If you are a fan of dramatic, breathtaking, and war-themed movies, then this is a list you cannot miss. Each of the movies below truly depicts the dark side of war, the spirit of soldiers, and the deep tragedies hidden behind the gunfire…

1. The Outpost – Based on a true story about a besieged outpost in Afghanistan. The fighting spirit is breathtaking.

Based on the true story of Operation Kamdesh, the film recounts the life-and-death struggle of a group of American soldiers stationed at Outpost Keating, Afghanistan – surrounded by hundreds of Taliban insurgents. Through bravery, clever tactics and undying camaraderie, they turned a losing position into a symbol of courage.

2. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant – An American soldier returns to Afghanistan to rescue the interpreter who saved his life.

An American soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal) survives an ambush thanks to his local translator Ahmed. When he returns to the US, he discovers that Ahmed and his family are being hunted, and no one is willing to save them. Torn between honor and the law, he decides to return to the dangerous land himself to repay the favor of saving his life.

3. Civil War – Imagines America in a future civil war, with epic images and many layers of conflict.

Imagine a fractured America, where the Western and Middle States have rebelled against the federal government. The film follows a group of war journalists across war zones, covering the many layers of social, political, and humanitarian conflict – and asks: what is freedom when the country is destroying itself?

4. Good Kill – Portraying the dark side of drone warfare and the torment of remote-controlled pilots.

Ethan Hawke plays a former fighter pilot who now sits behind the controls of a drone. Every button he presses means a life is lost – but he begins to lose control as the lines between morality and the enemy become blurred. A harrowing look at modern warfare and the psychological trauma of “soldiers who don’t go to war.”

5. American Sniper – The touching story of legendary sniper Chris Kyle, played brilliantly by Bradley Cooper.

Based on the memoir of Chris Kyle – a legendary US Navy sniper. With over 160 confirmed kills, he was hailed as a “legend” by his teammates. But behind the gun is a haunted man, torn between duty and family. A touching film about the silent sacrifice and consequences of war.

6. Beasts of No Nation – A boy forced to become a mercenary in an African civil war. Painful and true.

In an unnamed African country, a boy named Agu loses his family and is forced into mercenary work. Under the guidance of a ruthless leader (Idris Elba), Agu learns to kill to survive. The film is brutal but realistic, revealing what war can do to an innocent child.

7. Sicario – The brutal war on drugs on the US-Mexico border, dramatic in every frame.

FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is called in on a special mission to take down a Mexican drug cartel. She is drawn into a brutal underground war where the law doesn’t exist, and discovers that justice is no longer as simple as black and white. A suffocating, topical film.

8. Zero Dark Thirty – The journey to hunt down terrorist Osama Bin Laden, full of intelligence and tactics.

The hunt for Osama Bin Laden spanned nearly a decade, led by CIA analyst Maya (Jessica Chastain). The film chronicles torture, espionage, and tracking of terrorists, culminating in the infamous 2011 night raid. Tense, strategic, and chilling – all the makings of a political investigative drama.

9. Da 5 Bloods – The journey of black veterans returning to Vietnam, searching for the past, gold and loyalty.

Four black veterans return to Vietnam to find the bodies of their comrades and the gold they buried during the war. However, their search brings up pain, betrayal, and questions about the identity of black soldiers in the history of American war. A moving, reflective work from director Spike Lee.

10. The Hurt Locker – Oscar-winning, depicting the stressful and dangerous life of a bomb disposal squad in Iraq.

The Oscar-winning film follows a bomb disposal squad in Iraq, where every day is a struggle between life and death. Sergeant James (Jeremy Renner) lives for thrills and precision, but it is in war that he finds “the meaning of life.” A tense, realistic, psychological work.

Suggested videos for you: