10 Fast-Paced War Movies That Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat From Start to Finish

By its very nature, the war genre accounts for some of the most exciting movies that popular culture has to offer. Bringing the life-and-death nature of armed conflict to life onscreen, the best war films of all time blend high stakes, spectacular action sequences, and stunning levels of realism to produce a viewing experience for the ages. As such, it’s hardly surprising that the genre’s faster-paced offerings account for some of the most exciting movies ever made.

Progressing at a frenetic rate that mirrors the adrenaline-soaked nature of their subject matter, popular culture has played host to a number of fast-paced war movies that keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Leveraging spectacular battle scenes and thrilling premises to the maximum effect possible, these nail-biting war outings grab the viewer’s attention by the throat in the early goings and don’t loosen their grip until the credits have rolled.

10

Fury (2014)

Directed By David Ayer

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Fury

R

War

Action

ScreenRant logo

7/10

9.4/10

Release Date

October 17, 2014

Runtime

135 Minutes

Director

David Ayer

Writers

David Ayer

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Brad Pitt In The Babylon Premiere

    Brad Pitt

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    Shia LaBeouf

Brad Pitt stars as tank commander Don “Wardaddy” Collier in David Ayer’s war movie Fury. Set during the end of World War II, the film follows the Allied forces breaking through into Nazi Germany as Don and his crew pilot their tank known as Fury into enemy lines in gruesome battles to capture critical stronghold points and help secure victory in the war.

Studio(s)

Sony

Distributor(s)

Sony

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A bloody and epic showcase of the ineffable bonds forged between human beings in the hell of armed combat, David Ayer’s Fury offers an unflinching view of the European theatre’s endgame from the perspective of the eponymous M1 Sherman tank’s crew. One of the best war movie depictions of camaraderie between soldiers, the 2014 picture wastes no time in diving into its nail-biting action, with Ayer producing one of the most intense and unforgettable depictions of WWII in cinematic history.

Brad Pitt smoking a cigarette in Fury

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A terrifying smorgasbord of blinding tracer rounds, blood-soaked mud, and unidentifiable chunks of human viscera, Fury’s harrowing battle scenes thrust the viewer headfirst into the hell of war with an intensity that few films can match. There’s nothing particularly complex or groundbreaking about Fury’s premise or narrative, but an array of excellent performances complement the electrifying action to steer this enthralling tank offering clear of its more prevalent shortcomings.

9

Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Directed By Brian G. Hutton

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Where Eagles Dare

PG

War

Action

Adventure

14

9.9/10

Release Date

March 12, 1969

Runtime

155 Minutes

Director

Brian G. Hutton

Writers

Alistair MacLean

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Richard Burton

    Maj. Smith

  • Headshot Of Clint Eastwood In The AFI Fest 2011

    Clint Eastwood

    Lt. Morris Schaffer

Where Eagles Dare is a gripping action thriller set during World War II, following a group of Allied commandos on a daring mission to rescue an American general held captive in a mountaintop fortress. Battling treacherous weather and enemy forces, the team must navigate deception and betrayal in a high-stakes operation. The film blends intense combat sequences with strategic espionage, delivering a suspenseful and engaging wartime adventure.

Main Genre

War

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One of cinema’s earliest white-knuckle war movies, 1968’s Where Eagles Dare adapts the novel of the same name by Alistair MacLean with explosive results on-screen. Set at the height of WWII and depicting a daring clandestine Allied mission to infiltrate a snowy mountain fortress accessible only by cable car, Brian G. Hutton’s picture sounds more like the plot of a James Bond movie than a traditional war film.

Legendary director Steven Spielberg has labeled Where Eagles Dare as his favorite war movie of all time.

Loaded with explosive narrative twists and turns to complement an array of spectacular action sequences, Where Eagles Dare steadily builds in intensity across 155 adrenaline-soaked minutes to produce an absolutely thrilling viewing experience. Leveraging the kick-ass aura of Clint Eastwood in one of his best war movie appearances to maximum effect, this classic blend of action and adventure still holds up flawlessly to this very day.

