Image credit: MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Interstar, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Deputy, International Film Exchange, United Artists, DreamWorks, TriStar Pictures, World Entertainment, Golden Harvest Company, Summit Entertainment, Sony Pictures Releasing, Universal Pictures
War movies tell stories about battles and soldiers, and some of the best ones didn't even make a lot of money when they were first shown in theaters; these movies are like hidden treasures, waiting for more people to discover how good they are.
Even though these movies didn't top the charts or get talked about a lot when they came out, they're packed with amazing performances by actors who make you feel like you're right there with them, seeing everything they see and feeling everything they feel; it's like getting a history lesson without even realizing you're learning because you're so caught up in the story.
Chronicles the harrowing 10-day assault in 1969 by the 101st Airborne Division on a fortified hill in Vietnam, showcasing the brutal reality of battle, the bond among soldiers, and the cost of war on human lives.
2. "The Steel Helmet" (1951) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
During the Korean War, a tough sergeant and his small band of soldiers navigate treacherous terrain and engage with enemy combatants while defending a Buddhist temple with strategic value, confronting racial tensions and the psychological toll of war.
3. "The Hurt Locker" (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Portrays the high-stress lives of a bomb disposal team in Iraq, focusing on the team's leader with a reckless approach to warfare, exploring the adrenaline, fear, and complexity of their life-saving yet dangerous job in a war-torn landscape.
4. "Paths of Glory" (1957) Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
In World War I, after a failed attack on a German position, French army generals order the court-martial of three innocent soldiers for cowardice as an example, leading their commanding officer to defend them against the charges in a corrupt military justice system.
5. "Glory" (1989) Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
The story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the Union Army's second African American unit in the Civil War, focusing on their formation, training, and the heroic but tragic assault on Fort Wagner.
6. "Patton" (1970) Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
A biographical film about US General George S. Patton during World War II, showcasing his brilliant but volatile personality, tactical genius in battles across North Africa and Europe, and conflicts with superiors and subordinates alike.
An American POW leads a group of mainly British prisoners to escape from the Germans in WWII by hijacking a train and attempting a daring journey to Switzerland, facing numerous obstacles along the way.
8. Come and See (1985) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
A harrowing Soviet film depicting the Nazi occupation of Belarus, through the eyes of a young partisan recruit, witnessing the atrocities and transformation of the landscape and people by the brutalities of war.
9. "A Midnight Clear" (1992) Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Near the end of World War II, an American intelligence squad finds a German platoon wishing to surrender, but the peaceful intentions lead to tension and tragedy among the American soldiers, reflecting on the absurdity and sorrow of war.
10. "MASH" (1970) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%
At a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War, a team of surgeons uses humor and hijinks to cope with the horrors of war, engaging in pranks and camaraderie while performing life-saving surgery on soldiers.
A group of actors filming a big-budget war movie are dropped into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they unwittingly become real soldiers fighting against drug lords in a conflict far beyond their acting skills.
12. "The Thin Red Line" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%
Set in the Pacific theater of World War II, the film follows the men of C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, as they attempt to capture the heavily defended Hill 210 on Guadalcanal Island, exploring their inner thoughts and feelings about the nature of life and death.
In World War II, a rogue American officer learns of gold bars stashed in a bank behind enemy lines and assembles a motley crew of soldiers to steal it, facing minefields, enemy tanks, and bureaucratic obstacles on their heist adventure.
14. "Fury" (2014) Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
In the final days of World War II, a battle-hardened army sergeant commands a Sherman tank and its five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines, facing overwhelming odds in an attempt to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.
15. "Boys in Company C" (1978) Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%
Follows a group of young Marines through the horrors of boot camp to the bloody streets of Vietnam, highlighting the camaraderie, disillusionment, and survival tactics amidst the chaos of war.
16. "The Lone Survivor" (2013) Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%
Based on a true story, four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative face an ethical decision that leads to them being ambushed in the mountains of Afghanistan, focusing on their fight for survival.
Based on the true story of the final mission of the B-17 bomber "Memphis Belle" and its crew, as they face intense aerial battles to complete their 25th and final bombing mission over Europe during World War II to earn their freedom from duty.
18. "U-571" (2000) Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
During World War II, an American submarine crew undertakes a dangerous mission to capture a German U-boat and its Enigma machine, which could turn the tide of the war in the Allies' favor, facing intense underwater battles and enemy deception.
19. "Johnny Got His Gun" (1971) Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
After a young American soldier is horrifically injured by a shell in World War I, he awakens in a hospital to realize he has lost all his limbs and senses except touch, leading him to recall his life and struggle with his desire for euthanasia.
20. "Battle of the Bulge" (1965) Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%
A dramatization of the Nazi's last major offensive in World War II, focusing on the Battle of the Bulge, where American forces face off against a massive surprise attack in the Ardennes, highlighting the strategic and personal battles on the snowy front.
