *Come and See* is a truly terrifying spectacle — and it's one of the most poignant anti-war films ever made. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Come and See*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Das Boot (1981)

Jürgen Prochnow as Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock in 'Das Boot'. Everett Collection

Wolfgang Peterson's war epic (translated to *The Boat*) depicts the claustrophobic world of a German U-boat during the Battle of the Atlantic. The film was shot in chronological order over the course of a year to capture a pale, bearded crew hardened by months at sea that feel like a lifetime. The result brings stunning realism to the terror and conditions of naval warfare, with intense action sequences and a great eye for detail. Even at two-and-a-half hours, *Das Boot* is a relentless, emotional ride that grows grimmer by the minute. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Das Boot*: Fubo

Downfall (2004)

Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in 'Downfall'. Everett Collection

*Downfall* recounts the final days of Adolf Hitler and his entourage in their fatalistic bunker as the Soviets close in on Berlin. Bruno Ganz — who was originally hesitant to take on the role — brings complex depth to the Führer, so much so that the film received backlash for humanizing one of history's worst dictators. Still, it was released to critical and financial success, earning a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

Director Oliver Hirschbiegel relied on eyewitness accounts and historical records to ensure accuracy while tackling the unthinkable: exploring the many dimensions of a man whose evil knows no bounds. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Downfall*: Amazon Prime Video

Dunkirk (2017)

Harry Styles as Alex, Aneurin Barnard as Gibson, and Fionn Whitehead as Tommy in 'Dunkirk'.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Christopher Nolan puts on a structural master class in *Dunkirk*, one of the filmmaker's shortest works to date. A World War II epic that chronicles the British Army's strategic evacuation of thousands of soldiers from the Dunkirk beaches, the film combines multiple perspectives from those on the land, in the air, and at sea.

Based on real events from 1940 and communicated with limited dialogue, *Dunkirk* is not your typical Hollywood war story: There are no Americans involved, the heroes retreat rather than prevail, and Harry Styles is there. Nolan's large-scale production was well-recognized by the Academy, taking home three trophies in production categories and receiving eight nominations total, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Dunkirk*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Setsuko (voice: Ayano Shiraishi) in 'Grave of the Fireflies'. Everett Collection

Studio Ghibli, the hallowed film company behind animated classics like *My Neighbor Totoro (*1988), *Spirited Away* (2001), and *Howl's Moving Castle* (2004), is known for its mystical creatures and fantastical worlds. But in 1988, writer-director Isao Takahata cast aside the feel-good formula and created this heart-wrenching tale of two siblings trying to survive in Japan as World War II draws to a close.

In a world where animated movies can sometimes be regarded as vapid pieces of children's entertainment, *Grave of the Fireflies* remains one of the most visually stunning and emotionally moving genre films of all time, no matter your age. Make sure to bring tissues for this one. *—R.E.*

Where to watch* Grave of the Fireflies: *Netflix

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The Great Escape (1963)

Steve McQueen as Capt. Virgil Hilts in 'The Great Escape'. Everett Collection

An epic World War II classic highlighting the resiliency of the human spirit, *The Great Escape* is a 1963 adventure film directed by John Sturges and starring an ensemble cast led by Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner. Loosely based on the true story of a mass escape from a German POW camp — and crafted with many narrative concessions intended to appease American viewing audiences — the action unfolds like a heist movie as a group of British soldiers plots to free 250 men from detention at great risk to their lives.

The film was mostly overlooked on the awards circuit, only winning one Oscar for Best Film Editing, but it was a hit at the box office and with critics and remains one of the most enduring WWII films to this day. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Great Escape*: Tubi

The Imitation Game (2014)

Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing in 'The Imitation Game'. Jack English/TWC

*The Imitation Game* proves that mathematics can be just as tense and interesting as warfare. Based on the book by Andrew Hodges, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the ingenious Alan Turing, a British cryptographer who attempts to crack German intelligence codes while coming to terms with his sexuality. The well-written script shines a light on a lesser-known pocket of WWII history, and its stirring acting makes this period drama all the more memorable. Cumberbatch received his first Oscar nod working alongside a cast of British acting elite, including Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Rory Kinnear, and Charles Dance. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *The Imitation Game*: Cinemax

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine (right) in 'Inglourious Basterds'. Francois Duhamel/TWC

Bloody shootouts, quippy dialogue, historical revisionism — it's trademark Quentin Tarantino at his best. *Inglourious Basterds* follows a group of Jewish US Soldiers led by a fearless lieutenant as they plot to assassinate Nazi leaders while a French theater owner pursues her own revenge. The two-and-a-half hour runtime races by as we're treated to audacious, history-defying scenes and nail-biting confrontations.