8

Sisu (2022)

Directed By Jalmari Helander

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Sisu

R

Action

War

ScreenRant logo

8/10

Release Date

April 28, 2023

Runtime

91 Minutes

Director

Jalmari Helander

Writers

Jalmari Helander

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Jorma Tommila

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Aksel Hennie

Sisu is a World War II action film directed by Jalmari Helander. The film centers on an ex-commando who finds gold in the Lapland wilderness. But as he tries to smuggle it into the city, an SS officer and his band of Nazis hunt him down. The film stars Finnish actor Jorma Tommila as the main character Aatami. 

Studio(s)

Stage 6 Films

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate, Sony

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A wicked thrill ride from Finnish director Jalmari Helander, 2022’s Sisu is not a complicated film. Chronicling a legendary aging Finnish commando’s attempts to defend himself and a haul of gold nuggets from an SS battalion during the Lapland War, there are no philosophical musings on the nature of armed combat to be found in this criminally underrated hidden gem. However, what Helander’s picture lacks in narrative complexity, it more than makes up for in terms of outrageous gore and sheer white-knuckle entertainment.

Combining supremely graphic violence with some wickedly tongue-in-cheek humor, Sisu rams its foot on the accelerator in the early goings and doesn’t take it off until the credits have rolled. The seemingly indestructible and comically violent nature of Jorma Tormilla’s charge makes for some depravedly entertaining viewing, whether he’s using dead Nazi bodies as oxygen tanks to breathe underwater or using a pick-ax to hang off the side of an airborne plane.

7

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Directed By Kathryn Bigelow

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The Hurt Locker

R

Thriller

War

Drama

ScreenRant logo

9/10

1/10

Release Date

July 31, 2009

Runtime

131 minutes

Director

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers

Mark Boal

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jeremy Renner In The World premiere event for Disney+ original series 'Rennervations'

    Jeremy Renner

  • Headshot Of David Morse In The 62nd Annual Drama Desk Awards

    David Morse

From director Kathryn Bigelow comes The Hurt Locker, the 2008 oscar winning war thriller film that follows Jeremy Renner as Sergeant William James and his bomb disposal team as they navigate beyond enemy lines during the Iraq War. The movie explores the trauma and stresses the soldiers face as they attempt to disarm active explosives on the field, with the repercussions beginning to take their toll on the squadmates.

Studio(s)

Summit Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Summit Entertainment

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While 2008’s The Hurt Locker proved controversial with some veterans, Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Picture winner still stands as one of the genre’s most electrifying offerings. Chronicling the hair-raising exploits of a prolific bomb disposal expert and his team during the Iraq War, Bigelow’s direction and a visceral leading Jeremy Renner bow combine to produce one of the most stressful war movies of all time.

The Hurt Locker’s Oscar Nominations

Result

Best Picture

Won

Best Director

Won

Best Original Screenplay

Won

Best Film Editing

Won

Best Sound Editing

Won

Best Sound Mixing

Won

Best Actor

Nominated

Best Original Score

Nominated

Best Cinematography

Nominated

Cultivating a constant air of near-unbearable tension, Bigelow thrusts viewers into the action face-first from the film’s first sequence. Every second that Renner spends in the bomb suit passes on a legitimate knife edge, courtesy of the movie’s gritty cinematography and masterful sound editing. It’s a status quo that extends to the scenes that don’t even involve bomb disposal, from the hair-raising nighttime gun battle to the film’s iconic sniper duel. One of the greatest war movies ever made, The Hurt Locker stands as an adrenaline-fused triumph to this day.

6

’71 (2014)

Directed By Yann Demange

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’71

Thriller

Drama

Action

War

Release Date

August 29, 2014

Runtime

99 Minutes

Director

Yann Demange

Writers

Gregory Burke

Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Jack O’Connell

  • Headshot Of Sean Harris

    Sean Harris

  • Headshot of Paul Anderson

    Paul Anderson

  • Headshot Of Sam Reid

    Sam Reid

Main Genre

War

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The quintessential example of an excellent war movie that only focuses on one person, Yann Demange’s ’71 follows the plight of Jack O’Connell’s Gary Hook. A young British soldier stationed in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, Hook is hunted through Belfast by the IRA after becoming separated from his unit in a skirmish. Bringing this life-and-death game of cat-and-mouse to life in thrilling fashion, ’71 is contentiously the best war movie from the last decade that you’ve never heard of.

