The war movies that hit the big screens each year receive both positive and negative reviews from critics, just like all other genres. For such content, critics base their reviews largely on historical accuracy, though they can also consider the film's appeal with regard to being informative and interesting or the prowess of the actors in their different roles. However, any war movie that claims to be based on true historical events should try as much as possible to capture the events with the highest possible accuracy, lest it just falls in the category of a fictional film that does not deliver on its promise.
However, the level of accuracy does not determine a film's success, since even the inaccurate films can make tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars in profits at the box office. On the other hand, some movies do a great job at capturing the real-life events they are based on, and what soldiers actually went through, but they do not become huge box office hits. To find out if your favorite war movie is accurate or not, here is a list of 20 war movies from the least to the most accurate.
20 Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is based on the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Even though the film did well at the box office, little was made to hide numerous inconsistencies. The equipment and items used like warships, aircraft, crop dusters, jeeps, guns, and even cigarette brands did not match the 1940s era. The director’s choice to paint the Japanese zero fighters green was historically inaccurate; they were light gray and white in real-life.
19 U-571
U-571 is a submarine film criticized for many inaccuracies. The plot showed America as the sole victor of World War II while undermining the roles played by other countries. The film also negatively portrayed the German U-boat sailors. They were portrayed as bad people while in real events, they assisted the survivors and took some as prisoners.
18 Windtalkers
This 2002 war movie based on World War II focuses on the Navajo code talkers. The film was criticized for focusing too much on Nicolas Cage’s character instead of featuring the Navajo characters, who should have been the primary focus. One man said he had disposed of 870 bombs, which was unrealistic.
17 The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker film is about the second Iraq War, and it follows an Iraq EOD team targeted by insurgents. The movie added more drama than what actually transpired. It wrongfully portrayed the EOD team as undisciplined adrenaline junkies. One character risked the lives of others for not following the procedures, which did not happen in real life.
16 Flyboys
This 2006 war drama film follows a group of pilots who volunteer to become fighter pilots during World War I. The aircraft technology used in the film was inaccurate and the aircraft themselves did not exist during the WWI era. Rawling’s aircraft had English cocard instead of French and some of the German soldiers wore Pickelhaube helmets instead of the Stahlhelm helmets.
15 Red Tails
This film follows young African-American fighter pilots who endure real-life struggles during their recruitment in the Tuskegee training program. The characters were based on real-life people. The film showed the unit’s commander as only having a desk job when the actual commander flew many combat missions. It also had a false claim that the Tuskegee Airmen did not lose a single bomber to enemy fire but an air force report revealed that the actual team lost 25 bombers.
14 Gladiator
This film portrays a Roman general named Maximus, whose father died at the hands of Commodus and instead of inheriting the throne becomes a slave. However, in reality, Commodus did not murder Max’s father, he died in Vienna due to a plague, and Commodus did not die in the arena since someone strangled him in his bath. The film also shows that they defeated the barbarians in the Marcomannic wars but in reality, the war was still on when Marcus died.
13 Men Of Honor
Men of Honor is a drama based on a true story. The film follows Carl Brashear, a sharecropper who leaves his home to become the first African-American master diver in the US Navy. However, the film overlooked and downplayed some things that Brashear actually went through. Critics also thought Charlize Theron’s character although professional was unnecessary to the film.
12 Enemy At The Gates
This 2001 war film follows two snipers who participate in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. However, instead of the film focusing on the battle of Stalingrad, it focused on the story of the two snipers. Other inaccuracies include making the main character a one-man army while in reality, the battle involved many more people. In addition, no historical record exists to support that the Russians went into battle unarmed.
11 The Patriot
The Patriot did well at the box office but attracted criticism for wrongfully portraying British historical figures. Benjamin Martin, one of the main characters, was not depicted as he was in real life, especially concerning the crimes he committed against innocent black Americans and Indians. Tarleton’s character was assassinated, there was no evidence that he broke the rules of war or even shot a child in cold blood as shown in the film, in fact, he was once a hero. The film also misrepresented certain atrocities.
10 Jarhead
This 2005 biographical war film was based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford’s memoir. The film received mixed reviews, and people commended it for capturing the issues soldiers faced leading up to the battle. However, some scenes in the film were highly unlikely to happen during the war, like being abandoned on the battlefield or accidentally killing a fellow soldier.
9 American Sniper
American Sniper is a 2014, war drama film based on the memoir of Chris Kyle, one of the most lethal snipers in U.S. military history. Director Clint Eastwood really delivered the vivid tribute to the real-life sniper. Actor Bradley Cooper, who plays Chris even bulked up to portray his real physical appearance; however, the film received criticism for using a fake baby in one scene.
8 Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is based on a semi-autobiography written by a U.S. Marine about his experience in the Vietnam War. This 1987 film captured the boot camp training U.S. Marines went through during the war. The film specifically focuses on two marines who struggle under the abusive drill instructor. Director Stanley Kubrick did a lot of research on the film and Lee Ermey was actually a real-life U.S. Marine drill instructor during the war.
7 Lone Survivor
This 2013 film is based on a nonfiction book with the same name. It follows four Navy Seals during the war in Afghanistan. With a budget of $40 million, the film grossed over $154.8 million thanks to the overly dramatic scenes that actually happened in real life. The film captured the true account of military courage and survival.
6 Black Hawk Down
Directed by Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down is also based on a nonfiction book by the same name. It is about the U.S. military’s 1993 raid in Mogadishu. Even though they did not use Somalis that resembled the real-life people, or speak the language spoken by the Somali people, critics felt Ridley captured most of the events to detail.
5 Come And See
This soviet 1985 film was focused on war crimes committed by the Nazis during World War II. The film has very accurate historical depictions, making it one of the best anti-war movies made to date. Although it had notable graphic portrayals, it captured the true events that happened at Wehrmacht, even a former soldier who served during that time testified that everything they told was true.
4 Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a classic war film that follows a group of U.S. soldiers during the invasion of Normandy during World War II as they try to save the last surviving brother after his siblings were all killed in action. The film had some historical inaccuracies but fortunately, it was not based on a true story. It actually captured the combat very realistically.
3 Hacksaw Ridge
Based on a documentary, Hacksaw Ridge follows an American medic, Desmond Doss, who refuses to carry or use firearms even while on duty during World War II. The film grossed $175.3 million worldwide against a budget of $40 million and was one of the must-see films of 2016. This was one of the most realistic war films based on how the character stayed true to his convictions.
2 Dunkirk
This 2017 film is one of the most accurate war films ever made. The film captures the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II through land, sea, and air. Dunkirk was deeply moving and portrayed the fear soldiers experience during the war. Other than the storyline, people praised it for its direction, sound effects, and cinematography. Dunkirk was the highest-grossing world war movie making $526 million worldwide.
1 Restrepo
Restrepo tops the list as the best war documentary of all time. This 2010 film follows a platoon that defends an outpost named Restrepo during the Afghanistan War. The film received a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for being entertaining and capturing front line experiences of soldiers during and after the war.