Throughout history, we’ve endured countless wars, discovering courageous heroes along the way, heroes who perhaps had blended into the humdrum of society without any notion of what they were truly capable of until they were put to the test.
Through movies, we get to celebrate their historic moments. So without further ado, here's our list of the Best War Movies Based on True Stories!
American Sniper
"Deadliest sniper" is quite a badge of honor to bear, but it doesn’t come without its share of burdens. American Sniper, based on the story of Chris Kyle, takes us into the heart of the Iraq War alongside one of the most lethal Navy SEALs to ever pick up a rifle.
Unfortunately, that is not all Kyle picks up during his multiple tours to Iraq. He also struggles to adjust back to normal life once his time in service is over, giving us a heartbreaking view of the long-term toll war can take on the warriors who fight for our country.
Hacksaw Ridge
A true war hero tale if there ever was one! Desmond Doss, a Seventh-Day Adventist took the Ten Commandments to heart (especially “thou shall not kill”) became the first conscientious objector to ever win the Medal of Honor.
Despite his moral objections over war, he willing enlisted to serve after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor during WWII. While he never fired a weapon, let alone even carried one, Doss proved everyone who doubted him wrong when he singlehandedly saved his fellow soldiers with no regard for his own life.
The Imitation Game
A different take to the typical war film, The Imitation Game peeks into aspects of warfare we rarely get to see. Within the intelligence offices of the MI6, we find Alan Turing, a prodigal mathematician with a penchant for cryptography and crossword puzzles. While he never served on the front lines, Turing’s contributions to the war effort may have very well turned the tides of the war to the favor of the Allies.
We Were Soldiers
Based on a eponymous book and inspired by the authors' criticism of war movies always getting it “wrong every damned time”, Randall Wallace took care to get it right when he directed We Were Soldiers. Brutally depicting the unfathomable odds American troops faced in the jungles of Vietnam against an army accustomed such wilderness, this movie offers up a front-row seat to one of the most tragic wars in history.
Dunkirk
What could have been one of WWII's most devastating and embarrassing moments for the Allies turns into a moving spectacle of civilian bravery and resilience as an entire army is trapped on the shores of France, surrounded by invading Nazi forces.
With no option but to evacuate, a plan is hastily assembled to ferry out the hundreds of thousands of soldiers stranded on the wrong side of the English Channel as Luftwaffe bombard the beaches. In the end, merchant ships, pleasure crafts, yachts, and all forms of civilian boats make the trip into the treacherous waters to save the brave young man who would help liberate a continent.
1917
While the story itself may not be based on true facts, 1917 is certainly set in one of the most accurate recreations of the first World War. The gruesome reality of trench warfare is unapologetically thrust onto the screen, forcing us to deal with a tiny fictional fraction of the actual horrors faced by those who fought in the Great War.
Saving Private Ryan
There are two reasons to mention this one. First, that opening scene! 24 minutes of pure unadulterated devastation as the first landing crafts of D-Day land on the beaches of Normandy. Hailed as the most accurate depiction of the realities soldiers faced that day, many say the only thing missing was the smell.
Second, the story, though not entirely true, is still somewhat based on a similar story of a brother who was discharged from the army after it was believed his three brothers were killed in action. The directive came as a result of the Sole Survivor Policy which seeks to protect families who have already lost family members in military service.
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