…’71 leverages the high stakes posed by its fraught historical backdrop to produce a gripping and terrifyingly realistic story…

Featuring an exemplary bow from O’Connell, the Skins star’s performance lends stunning authenticity to this visceral fight for survival. A taut and meticulously crafted war thriller from Demange in his directorial debut, ’71 leverages the high stakes posed by its fraught historical backdrop to produce a gripping and terrifyingly realistic story, one that rarely fails to leave viewers hanging off the edge of their seats for 99 kinetically charged minutes.

5

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Directed By Ridley Scott

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Black Hawk Down

R

War

Drama

History

12

9/10

Release Date

January 18, 2002

Runtime

144 minutes

Director

Ridley Scott

Writers

Ken Nolan

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jason Isaacs In The PaleyLive NY Series Hollywood Legend Cary Grant: The American

    Jason Isaacs

  • Headshot Of Eric Bana

    Eric Bana

Black Hawk Down recounts the harrowing true story of a U.S. military mission gone awry in Somalia. Tasked with capturing a warlord, elite soldiers find themselves in a fierce battle against Somali militia forces.

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Based on the true story of a US military helicopter crash against the chaotic backdrop of the Battle of Mogadishu, 2001’s Black Hawk Down is widely regarded as one of the best war movies of the 2000s. Boasting a star-studded ensemble cast, Ridley Scott’s movie is notorious for its grounded depictions of battle, bringing the frenzied nature of the conflict to life onscreen in a manner that thrusts the audience into the action head-on.

…Black Hawk Down’s first-rate levels of cinematic authenticity lend to some of the most enthralling battles and action sequences that the genre has ever witnessed.

An unabashed thrill ride from Scott, Black Hawk Down’s first-rate levels of cinematic authenticity lend to some of the most enthralling battles and action sequences that the genre has ever witnessed. One of the most frenetically paced war movies ever made, the film produces a heart-pounding snapshot of war that captures the life-or-death nature of armed conflict in enthralling style.

4

Dunkirk (2017)

Directed By Christopher Nolan

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Dunkirk

PG-13

History

Drama

Action

ScreenRant logo

9/10

7.8/10

Release Date

July 21, 2017

Runtime

106 minutes

Director

Christopher Nolan

Writers

Christopher Nolan

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Kenneth Branagh In The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

    Kenneth Branagh

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Aneurin Barnard

This epic tale of World War II tells the story of soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who are surrounded by the German army, and the dangerous operation that evacuated and saved the lives of thousands.

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

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Chronicling the miraculous evacuation of Allied troops from the titular beaches during WWII from the perspective of characters in the air, at sea, and on land, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is one of the most audacious films in cinematic history. One of the finest British war movies ever made, the 2017 picture wastes no time in putting pedal to the metal, instantly immersing viewers in a desperate race against time in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Frequent Christopher Nolan collaborator Michael Caine has an uncredited cameo appearance as the voice of Fortis Leader in Dunkirk.

Guided by the might of Nolan’s technical genius, Dunkirk’s collection of adrenaline-fused sequences combine for one of the director’s most intense viewing experiences. The chaotic bedlam of the evacuation is rendered with jaw-dropping levels of realism, as the movie deftly navigates from one explosive sequence to the next in seamless fashion. An array of standout performances from the ensemble cast serve as the cherry on the cake for one of the most impressive war movies of the 21st century to date.

3

1917 (2019)

Directed By Sam Mendes

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1917

R

Drama

Biography

ScreenRant logo

7/10

8.1/10

Release Date

December 25, 2019

Runtime

119 minutes

Director

Sam Mendes

Writers

Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Colin Firth In The Los Angeles Premiere Of `Empire Of Light`

    Colin Firth

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Teresa Mahoney

Set against the backdrop of war-torn France during WWI, 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers tasked with delivering a dangerous message to stop an attack that could the lives of thousands of other soldiers at risk. The film uses long takes to make it appear that the entire narrative takes place over the course of two continuous shots. Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star. 

