An epic war-scale movie about courage, bravery, and sacrifice, Saving Private Ryan is arguably one of the best epic war films around. While it has one of the most emotional opening scenes in film, the narrative is still one viewers were eager to watch, as a squadron of soldiers led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) go behind enemy lines in World War II with orders to save Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). It is a brutal telling of one of the deadliest wars in history, taking viewers into a violent and bloody battle where no one is safe.

From the eagerness of Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) in All Quiet on the Western Front to the last stand seen in Fury, Saving Private Ryan isn’t the only film that will have viewers on the edge of their seats. These films are fast-paced and filled with action and consequences arising from various military operations. So, for viewers who enjoy intense fight sequences, interesting characters, and powerful stories, check out these movies that are similar to the ferocity seen in Saving Private Ryan.

10

‘Gladiator’ (2000)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Maximus screaming with his arms spread in Gladiator
Image via Universal Pictures

Gladiator follows the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), taking viewers back to the time of Ancient Rome and gladiators fighting in an arena for the entertainment of the empire. Once an honored general for Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Maximus soon finds himself bound in chains after the Emperor’s son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), murders his father. Jealous that his father wanted Maximus to be his successor, Commodus frames him. Maximus’ family is eventually sold to Proximo (Oliver Reed), a gladiator trainer. It isn’t long before Maximus is thrown into Rome’s Colosseum, fighting for his life and, eventually, taking on Commodus and killing him for the spectators.

While Ridley Scott’s historical epic is set in ancient times, it is still a compelling tale of strength and honor. Like Saving Private Ryan, it moves at just the right pace, so when the action sequences do happen, they are all out entertaining, if not wildly violent. Crowe’s performance as Maximus is magnificent, creating a quiet yet strong-willed person who wants revenge for the murders of his family while still wanting to fight for the freedom of himself and the other gladiators forced into slavery. Visually stunning and electric, Gladiator won five Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.

9

‘Narvik’ (2022)

Directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg

German officers surveying the town of Narvik
Image via Netflix

A suspenseful tale of the true events that happened during the Battles of Narvik from April 9, 1940, to June 8, 1940, Narvik brings viewers into the tiny Norweigan port town as German forces are invading the country, intent on taking over the iron ore exports the village is known for. The movie follows Ingrid Tofte (Kristine Hartgen) and Corporal Gunnar Tofte (Carl Martin Eggesbø), a married couple who want nothing more than to live a normal life and to keep their family safe even though they are now caught up in a war.

The film brings to question what a person will do under extreme duress if they are willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in. An emotional and impactful movie, Narvik has a way of making every decision made by the characters feel as though it is life or death, a moral obligation, and less of a strategic way of taking on the encroaching German forces. It is interesting to watch, as viewers aren’t sure if the characters are going to break under the emotional turmoil or continue to fight for their town.

Narvik Movie Poster

Narvik

Release Date

January 23, 2023

Director

Erik Skjoldbjaerg

Cast

Kristine Hartgen
, Carl Martin Eggsbø
, Cristoph Gelfert Mathiesen
, Henrik Mestad

Runtime

109 minutes

8

‘The Patriot’ (2000)

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Benjamin (Mel Gibson) charges into battle carrying an American flag, with soldiers in the background
Image via Sony 

Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) is a widowed farmer living in Berkeley, South Carolina, and a French Indian War veteran who wants nothing more than to stay out of another war, even though the British are coming and the American Revolutionary War is on his doorstep. But when British Troops come and disrupt his life, killing one of his sons, Thomas (Gregory Smith), he joins ranks. Getting to one of the American camps, Benjamin meets up with Colonel Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper), who, knowing Benjamin’s fighting skills, tasks him with creating a militia unit and engaging in guerrilla warfare. Benjamin fights alongside his son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), who is eventually killed, and does his best to win the war, one bloody battle after the other.

The Patriot is like Saving Private Ryan as it is a war film filled with violent battles, hand-to-hand combat, and emotionally draining death scenes, just with an eccentric villain in Jason Issacs’ Colonel William Tavington, who viewers can’t help but hate to love with his zero-remorse and guilt-free attitude. While it is not as thought-provoking as the squadron tasked with saving another soldier’s life, it is still wildly entertaining, with incredible acting and a strange juxtaposition of sentiment and brutality, a similar theme seen in Saving Private Ryan.

