5 of the newest and best war films to stream on Netflix 2017 and 2016 releases

So what to watch on Netflix tonight? I've covered in the some previous posts some of the greats available to stream on Netflix (and Amazon Prime Video), but what about new movies, what about something different? Well here I've compiled a list of 5 of the newest war films from the last few years that are currently available (Originally April 2018, films still current 12/8/18) to stream on Netflix UK. I'm trying to provide some insight into the war films and I really don't mind writing reviews, but I don't really want to give the whole plot away. Instead giving some insight into what the film is about and some of the cast, if readers want more detail I'm happy to provide it in future posts, just let me know below in the comments or on facebook or twitter. I hope you find something worth watching.

Starting with the best films available on Netflix UK now, according to IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings first;

A Pacifist hero

Hacksaw Ridge, 2016, BBFC rating 15. Inexplicably I've not seen this movie, it's one I want to watch and I know IMDB gives Hacksaw Ridge a very healthy 8.2 meanwhile Rotten Tomatoes gives a great score too 86% reflecting the quality of probably one of the top war films on Netflix. It's a war film that has a great deal of buzz around it and for good reason. It follows Andrew Garfield playing Desmond Doss an American solider in World War 2 who was deployed to Okinawa and refused to kill enemy combatants and instead spent his time helping the injured gaining a coveted Medal of Honor for his efforts. Surely this is a must watch for a war film, let me know if I'm wrong.

Siege of Jadotville, 2016, 15. I've seen this one and would recommend it. Following the theme of recent war films that break the mould, this film revolves around historical events when Irish United Nations troops were deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1961, certainly not a well trodden war film path. The story follows 155 Irish troops under Commander Patrick Quinlan played by Jamie Dornan, besieged and isolated in a remote outpost by Katangese troops and foreign mercenaries. It's a very compelling story of survival against the odds. I think the ratings of 7.3 from IMDB and 60% from Rotten Tomatoes are fair.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi on Netflix

13 Hours: the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, 2016, 15. I have seen this movie and I think it's probably one of the better ones of recent years. Again it follows that theme of atypical war movies as it follows the stories of Private Military Contractors (or mercenaries if you prefer) in the conflict in Libya, which is an unusual -but welcome- setting for a war movie. The gripping tale of the team deployed to guard an unofficial CIA base in Libya but when a compound containing the US Ambassador is attacked the 6 contractors are the American's only hope. IMBD rating of  7.3 and a rather different Rotten Tomatoes score of 50% 🤔.

Sand Castle, 2017, 15, I've seen this one and I would definitely recommend it. In some ways it's very typical of a war film; lots of action, suspense, struggle and loss but in other ways it's very nontypical for example if I was going to describe the film in 3 words they'd be: fear, tension and futility. I've included the trailer from YouTube which gives a very good sense of what the movie is about. Briefly the film follows a US Army Recruit Matt Ocre played by Nicholas Hoult, as his platoon is assigned to secure the water supply for an Iraqi village in the opening parts of the 2003 war. This seemingly simple task is anything but. IMDB gives the film a rating of 6.3 and Rotten Tomatoes 49% I feel this is a little unfair and I think it's worth watching, that said I don't think it'll mature into a classic.

War Machine, 2017, 15. I've not seen this one, so I can't provide a great deal of insight into the film. It's apparently a satirical comedy starring Brad Pitt, as a Four Star General tasked with overseeing the end of the war in Afghanistan. The poster has the tagline "We're going to liberate the sh** out of you", doesn't quite sound like my kind of movie, maybe I'll watch it one day, maybe. But for now all I can say about how good it is or not IMDB gives it a rating of 6/10, Rotten Tomatoes meanwhile gives it 49%.

Let me know if I've missed any of the newest or best war films on Netflix. Thanks for reading, I hope it helped uncover a great movie for you to watch.

Why do streaming services ignore tv drama series about war?

The top rated war series Band of Brothers and the Pacific are not available to stream as part of a subscription in the UK, a quick blog looking at why that is?

War films are hugely popular and the genre has produced loads of seminal movies. Glance through any top list of films and there will be dozens of war movies like Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan, The Great Escape, Hacksaw Ridge and so on and so forth. These are the kinds of films that are available to watch on streaming services (check out my current list of Netflix and Amazon war movies to watch) but what about series?

