The Army is one of the most popular branches of the United States military.It typically has the highest number of active duty personnelevery year in the United States. Because of this popularity, it has naturally been the focus of many successful Hollywood movies. Since the Army has many diverse ways to serve, you will find movies about Army rangers, aviators, infantry, special forces, and others. Let’s look at some of Hollywood’s best movies about the Army branch of America’s Armed Forces.
10The Thin Red Line (1998)
The Thin Red Lineis a film about World War II that explores philosophical themes of morality when forced into a life-or-death situation. The movie was released in 1998 and is an adaptation of a novel by the same name. It tells a fictional account of the World War II battle of Mount Austen. The film focuses on the 25th Infantry regiment in the Army and follows an army private that goes AWOL in the South Pacific to live with the natives. His commanding officer Welsh, played by Sean Pean, finds him and forces him to resume active duty operations. American troops begin to assault Japanese positions in the Pacific, and the 25th infantry regiment joins in the effort. Other stars in the film includeGeorge Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, and John Travolta.
The film puts the men in conflict with the goal of their mission and the realities of war. The natives of the Pacific start to become distrustful of outsiders and quarrel with them. Many of the men in the regiment get bad news from home that makes their fight seem pointless.
9Sand Castle (2017)
Sand Castleis a war drama starringHenry Cavill, Nicholas Hoult, and Logan Marshall-Green. It was released in 2017 and follows the exploits of an army private named Matt during the Iraq War. This green Army private is sent on a dangerous mission to repair the water station in a rural Iraqi village. His squad meets up with a special forces unit and a group of army engineers who are attempting to repair the water station. They attempt to recruit local villagers to help, but none of them show up. Each day the group encounters trouble, sometimes resulting in fighting insurgents with guns. Even when they are passing out the water, the group is susceptible to insurgent gunfire. The squad eventually successfully recruits some people to help, but these villagers are hunted and targeted by suicide bombers.
The film succeeds at taking a humanistic look at the early days of the Iraq war and doesn’t censor much. Audience members get to see the fear and tension of the soldiers and villagers on full display.
8We Were Soldiers (2002)
Next up isWe Were Soldiers. The film was released in 2002 and starred Mel Gibson as a U.S. Army Lieutenant named Hal Moore. Hal is ordered to take his battalion of 400 men during the Vietnam War to defend an American base that is under attack by Vietnamese forces. This engagement would end up being the first large battle between the United States Army and the guerilla forces of North Vietnam. The United States forces are able to grasp victory and repel the attackers, but with heavy losses. At the movie’s end, the landing zone is revealed to have immediately been returned to North Vietnamese control after U.S. forces left, making their struggle essentially pointless.
The film is notable for being an extremely violent film, even for the war drama.We Were Soldiershandles the material respectfully, making it a moving and powerful film. It does not pull its punches in showcasing what really happens in the throes of battle, and despite some clunky dialogue, it is a fitting tribute to the soldiers who died.
7Glory (1989)
Gloryis a war drama movie that was released in 1989. The film stars Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, andMorgan Freeman. It is a civil war period American film that follows the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. This regiment was the Union Army’s early African-American regiment that served during the American Civil War. The story in the movie uses fictional characters but sets it in actual history. After the Battle of Antietam, a colonel named Robery Shaw is given the opportunity to command the African-American regiment. Shaw is able to discipline the troops into a solid fighting unit in enough time to go out into battle.
The movie was well-received when it came out and currently has apositive critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.It was praised for its striking imagery and epic score and is seen as one of the best Civil War films. The film is inspiring and features many brilliant performances that humanize the struggles of these Union army soldiers.
6The Outpost (2020)
Next on this list is the 2020 war filmThe Outpost. It follows the account in the 2012 non-fiction book of the same name authored by Jake Tapper. The story follows several U.S. Army outposts that were created in Northern Afghanistan in the mid-2000s. These outposts are located deep in the mountains, but the troops stationed there faced regular assaults by the Taliban. These outposts were the sight of one of the bloodiest engagements during the time. The 50 United States soldiers stationed there had to battle over 300 enemy combatants during the infamous Battle of Kamdesh.
Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood, and Caleb Landry Jones round out the starring cast and give solid performances. This film is technically impressive and is an excellent tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives during the real event.The Outpostgives each death meaning by portraying the acts of heroism in a dramatic but respected way.
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5Fury (2014)
Furyis a 2014 war drama that takes place during the end of World War II. It stars Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf as U.S. Army soldiers in the second armored division. The film follows Army Sergeant Don Collier and his crew that is responsible for a tank nicknamed “Fury.” The tank and its crew are tasked with a dangerous mission deep behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany. The soldiers are outnumbered and outgunned and have some personnel issues in the squad as well. The group will have to overcome these bad odds to successfully carry out their mission to pave the way for an ally forces advance.
It is an impressive film held up by solid performances. Brad Pitt, in particular, is adept at portraying the gruff but charismatic soldier. The movie is also pretty to look at and has a compelling tone that lends itself well to fantastic action and quieter, introspective moments.
4Platoon (1986)
Platoonis a 1986 Vietnam War film that is part of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War trilogy. The film follows a U.S. army volunteer named Chris Taylor, played by Charlie Sheen, who has just arrived in south Vietnam and is assigned to the infantry division. At the film’s beginning, he is an idealistic young man, but as the battles drag on, he starts to lose that optimism. In addition to enemy forces, he must also face villagers who hide the Vietcong and infighting amongst his own squad.
The film does an excellent job of portraying the day-to-day experience of Vietnam and the madness of combat. It gives an honest depiction of combat and the moments in between.
Related:Dunkirk and the Real Story of the World War II Military Disaster
312 Strong (2018)
The war movie12 Strongwas released in 2018 and follows a U.S. army captain that is deployed with the Green Berets. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on June 18, 2025, a group of army soldiers volunteered to be deployed to Afghanistan to assault the Taliban. The plan is for 12 men to assault a Taliban stronghold in hopes of disabling the Taliban in the area. These soldiers quickly find themselves outgunned and outnumbered against a vicious enemy that does not take prisoners. The film is intense and gripping, with well-executed action scenes that leave a memorable impact on the viewer.
2Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Hacksaw Ridgeis a World War II film that was released in 2016. The film was directed by Mel Gibson and starred Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, and Luke Bracey. In the movie, a man named Desmond Doss joins the military after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He goes through basic training and joins the 77th Infantry division that assaults a strategic cliff in the Pacific theater. The film is well-reviewed and buoyed by impressive performances and classic directorial techniques.
1Saving Private Ryan (1998)
At the top of the list is the filmSaving Private Ryan.It is an excellently acted film released in 1998 starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, and Matt Damon. The film follows the actions of the U.S. army during their landing on Omaha Beach in the Normandy Invasion in World War II. A strength of the film is that it is very character-focused and deals with how each man deals with the realities of war. With Stephen Spielberg directing, it is a masterpiece viewing experience.