The Patriot Film Poster

Release Date

June 30, 2000

Director

Roland Emmerich

Runtime

165 Minutes

Rent on Apple TV

7

‘The Thin Red Line’ (1998)

Directed by Terrence Malick

A group of soldiers crouches in the tall grass in The Thin Red Line’ (1998)
Image via 20th Century Studios

Based on James Jones’ 1962 novel of the same name, The Thin Red Line brings viewers into the Pacific Theater of World War II and the Battle of Mount Austen, part of the Guadalcanal Campaign. The film looks into the lives of different United States soldiers from C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, including Private Witt (Jim Caviezel), who went AWOL, and Sargeant. Welsh (Sean Penn), the commanding officer who found him and returned Witt to active duty, training for the battle to come.

From there, soldiers gear up for the Battle of Mount Austen, showcasing a violent war field full of machine guns, death, and a squadron who need to figure out their respective attitudes in life or death situations and war as a whole. The Thin Red Line is an emotional tale about a group of men who find love in unlikely places, namely in each other, as they try to overrun a Japanese bunker during the battle. It is powerful and takes viewers on a journey through an intense battle and sequences of bloodshed that are nothing short of heart-piercing moments.

the-thin-red-line-poster.jpg

The Thin Red Line

Release Date

December 23, 1998

Director

Terrence Malick

Runtime

171 Minutes

6

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022)

Directed by Edward Berger

Paul has a sad look on his face while standing with other soldiers in All Quiet on the Western Front
Image via Netflix

All Quiet on the Western Front is based on the 1929 Erich Maria Remarque novel of the same name and brings viewers back to the start of World War I in 1914 Germany. It follows the story of Paul Bäumer, a young German man who, alongside his friends, enlists in the army. The film is interesting, as it shows Paul as an excited young man, ready to go to the front lines for his country and become a decorated war hero. He sensationalizes being a soldier but is quickly struck by the realities of warfare, the death and destruction it causes, and the body count growing every hour of every day. Instead of becoming the hero he dreamed of being, all Paul wants to do is survive and make it back home to his family.

The film shows the personal development of Kammerer’s character, first, as this young schoolboy who thinks it would be glorious and an honor to die for his country and then realizes the truth, conditions, and horrific nature of where he is. It is a harrowing portrayal of soldiers and war, a grueling and emotionally taxing film that is as visually appealing as it is compelling. Like Saving Private Ryan, All Quiet on the Western Front explores the notion that war is something else altogether for those actually fighting and how the experience isn’t an adventure but something that will stay with you forever.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Release Date

September 29, 2022

Director

Edward Berger

Runtime

143 Minutes

5

‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Farrier in a plane with his mask off in 'Dunkirk'
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Set on the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II, viewers watch as both British and French soldiers are stuck with no way to escape as the German troops advance to their location and trap them. With aerial strikes and the enemy gunning them down, the Allied forces try their best to stay alive but are quickly losing hope. The world of the Allies wasn’t going to leave them there to die. The military and civilians band together, using every available vessel to get the men safely out of the line of fire. In the end, they wind up saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

One of the most thrilling war movies, Dunkirk doesn’t utilize a lot of dialogue; instead, it focuses on the sounds of battle, keeping time with the suspenseful narrative of the story along with the horrified expressions of the young men on the beaches. A film filled with chaos and horror, Dunkirk does an amazing job showcasing true events by filming not only the land perspective of the soldiers but also the sea and air. Dunkirk keeps viewers in suspense from start to finish. While this film isn’t about a group of soldiers on a mission, it is about men fighting for their survival, hoping beyond all odds that someone out there will come to their rescue.

dunkirk-movie-poster.jpg

Release Date

July 21, 2017

Runtime

106 minutes

4

‘The Forgotten Battle’ (2020)

Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

A group of soldiers running into battle in The Forgotten Battle
Image via Netflix

A depiction of the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944 during World War II, The Forgotten Battle sees three very different people cross paths during the war, changing each other and their sides’ fate. First, there is Marinus van Staveren (Gijs Blom), a soldier in the German army; then there is British glider pilot William Sinclair (Jamie Flatters); and, lastly, a Dutch resistance fighter, Teuntje Visser (Susan Radder), who needs to get important photographs of German artillery to the Allied troops. While each of these characters starts in various positions across the battle, their lives eventually intertwine, with Marinus and William letting one another live and Marinus saving Teuntje from capture.