The cast includes the likes of Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, and Melanie Laurent, but stealing the show is Christoph Waltz in his Oscar-winning performance as Colonel Hans Landa, who Tarantino called the "best character I've written and maybe the best I ever will write." *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Inglourious Basterds*: Starz through Aug. 31

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Taika Waititi as Adolf Hitler and Roman Griffin Davis as JoJo in 'Jojo Rabbit'. Searchlight Pictures

It's definitely a bold choice for a director to portray Adolf Hitler as a playful imaginary friend to a 10-year-old Nazi boy, but Taika Waititi managed to pull it off. *Jojo Rabbit* follows Jojo, played by the adorable Roman Griffin Davis as a devoted Hitler Youth who finds out his less-than-ardent mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl in their walls.

The *Thor: Love and Thunder* (2022) helmer passionately directs a story that's both hopeful and deeply tragic, putting children at the forefront of a world undergoing dramatic change. With vibrant colors, complex characters, and an upbeat soundtrack, *Jojo Rabbit* is an endlessly entertaining satire that you'll enjoy with every rewatch. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *JoJo Rabbit*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

Ken Watanabe as General Kuribayashi in 'Letters From Iwo Jima'. Merie W. Wallace/Warner Bros.

Clint Eastwood shot *Flags of Our Fathers* and *Letters from Iwo Jima* simultaneously, giving perspectives on the battle of Iwo Jima from both the American and Japanese sides. The latter stands out as the superior of the two films, as it did critically at the time, garnering four Oscar nominations. It's a sorrowful, intimate story reminding us that regardless of which side they were fighting on, at the war's center, the soldiers were just human beings. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Letters From Iwo Jima*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Life Is Beautiful (1998)

Roberto Benigno as Guido in 'Life Is Beautiful'. Everett Collection

When *Life Is Beautiful* won Best Foreign Language Film in 1999, writer-director Roberto Benigni famously climbed over stars and seats to accept the award in one of the all-time great Oscars clips. His exuberance parallels that of the film's protagonist (also played by Benigni), a Jewish-Italian father who invents an elaborate game to protect his young son from the horrors of the Holocaust.

Benigni excels as an actor and filmmaker, bringing Charlie Chaplin-esque humor to the confines of a concentration camp. It's a film driven by hope that leaves viewers with a smile (and tears) on their faces, reminding us that even in the worst moments, life can still be beautiful. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Life Is Beautiful*: MGM+

The Longest Day (1962)

John Wayne as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, Steve Forrest as Captain Harding, Tom Tryon as Lieutenant Wilson, and Stuart Whitman as Lieutenant Sheen in 'The Longest Day'. Everett Collection

Even though *Saving Private Ryan *(1998) is perhaps the pinnacle of D-Day portrayed on the silver screen, 1962's *The Longest Day* is still a crowning achievement. Based on the nonfiction book by Cornelius Ryan, the film tells the events of the invasion from American, French, British, and German perspectives. It also features an ensemble cast with some of the biggest names in Hollywood history, including John Wayne, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, and Richard Burton (and almost starred former president Dwight D. Eisenhower as himself).

While the film falters in the distraction of some of the well-known Hollywood players, the close-up style works well in depicting the historic events, the grand scale of the invasion, and an insightful picture of everyone involved on the fateful day. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *The Longest Day*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Mudbound (2017)

Jason Mitchell as Ronsel Jackson and Garrett Hedlund as Jamie McAllan in 'Mudbound'. Steve Dietl/Netflix

Two families are mired in poverty, each with a son who fought bravely in World War II only to return to the Mississippi Delta with nothing but PTSD to show for their troubles. But the only difference between the Jacksons and McAllans is the color of their skin. Dee Rees' *Mudbound* follows the two families as they fight their wars both abroad and within the home, and discover that trauma bonds deeper than blood. Jason Mitchell is exceptional as Ronsel Jackson, bringing emotional honesty to a war hero who, because he is Black, is treated like anything but.

Also featuring an all-star ensemble that includes Mary J. Blige, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, and Garrett Hedlund, EW's critic writes that "*Mudbound* is never preachy, reductive, or undercut by its own good intentions. Just the opposite. It's a deeply felt American tale told with heart and humanity." —*I.G.*

Where to watch *Mudbound*: Netflix

Oppenheimer (2023)

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in 'Oppenheimer'. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

Winner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Christopher Nolan's latest film is also his longest, but the movie's three-hour viewing time is put to good use. Nolan gives audiences two stories for the price of one, combining the history of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the "father of the atomic bomb" and a hero of World War II, with Oppenheimer's later political woes, orchestrated by rivals intent on steering the country's post-war nuclear policy.

