5 Lesser-Known War Movies on Netflix That Are Actually Great

Our love for war films has never quite been explained. Perhaps it's the action, the heroics, or just the fact we generally know who we're rooting for. Either way, war movies are a staple of the industry.

Here are five underrated war movies that you should watch because…well they're all great:

1. U-571 (2000)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%

During the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942, a US submarine, S-33, intercepts a distress call from a damaged German U-boat, U-571. The US crew locate and board the enemy vessel, but lose their commanding officer in the fight.

Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) takes command and must find a way to safety. But the battle rages on and a German reply sub is on U-571's tail.

There was a real U-571, but this story is completely fictional. The film went under the radar but still made $127 million at the box office.

2. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Andrew Garfield stars as Desmond Doss in this biopic about a Seventh-day Adventist and Andrew Garfield stars as Desmond Doss in this biopic about a Seventh-day Adventist and pacifist. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, Doss enlists in the US military as a combat medic. But his refusal to carry a rifle makes him an outcast in his platoon.

This is the true story of a conscientious objector who won the Medal of Honor for service above and beyond the call of duty.

The film received positive reviews and made $180.5 million at the box office, but seems to have been largely forgotten.

3. Operation Mincemeat (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

In 1943, the Allies are planning an offensive to change the course of the war. An invasion of Sicily is expected to swing the pendulum in their favour and lead to the beginning of the end for the Nazis.

Starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Jason Isaacs, the film focuses on the intelligence officers who tried to deceive the Germans by using a dead body to spread misinformation. The film has been criticised by some historians for its accuracy. But with a bit of artistic licence, the plot doesn't stray too far from the truth, and the film is quite gripping.

Surprisingly, it only made $15.7 million at the box office.

4. The Outpost (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Based on the non-fiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper, the film tells the story of how 53 US soldiers and two Latvian military advisors defeated more than 300 Taliban invaders during the Battle of Kamdesh.

In 2009, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Kamdesh was located in northern Afghanistan near the Hindu Kush mountains. US soldiers were under frequent attack and it was known as one of the most dangerous places in the war.

On 3 October, the enemy launched what would prove to be one of the bloodiest battles of the war for the Americans.

It's a great film that was a complete box office flop, earning only $2.3 million against a budget of $5 million.

5. Midway (1976)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

Charlton Heston stars in this war film based on the 1942 Battle of Midway. After the US launches an attack on Tokyo, Japan makes plans to retake and destroy the US base on Midway Island.

When the US Navy learns of the plans and breaks the code to determine where the Japanese intend to strike, warships are sent to the area to ambush the invaders.

The movie received mixed reviews on release, largely due to the inclusion of a love story that adds nothing to the plot, but still grossed $43 million. While the romance is weak and unnecessary, it does not detract from the military aspect of the film and its action sequences.

This movie is not available in all regions, so you may need a VPN to watch it.