The Forgotten Battle is just that, a battle that actually occurred during World War II but was never really discussed. It showcases how people on two sides of the war, while fighting, still helped one another at certain points in time, whether it be letting one another live or saving a young girl from a horrible fate. It approaches the war in a different way than most films, zeroing in on a group of people who have nothing to do with one another but are fated to meet in some way during the war. Like Saving Private Ryan, The Forgotten Battle is an emotional tale of what people can do to one another, both good and evil, and is one of the most interesting international war movies out there.

the-forgotten-battle-2020-poster.jpg

The Forgotten Battle

Release Date

December 14, 2020

Director

Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Cast

Gijs Blom
, Jamie Flatters
, Susan Radder
, Jan Bijvoet
, Tom Felton
, Coen Bril
, Theo Barklem-Biggs
, Scott Reid

Runtime

124 Minutes

3

‘Hacksaw Ridge’ (2016)

Directed by Mel Gibson

Doss looking over a ledge and looking dirty in Hacksaw Ridge
Image via Lionsgate

Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a brave soul who, in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, saves 75 men. He manages to do so without firing a single shot at the enemy. A Seventh-day Adventist Christian and a combat medic who would be on the front lines during the war, Doss refused to bear arms or carry a weapon of any kind. Even though he was ostracized by command and never earned the respect of his comrades, Doss saved many of his comrades and became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery on the ridge.

A deeply emotional and moving film, Hacksaw Ridge’s protagonist is unlike others seen throughout the genre. Sticking true to his faith and convictions, Doss doesn’t let other people’s views of him sway his beliefs. Garfield gives one of his career-best performances, a raw portrayal of a man who wants to do the right thing, but not if it means turning over to a belief that doesn’t represent him. Even though Doss doesn’t fire a weapon in the film, others do. Hacksaw Ridge is a violent and bloody portrayal of World War II and men who go into battle not knowing if they are going to make it home in one piece.

Hacksaw Ridge Film Poster

Release Date

November 4, 2016

Cast

Andrew Garfield
, Richard Pyros
, Jacob Warner
, Milo Gibson
, Darcy Bryce
, Roman Guerriero

Runtime

139 minutes

2

‘Fury’ (2014)

Directed by David Ayer

Brad Pitt smoking as Don "Wardaddy" Collier in Fury
Image via Sony

Set in April of 1945, as the Allies advance into enemy territory, Fury doesn’t follow the story of an army but rather the tale of five individuals in a Sherman tank, Fury. Viewers watch as Army sergeant and tank commander Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt), tank gunner Boyd “Bible” Swan (Shia LaBeouf), tank driver Trini “Gordo” Garcia (Michael Peña), tank loader Grady “Coon-Ass” Travis (Jon Bernthal), and unexperienced assistant tank driver Norman “Machine” Ellison (Logan Lerman) take on a deadly mission to move the tank deeper into German territory. They do so, knowing that where they are going, they will be wildly outmanned and outgunned. Not to mention, Ellison is inexperienced in combat, so he’s just a liability. By the end, the team takes its last stand against German forces.

While it is a raw and violent depiction of warfare, Fury is also a film about a team of people bonding, especially while under extreme duress. The film is full of stellar performances and showcases a side of war that is often overlooked in cinema: the small teams working the tanks. Like Saving Private Ryan, viewers are fully engaged in the small team, not focusing on the other battles waging around them. It is suspenseful and violent, and no one knows if anyone is going to make it out alive.

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Fury

Release Date

October 17, 2014

Runtime

135 Minutes

1

‘1917’ (2019)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Lance Corporal William "Will" Schofield, looking stunned and being held back by other soldiers in a trench in 1917
Image via Universal Pictures

Taking place during World War I after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, 1917 focuses on the story of Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman). The two British soldiers are tasked with delivering a very important message to the front in order to ward off an offensive attack, something that would kill many people. The problem is, in order to deliver the missive, the two young men have to cross into enemy territory. Not going isn’t an option, as getting the word to Colonel Mackenzie of the 2nd Battalion (Benedict Cumberbatch) would potentially save 1,600 fellow soldiers, including Blake’s brother. So, the two-man army does its best to run, hide, and run some more in order to get the message to the Colonel in time.

Visually stunning with raw emotions portrayed through the performances of McKay and Chapman, 1917 was also a technical marvel, with cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith not constructing the film with numerous cuts. Instead, they took long takes and presented the film in two continuous shots.1917 really is an immersive experience as it feels as though the viewers are running alongside Schofield and Blake across enemy lines and into the horrors of World War I’s trench warfare. Like Saving Private Ryan, viewers also have no idea if the men are going to survive long enough to complete their mission.

1917 Movie Poster

Release Date

December 25, 2019

Cast

Colin Firth
, Teresa Mahoney
, Andrew Scott
, Dean-Charles Chapman
, Gerran Howell
, Richard Madden
, Daniel Mays
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Adrian Scarborough
, Mark Strong
, George MacKay

Runtime

119 minutes

NEXT: The Most Rewatchable War Movies, Ranked



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