Military movies on Netflix are one of the most watched genres, and maybe people love the military setting and tone of the films.
Anyway, if you want fantastic military movies to enjoy the weekend, here is our list of military movies on Netflix.
1. Green Zone (2010)
- Director: Paul Greengrass
- Star Cast: Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, and Jason Isaacs
The United States Army deployed Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller to Iraq to uncover the weapons capable of mass destruction. Roy Miller soon discovers that he is on a wild goose chase.
In the long run, he is just a card played by the government in their attempt to overthrow the Iraqi government.
This is one of the military movies on Netflix where the hero’s actions are questionable. Roy Miller leaks information to the press after declines from the Pentagon.
This places Roy at the crossroads of being a patriot or a betrayer. Green Zone explains the probable reason for the United States offensive in Iraq.
Sergeant Roy Miller soon discovers that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as presumed. The locals tell Damon he cannot decide what happens in their country.
Despite pairing Matt Damon with Paul Greengrass, this movie does not have the same energy and effect as the Bourne movies.
You can watch the film as one of the military movies on Netflix, and you will be fine. This does not mean that the movie is not engaging.
2. War Machine (2017)
- Director: David Michôd
- Star Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Michael Hall, Will Poulter, Ben Kingsley, and Topher Grace
The United States government sent the renowned four-star General Glen McMahon to Afghanistan.
McMahon and his staff, especially his trusted aid, Major General Greg Pulver, concluded that the President must send an additional 40,000 troops to win the war. The troops will secure the Helmand province and stabilize the country.
McMahon loses his patience when a runoff election is announced in Iraq. He secretly leaks his assessment and requests to the Washington Post.
In a 60-minute interview, he boldly states that he has only met with President Obama once in 70 days.
This sparked a chain of events that led to the U.S. sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
Unsatisfied by the number of soldiers, McMahon heads to Paris to lobby other coalition nations to send troops.
Look past the comedic undertones; you have one of the most realistic military movies on Netflix. The cast performed spectacularly to reflect the stupidity of the real-life situation that happened at the time.
The War Machine is a well-made film that contains everything to make you laugh, cry, and roll your eyes.
If you are looking for a good military movie on Netflix to pass the time, check this film out. It is worth every minute.
3. Shadow (2018)
- Director: Yi-Mou Zhang
- Star Cast: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, and Hu Jun
Years ago, brilliant Commander Ziyu lost to the unbeatable Yang Cang in a duel that saw the Kingdom of Yang take over the city of Jingzhou.
However, Commander Ziyu resurfaced to challenge Yang Cang to a rematch without authorization from the King of Pei.
The King demotes Ziyu to the status of a commoner despite objections from other military officials.
To save face and maintain peace, the king offers to hand over his sister Qingpin to Yang Cang’s son in marriage.
Yang Cang’s son makes a ridiculous counteroffer of having Qingpin as his concubine. The King of Pei foolishly accepts with much disgust from General Tian, who the King subsequently demotes.
The military officials later discover that Commander Ziyu has a double. Zhang Yimou bases his shadow on the Chinese legend of the Three Kingdoms.
Zhang blends both substance and dazzle in this film. The anti-gravity scenes will have you wishing you could fly. Maybe you can fly, try it. There is no denying that this is one of the best military movies on Netflix.
Zhang keeps the performance and the action separate with a stunning monochrome palette. In the gorgeous scenes, Commander Yu uses a double act in his stead as his shadow in a bid to seize control of a city.
Shadow is one of the best Chinese Military movies on Netflix.
4. Jarhead 3: The Siege (2016)
- Director: William Kaufman
- Star Cast: Charlie Weber, Scott Adkins, Dennis Haysbert, Sasha Jackson
Corporal Albright sees a camera operator making suspicious movements on a daily roof patrol in the Embassy. This is the same cameraman he met on his arrival at the Embassy.
Albright inquires about the cameraman and reports his findings to the Ambassador. The Embassy’s digital security director, Olivia, identifies the cameraman as Khaled.
Khaled is a militant with a loose association with ISIS who was assumed dead following a drone strike weeks earlier.
Kraus brings a local the following day and refuses to sign him in. Later, there is an assault on the Embassy.
Gunnery Sergeant Raines rescues Albright while the Ambassador and his staff destroy all sensitive documents in the Embassy before retreating to the safe room. The Marines realize that the only way to survive is to leave the Embassy.
Jarhead 3: The Siege is one of the military movies on Netflix. It can stand alone without the previous two prequels and gives viewers a high-octane viewing time. It goes straight to business and does what it promised to do.
This fast-paced action thriller will keep you entertained despite the slow start. Fans of Scott Adkins will love this action flick. The film’s last hour is filled with bullet sounds and explosions as the marines navigate their way out of the siege.