It's odd that streaming services and how we consume entertainment these days is typified by the phrase binge watching, services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix offer seasons and seasons of tv series, they even make their own 'tv' shows. Yet when it comes to war, there's really not that many options, other than documentaries. It comes to me as a great surprise that currently neither Band of Brothers nor The Pacific is available on any of the streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, BBC Iplayer). Sure you can download and watch it, you can buy it on DVD or Blu Ray but you can't watch it right now as part of a subscription.

In fact it's very difficult to find any sort of war/ combat/ army/ navy content to stream. I had a good look around and the choices are bleak in the extreme. You might satisfy that combat fix with a single series of Dad's Army on BBC iplayer or go wild with 3 seasons on Now TV, but somehow I doubt it. I don't mean to criticise the series, I do love it dearly, but is it really war content? or simply a sitcom revolving around the Land Army of World War Two. The great BBC shows merits aside, there really isn't much to cater for those of us that want to see this kind of content.

Interestingly the only serious war series to stream (on Netflix) is a German mini-series called Generation War (2014), I haven't yet seen it, so I won't criticise it either way, but it's worth noting that it has 8.5/ 10 on IMDB which would seem to recommend it but only 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is curious, I definitely must watch it. I just watched the trailer on YouTube and linked it here, looks pretty good.



What I did discover or realise I guess from looking around for war series is that it's not exactly a crowded market place. Other than the superb Band of Brothers and Pacific, what else actually is there? The answer I came to is not a lot, I did a list to check what was streaming and I struggled to find 5 serious shows, sure there's comedies like the brillliant M*A*S*H and Blackadder Goes Forth (but sadly neither is currently available to stream as part of a subscription). There's a lot less serious shows that focus more on action than war like The Unit, Ultimate Force and Strike Back, entertaining or not do they count? Anyway that's besides the point for me and this website as neither of the trio is available to stream. The only one war series that I've watched before that I'd happily watch again, is a 2008 mini-series called Generation Kill which follows a US Marine unit in the early stage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Before I get any further it's not available to stream anywhere, nonetheless it was a gritty real account of front-line soldiering in a modern conflict, which is apparently a very rare thing.

It just strikes me as really odd that of all the war movies out there and the huge popularity of watching tv series more aren't made. What should us lovers of the military genre binge watch? Or even just watch the old fashioned way on tv? Anyone have any ideas why there aren't more tv productions? But for now I can definitively say, check out Generation War and that will have to fill the binge watching military void.

If I've missed something or you understand why there's not more war tv, or for any other reason feel free to comment below or on the War Movies Online Facebook Page.

Amazon is offering free trials to Amazon Prime (unlimited one day deliveries, ebooks, videos and more) link here and Amazon video only link here both free trials via the links, normally Prime is

Current top rated war movies on Netflix, May 2018

Here's a quick list of some of the greatest war movies of all time to view on Netflix. I've compiled the list by looking at various greatest war films lists online and come up with a list of about 45 and here's a few of them available to stream right now. So if you have an Netflix subscription and are looking for a top quality war movies to watch you've come to the right place. All films and availability checked on the Netflix desktop app on the 25th of May 2018.

Schindler's List

Fury the war movies that stars the crew of a US Sherman

Black Hawk Down

Das Boot

Hacksaw Ridge

Doctor Strangelove

Zero Dark Thirty

Downfall

Enemy at the Gates (no longer available on Netflix)

Fury

Green Zone

Rescue Dawn (no longer available on Netflix)

Casualties of War

Flyboys 

Current top rated war films on Amazon Prime, May 2018

Film cover of Kubrick's seminal classic Full Metal Jacket

Here's a quick list of some of the greatest war movies of all time to view on Amazon Prime. I've compiled the list by looking at various greatest war films lists online and come up with a list of 45. So if you have an Amazon Prime subscription and are looking for a top quality war movie to watch you've come to the right place. In fact Amazon currently have a free 30 day trial, click here to check that out.

All films and availability checked on the Amazon.co.uk site (via desktop) on the 25th of May 2018.


Top rated War Films currently available on an Amazon Prime subscription:

Apocalypse Now (no longer available)

Full Metal Jacket

The Hurt Locker

The Deer Hunter

Defiance (no longer available)

The Pianist