Playing with cinematic devices like color and point of view to ground audiences even as it flits across decades and perspectives, *Oppenheimer *is a movie that demands focus and attention from its viewers. Filled with a sizable ensemble cast of known actors playing real historical figures, *Oppenheimer *doesn't make physics fun, but it does find ways to explain the mental and moral journey that went into creating the world's first atomic bomb. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Oppenheimer*: Peacock

The Pianist (2002)

Adrien Brody as Władysław Szpilman in 'The Pianist'. Everett Collection

*The Pianist* is a harrowing look at the destruction of Warsaw and the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of a Jewish musician. Unfortunately, the film is shrouded in the continuing controversy of its director, Roman Polanski. But that doesn't diminish the remarkable achievements of the rest of the cast and the crew, especially Adrien Brody, who, at the tender age of 29, is still the youngest actor to win the Best Actor award for playing the role with heart, power, and deep sadness. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *The Pianist*: Amazon Prime Video

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Tom Sizemore as Sergeant Horvath and Tom Hanks as Captain Miller in 'Saving Private Ryan'.

David James/DreamWorks

Steven Spielberg's *Saving Private Ryan *brings viewers to the ground level of the Normandy invasion, complete with intense bloodshed and incredible attention to detail. Starring Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, and Matt Damon alongside a dazzling ensemble cast, the film follows one unit's heroic mission to bring a private home after his three brothers perished in action on D-Day.

It's still a shock that the film lost the Best Picture Oscar to *Shakespeare in Love* (though Spielberg did win for Best Directing), but the test of time has looked more favorably on *Saving Private Ryan*. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Saving Private Ryan*: MGM+

Schindler's List (1993)

Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler in 'Schindler's List'. Everett Collection

Another much-revered Spielberg-directed war film, *Schindler's List* is one of the most intimate and affecting onscreen depictions of the Holocaust. Liam Neeson stars as Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who operates under the radar to save his Jewish workers from Nazi persecution.

In a year when he also released *Jurassic Park*, Spielberg returns with a movie that remains hopeful in one of the darkest corners of human history, paying tribute to the millions who lost their lives and to those who survived. It's a hard movie to watch, but it's one that everyone should experience at least once. *—R.E.*

Where to watch *Schindler's List*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Son of Saul (2015)

Géza Röhrig as Saul Ausländer in 'Son of Saul'. Sony Pictures Classics/Courtesy Everett Collection

A haunting Hungarian historical drama directed by László Nemes that unfolds in stoic sequences that feel like a documentary, 2015's *Son of Saul *is a Holocaust story that's hard to forget. The film stars actor Géza Röhrig in his feature debut as Saul Ausländer, a Jewish concentration camp prisoner forced to work for the Nazis sorting through the belongings of fellow prisoners murdered in the gas chambers. After Saul finds his son among the dead, he becomes obsessed with the mission to secure a Jewish burial for him. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Son of Saul*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Sophie's Choice (1982)

Meryl Streep as Sophie in 'Sophie's Choice'.

Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

The early-'80s psychological drama *Sophie's Choice* is notorious for being the vehicle that won Meryl Streep her first Best Actress Oscar — her second Oscar win overall — but the film's narrative is far less established. Adapted and directed by Alan J. Pakula from William Styron's 1979 novel, *Sophie's Choice *tells the story of Catholic, Polish Auschwitz survivor Sophie (Streep) who, after immigrating to America, engages in a tumultuous love affair with an American Jew named Nathan (Kevin Kline). Nathan and Sophie befriend Stingo (Peter MacNicol), an aspiring novelist who recently moved to their New York City boarding house, but the connection between the three friends threatens to topple years of secrets that Sophie has worked hard to obscure.

The titular scene is eternally haunting, but the rest of the film is just as compelling, and at times, even stumbles into heartwarming territory, before descending into madness and misery. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Sophie's Choice*: Peacock

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Christian Friedel as Rudolf Höss in 'The Zone of Interest'.

While many WWII movies depict the horrors of the Holocaust, Jonathan Glazer's *The Zone of Interest* prompts viewers to exercise their mind's eye in what remains unseen. Loosely based on Martin Amis' eponymous 2014 novel, the film follows Auschwitz commander Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller, acclaimed for *Anatomy of a Fall* the same year), as they bask in domesticity just beyond the walls of the concentration camp. Amid garden parties and pool days for the Höss family, a haunting soundscape of diegetic echoes — from gunfire to hair-raising screams — and faraway glimpses of brutality create an unsettling sensory experience.

As lauded by EW's critic, *The Zone of Interest* is a "formalized and frightening Holocaust film" that serves as "a stark reminder of our complicity and the capacity for great evil in the most mundane of circumstances." —*James Mercadante*

Where to watch *The Zone of Interest*: HBO Max

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