10 Greatest WWII Movies of All Time, Ranked

This August marks 81 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, which brought history’s costliest war to an end. The war shaped the world as we know it today through effects felt politically and economically, and has also secured a place in pop culture. With countless movies and TV shows focusing on those tumultuous years, such as the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, there is no shortage of stories that can be told through events or battles that took place. Film especially has a lot to offer, as this list of best WWII films highlights. Whether you’re looking for action or an exploration of the lasting effects of war, you will find it here.

From heartbreaking to breathtaking, these stories featured below reveal just as much about humanity as the war itself did.

10

Oppenheimer (2023)

Christopher Nolan’s tribute to the “father of the atomic bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), is two stories in one. Oppenheimer, a winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, put a lens on the famous scientist’s life, from his adolescence to his later political woes surrounding the creation of the bomb. At three hours long, it is also Nolan’s longest work to date, but every second of screen time is put to use. Though considered a hero of World War II, his opponents did not see it that way. The film is a great exploration of morality.

9

The Pianist (2002)

Image: Focus Features

Adrien Brody’s Academy Award for Best Actor in The Pianist cemented him as the youngest Best Actor winner in history. His performance as a Jewish musician in the midst of the destruction of Warsaw and the horrors of the Holocaust is still praised today. Though the film itself is overshadowed by the controversies surrounding its director, Roman Polanski, its importance in pop culture has not changed. The Pianist still made remarkable achievements within the industry, and its core story still holds significance.

8

The Imitation Game (2014)

Image: The Weinstein Company

Based on the book by Andrew Hodges, The Imitation Game explores the life of Alan Turing, a British cryptographer. During World War II, he attempted to crack German intelligence codes while also coming to terms with his sexuality. Turing’s story is not one that is widely known, but its impact is more important than most realize, especially for modern-day computers. The film balances showing his wartime contributions with depicting how his life was later ruined by his conviction and the criminalization of his homosexuality.

7

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Kimberley French/20th Century Fox

Many know director Taika Waititi from his time behind the camera for Marvel’s Thor and its sequel, Thor: Ragnarok. But his comedic talents are only part of what he is capable of, and Jojo Rabbit put that on display. Adapted from the novel Caging Skies by New Zealand-Belgian author Christine Leunens, Waititi provided a humorous look into a dark time in history. Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a devoted member of the Hitler Youth, sees Adolf Hitler (Waititi) as his imaginary friend.

Waititi always excels when telling a story through the eyes of a child, and Jojo Rabbit is no exception. It’s a dark reminder of the innocence of our youth, and how easily corrupted it can be. It also nabbed the New Zealand-born director his first Academy Award.

6

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Image: Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is synonymous with whimsical fantasy. Films such as Spirited Away (2001) and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) are still popular today for how they tackle complex subjects. But in 1988, writer-director Isao Takahata took things in a different direction with a tale of two siblings trying to survive war-torn Japan as World War II winds down.

For children’s entertainment, especially today, it can seem dark. But there was a time when these films did not shy away from difficult subject matter, presenting it to young people in ways they could understand. Grave of the Fireflies is not an easy watch, but that does not diminish its beauty.

5

Dunkirk (2017)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Nolan has two entries on the list, and that is for a very good reason. While Oppenheimer is a sprawling exploration of a life, Dunkirk is a tight tale about a very specific time in World War II history. It chronicles the 1940 evacuation of thousands of British and Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. Combining perspectives from the sea, land, and air, Dunkirk uses them to build the story. And with little dialogue, the focus is on the actions of the soldiers.

The film received eight Academy Award nominations and took home three Academy Awards: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

4

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

DreamWorks Pictures

Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan is a close-up look into the circumstances surrounding D-Day. With its intense attention to detail, this film provides a bloody look into the invasion of Normandy, which is still the largest seaborne invasion in military history. Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and a supporting turn from Vin Diesel, it follows one unit’s mission to bring back Private Ryan (Damon) after his brothers perished in action. Recently, it was even used as an inspiration behind Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.

3

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

The Weinstein Company

Undoubtedly one of Quentin Tarantino’s best with its larger-than-life presence and snappy dialogue, Inglourious Basterds follows a group of Jewish US soldiers plotting to assassinate Nazi leaders while a French theater owner plots revenge. Combining historical revisionism and anachronistic music with Tarantino’s trademark bloody shootouts is only part of why this film is so good. The performances by Mélanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt, Daniel Bruhl, and Christoph Waltz’s Academy Award-winning turn as Colonel Hans Landa, are unforgettable.

2

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Image: Columbia Pictures

Before he was Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi in Star Wars, Sir Alec Guinness starred in director David Lean’s first historical foray as Colonel Nicholson, a British POW. Nicholson, along with his unit, is forced to build a bridge across the river Kwai in Burma, while Allied forces intend to destroy it. Based on Pierre Boulle’s novel, the story is a fictionalization of the real-world construction of the Burma-Siam “Death Railway.” The setting allows the film to explore the grayer areas of war, such as the madness of military pride.

1

Schindler’s List (1993)

Universal Pictures

It seems almost a given that this Spielberg film would top the list. Schindler’s List is a haunting look at the Holocaust, still widely considered one of the most intimate portrayals of the event. Liam Neeson stars as Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who works behind the scenes to save his Jewish workers from Nazi persecution. Despite its heavy subject matter, Schindler’s List also manages to offer a portrayal of hope amid one of the darkest times in human history.