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

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Earning 10 Academy Award nominations on release in 2019, Sam Mendes’ 1917 is rightly viewed as one of the best war movies released in the past 10 years. Led by George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman, it’s also one of the most nail-biting entries that the genre has to offer. This is hardly surprising, when one considers that the electrically paced film’s central premise is a desperate race against time, a seemingly hopeless mission to prevent a doomed counter-offensive and save the brother of Chapman’s charge from certain death.

Utilizing a revolutionary array of long takes to have the whole film appear as one continuous shot, Mendes immerses his audience in this nightmarish quest through the conditions of the Western Front across 119 minutes. Serving to ratchet up the tension even further, 1917 is loaded with notably nerve-jangling sequences where Mendes gleefully whips the rug out from under his shocked audience, from a booby-trapped German bunker to a sniper who opens fire on Mackay’s charge without warning.

2

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Directed By Steven Spielberg

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Saving Private Ryan

R

War

Drama

ScreenRant logo

10/10

32

9.6/10

Release Date

July 24, 1998

Runtime

169 minutes

Director

Steven Spielberg

Writers

Robert Rodat

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Tom Sizemore

    Tom Sizemore

  • Headshot Of Adam Goldberg In The The Devil Los Angeles Premiere

    Adam Goldberg

Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller’s command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan’s brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns,  and Tom Sizemore also star. 

Main Genre

War

Studio(s)

DreamWorks Distribution

Distributor(s)

DreamWorks Distribution, Paramount Pictures

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A front-runner for Steven Spielberg’s magnum opus, 1998’s Saving Private Ryan is universally regarded as one of the greatest war movies of all time. Chronicling an epic mission to bring the titular soldier home after his brothers are killed in action, there isn’t a dull moment to be found in this 1990s movie masterpiece, from the unforgettable opening sequences depicting the D-Day landings to the harrowing climactic showdown for the town of Ramelle.

Saving Private Ryan’s Oscar Nominations

Result

Best Director

Won

Best Cinematography

Won

Best Film Editing

Won

Best Sound Mixing

Won

Best Sound Editing

Won

Best Picture

Nominated

Best Actor

Nominated

Best Original Score

Nominated

Best Original Screenplay

Nominated

Best Production Design

Nominated

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Nominated

Notwithstanding its iconic battles, Saving Private Ryan still features some of the most engrossing moments that the genre has ever witnessed, from the epic sniper duel in the rain to the squad’s harrowing charge on a German machine gun nest. There are lulls in the action throughout Spielberg’s epic, but he fills the downtime with exquisitely selected material to invoke a greater human connection to his characters, raising the emotional stakes even higher for when battle inevitably resumes.

1

Lone Survivor (2013)

Directed By Peter Berg

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Lone Survivor

R

War

Action

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9/10

Release Date

December 25, 2013

Runtime

121 minutes

Director

Peter Berg

Writers

Peter Berg

Cast

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  • A photo of actor Mark Wahlberg at a screening of Arthur The King

    Mark Wahlberg

  • Headshot Of Taylor Kitsch In The 29th Annual Critics' Choice Awards

    Taylor Kitsch

Lone Survivor is a dramatization of the United States Navy SEALs’ Operation Red Wing, an unsuccessful military operation that aimed to track down the leader of the Taliban. The film follows the four-man SEAL team, and the danger and psychological strain they faced on their mission.

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

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A dramatization of an ill-fated Navy SEAL reconnaissance mission during the War in Afghanistan, Peter Berg’s Lone Survivor is based on the true story of Operation Red Wings. Led by Mark Wahlberg as the titular last man standing, the thrilling 2013 outing is notable for featuring some of the most immersive depictions of armed combat in cinematic history, resulting in an absolutely electrifying depiction of the brutal mountainside battle between Marcus Luttrell’s squad and Taliban insurgents.

Lone Survivor Mark Wahlberg and angry Pashto herder

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Respectfully honoring the SEALs’ bravery, resilience, and near-superhuman levels of physical toughness while still producing a heart-pounding war movie is no mean feat, but Berg’s high-paced outing ticks the boxes across the board. Leveraging a selection of stellar performances from the men tasked with bringing these elite soldiers to life, the director takes some creative liberties with history’s actual version of events but still produces a knockout war movie for the ages nonetheless.

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