5. SAS: Rise of the Black Swan (2021)
- Director: Magnus Martens
- Star Cast: Ruby Rose, Sam Heughan, Andy Serkis, Tom Hopper, and Noel Clarke
SAS commander George Clements hires the Black Swans to help clear a remote village in Gveli Pass, Georgia, for a transnational Britgaz gas pipeline to pass through.
American citizens Willian Lewis and his adult children Grace and Oliver own the private military company Black Swans.
The locals resisted the Black Swans in the remote village, leading to a massacre. They recovered video footage from a teenage girl implicating the Black Swans.
The government serves them red notice and accuses them of crimes against the sanctity of human life.
The International Criminal Court ordered the extradition of the accused to Hague by the British government. The prime minister calls Clements to kill William on the scene to cover up his mess.
SAS: The Rise of the Black Swans is an action-adventure movie on Netflix. It is one of the military movies.
Those who enjoyed the 1990s action movies will enjoy this one. Ruby Rose does her best to portray her character well.
There are many action clichés, but not enough to spoil the overall experience. You can count on top-notch military action in this movie.
While most of the films on this list are about government military, private military films are incredible.
6. 300: Rise of an Empire
- Director: Noam Murro
- Star Cast: Eva Green, Lena Headey, Sullivan Stapleton, Hans Matheson, and Rodrigo Santoro.
In the Battle of Marathon, General Themistocles of Athens kills Darius, the King of Persia. A dying Darius advises his son, Xerxes, to stop the war, as only the gods could defeat the Greeks.
Darius’s naval commander, Artemisia, claims that Darius’s last words were a challenge.
Xerxes proceeds through the wilderness, finally reaching a cave with a mystical liquid. He battles supernatural elements in the liquid and emerges as the 8-foot-tall man known as the god-king.
With his newfound power, Xerxes returns to Persia and wages war on the Greeks to avenge his father’s death. The battle proceeds with many twists and turns, and Xerxes decides to fight the war on two fronts, land and sea.
This film is one of the military movies on Netflix that offers viewers a classic war experience. There is enough fighting on both land and sea.
Do you wonder if a horse can be ridden on the sea? Well, watch this movie to find out how it’s done.
Eva Green delivers a strong performance as the Persian Naval commander. Her ferocious presence lights up this movie with an unprecedented vengeance. The war visuals are stunning and immersive.
7. Mosul (2019)
- Director: Matthew Michael
- Star Cast: Waleed Elgadi, Hayat Kamille, Thaer Al-Shavei, Suhail Dabbach, and Adam Bessa.
Three police officers from Mosul arrested ISIS drug smugglers. Shortly after, an ISIS unit overruns them, firing fiercely on them.
The officers run out of ammo while taking a defensive position inside a café building.
During the gunfight, the uncle of 21-year-old Kawa is killed. The Nineveh Swat team finds the police officer and rescues them from the ISIS unit. The swat team instantly executed all drug smugglers.
The Swat team commander, Major Jasem, offers Kawa a place in their company, and Kawa agrees to join them with nothing to lose while his partner takes his uncle’s body for burial. Everyone on the team has a personal vendetta.
The opening scenes of this movie will send chills down your bones as the camera pans over streets to the site of destroyed homes and wrecked vehicles. The plot is nicely paced and requires keeping up here and there.
The SWAT unit executes its business professionally, reminding the Western world that it is not the same as the American war. Enemy combatants are killed on the spot, and their gears are taken for essentials.
One of the military movies on Netflix shows the other side of the war on terror.
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Star Cast: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, and Edward Burns
Emotions take over an elderly veteran as he comes to a specific grave in a cemetery in his family’s company. He begins recalling his days as a soldier.
On June 6, 1994, the United States Army sent troops through Omaha Beach as part of the invasion of Normandy.
Captain John Millers’ Company C, 2nd Ranger Battalion, breakout from the beach. James Francis Ryan of the 101st Airborne Division goes missing. Staff at the United States Department of War learn of Ryan’s disappearance.
To save his family from losing all four sons, General George C orders the men to find Ryan and send him home.
This film is an incredible capture of war madness. Steven Spielberg produced it, one of the best military movies on Netflix. The producers recreated Omaha Beach in the first 25 minutes of the film.
The film revolutionized the storytelling of war movies. From the shearing of limbs, the gushing of blood, the spillage of viscera, and the psychotic whimsy of bullets, the film brings the whole war experience to our screens.
9. Spectral (2016)
- Director: Nick Mathieu
- Star Cast: James Badge, Max Martini, Clayne Crawford, Bruce Greenwood, and Emily Mortimer
DARPA researcher Dr. Mark Clyne invented hyperspectral imaging goggles, which are currently issued to the United States military in the Moldovan war. He flies from Virginia to Moldova to answer specific field questions about his invention.
Dr. Clyne meets with the CIA officer Fran Madison and U.S. Army general Orland at the U.S. military airbase outside Chisinau.
His hosts show him footage of a mysterious and translucent humanlike apparition captured by his goggles.
The CIA officer believes the local insurgents use a high camouflage against them. As we soon discover, that is not the case.
This is one of the few supernatural military movies on Netflix. However, after watching it, you will realize that it is not magical but a science work.
The film explores the moral implications of scientific experiments on humans.
Despite the science behind these seemingly supernatural soldiers, they do bleed. Clyne says, “if someone made them, they do not escape the laws of this world, and nothing does.” The film depicts Clyne as a steady, quiet, and thoughtful hero.
Put this up if you want an entertaining science-fictional military movie.
10. Act of Valor (2012)
- Director: Mike McCoy, Scott Waugh
- Star Cast: Roselyn Sanchez, Jason Cottle, Alex Veadov, and Emilio Rivera
An Indonesian terrorist kills the United States Ambassador to Indonesia, including his son and dozens of other children at an international elementary school. He uses an ice cream truck laden with a bomb to lure the children into the kill zone.
Two CIA operatives in Costa Rica, Lisa Morales, and Walter Ross, meet to share intelligence about a drug smuggler named Mikhail Troykovich.
Mikhail’s men capture Morales and kill Ross, and they imprison and torture Morales in a compound in the jungle.
The bandito platoon, Seal Team 7, is dispatched to rescue Morales in the jungle.
The film stars actual dive recruits. It blends realistic and science fiction, filled with immersive and convincing moments. However, the performances are not well blended with the dramatic recreations, which is not a significant drawback.
It doesn’t take long to discover Act of Valor as one of the military movies on Netflix, and it holds up to the name with its real-life performances and stunts.
11. Unbroken (2014)
- Director: Angelina Jolie
- Star Cast: Jack O’Connell, Miyagi, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, and Finn Wittrock
During an April 1943 bombing mission against the Japanese on the island of Nauru, Loius Zamperini, a pilot, brings his plane to a stop at the end of the runway despite landing with an exploded tire.
The aircraft is the United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator bomber. Several crew members were injured while landing the plane.
Louis leaves with the remaining crew in an airplane previously used for spare parts. They crash into the ocean, and their journey for survival begins.
In this story filled with trial and ultimate redemption, Jolie fully depicts the dreadful picture of how Zamperini bears it all.
However, the movie fails to show how Zamperini could get his life together after the war.
You will see this movie if you search for military movies on Netflix. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
12. The Siege of Jadotville (2016)
- Director: Richie Smith
- Star Cast: Jamie Dornan, Mark Strong, Jason O’Mara, Danny Sapani, and Michael McElhatton.
The opening scene shows the execution of Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba. After that, there was an outbreak of civil war.
Moise Tshombe, unfortunately, watches over the secession of the prosperous mineral state of Katanga.
The United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold assigns Conor Cruise to head a U.N. peacekeeping force in the country. Dag advises Cruise to take offensive action to prevent a possible World War III.
The film explores how far good intentions can go in solving the world’s problems. It is a fantastic movie that clearly defines its battlegrounds and characters. Currently, you can find it as one of the military movies on Netflix.
13. The Forgotten Battle (2020)
The writer sets this film in Zeeland, which the Germans occupied in September 1944 following the events of the Normandy invasion.
Teuntje Visser works in the office of the town’s collaborationist mayor, and her younger Dirk chooses to side with the Dutch resistance.
Dirk attacks a German convoy and is arrested. The Germans torture him into revealing the names of other resistance members, which sets off a change of events that will eventually involve the Allied forces.
The Forgotten Battle’s well-written script delivers three parallel narratives. It is one of the gritty military movies on Netflix that leans into its characters.
One would expect a lot of action from this military movie. However, action fans will be left disappointed. The character development is good, and the movie tells a good story at the end.
14. Black Hawk Down (2001)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Star Cast: Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, and Sam Shepard
The central government in Somalia was ousted amid a civil war in 1993. The United Nations Security Council approved a military peacekeeping operation, and the Mogadishu-based militia declared war on the remaining U.N. personnel in bulk withdrawal.
The United States president Clinton authorizes a Task Force Ranger to go to Mogadishu to capture Mohamed Farrah, who has declared himself President.
This might not be an easy film to watch, but Ridley Scott knows how to bring the viewer into the heart of the combat.
The film probably has more bullets flying and explosions than any recent movie. Nevertheless, it is one of the best military movies on Netflix.
The film has an immersive experience that might have you ducking for imaginary bullets. There is plenty of chaos, but the narrative stays tight.
