24 Gripping War Films That Explore Conflict and History in Depth

Conquest 1453

2012 • 160 min • Budget $16M • Box office $35M

Adventure, Drama, Action

Following his father Murat II's death, the young Mehmet II becomes the new Ottoman Sultan. Overcoming challenges from within and threats from outside, he resolves to fulfill his predetermined destiny: the conquest of Constantinople.

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Süskind

2012 • 117 min

Drama, War

In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, Walter Süskind, a member of the Dutch Jewish Council, secretly rescues hundreds of children from the concentration camps.

6.9

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3rd Reich Mothers, in the Name of the Master Race

2012 • 92 min

Drama, War, TV Movie

Seventeen-year-old Alice and Lisette, two strikingly different girls from Alsace, are separated from their family and compelled to work for the German war effort. After six months in a training camp, they are assigned to a munitions factory, where they…

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6.9

14+

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Private Peaceful

2012 • 100 min

Drama, Romance, War

Against the backdrop of Devon's countryside and the trenches of World War I in Flanders, two brothers compete for the affections of a woman. Their relationship is complicated by expectations from their traditional family, the realities of war, and the…

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Zaytoun

2012 • 107 min • Budget $8M • Box office $42K

Drama, War, Adventure

Beirut, 1982: A young Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot develop a fragile connection as they navigate the dangers of war-torn Lebanon on a journey to reach their respective homes.

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WWII From Space

2012 • 88 min

Documentary, History, War

WWII from Space presents World War II with a unique perspective. This HISTORY special uses satellite imagery to show the conflict from above, providing a global view of key events. It recreates historical moments and illustrates how events unfolded simultaneously,…

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In the Fog

2012 • 127 min

Drama, War, History

1942. The Soviet Union's western borderlands are occupied by Germany. A man is falsely accused of working with the enemy. Determined to clear his name, he is forced to confront a deeply difficult ethical dilemma.

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The Mountain

2012 • 90 min • Budget $95K • Box office $1M

War, Action, Thriller

Two soldiers fight to survive after being caught in a deadly ambush.

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Rose

2012 • 90 min • Budget $1M

Drama, History, War

Rose, a woman from Masuria, struggles to survive alone on her farm after her German soldier husband dies in the war. Vulnerable as a single woman, she faces violence from both Russian soldiers seeking revenge and desperate Polish civilians. She…

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The Gatekeepers

2012 • 101 min • Box office $2M

Documentary, History, War

In a revealing set of interviews, six former heads of Israel's Shin Bet – the country's intelligence and security agency – discuss their involvement in decades of counterterrorism efforts. They address the controversial tactics employed and grapple with the question…

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7.6

13+

The Invisible War

2012 • 93 min • Box office $66K

Documentary, War, Crime

This documentary is a powerful investigation into the widespread issue of sexual assault within the U.S. Military. It examines the systems that enable and conceal these crimes, and explores the devastating impact on individuals and society as a whole.

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War Witch

2012 • 90 min

Drama, War

In Sub-Saharan Africa, fourteen-year-old Komona speaks to her unborn child, recounting her life since being caught in the conflict. Her story began when she was twelve and abducted by a rebel army.

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Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins

2012 • 134 min • Box office $61M

Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Following the end of the Bakumatsu war in 1868, Kenshin Himura, a former assassin, journeys across Japan wielding his sword reversed. He dedicates himself to protecting the vulnerable, striving to do so without taking lives.

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Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed

2012 • 94 min

War, Drama, Action

On August 15, 1944, the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team jumped into southern France with the goal of supporting Allied troops advancing toward Berlin. Immediately encountering enemy fire upon landing, three separated paratroopers encounter a group of French resistance fighters…

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Back to 1942

2012 • 145 min • Box office $311

War, Drama

In 1942, a devastating famine struck Henan Province in China, claiming the lives of at least three million people. While a severe drought was the main cause, the famine was worsened by locusts, storms, earthquakes, disease, and corruption within the…

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Lore

2012 • 109 min • Budget $4M • Box office $970K

Drama, War, Thriller

At the close of World War II, five German siblings are abandoned by their Nazi parents and must navigate a devastated homeland. The children, guided by their 14-year-old eldest sister Lore, face the consequences of their parents' choices and the…

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Ghost Recon: Alpha

2012 • 24 min

Action, Science Fiction, Thriller

In Ghost Recon: Alpha, a team led by Ghost Leader goes undercover at a Russian depot during a trade between a general and an unidentified individual.

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7.4

Rommel

2012 • 120 min

Action, War, History

This is the story of the last seven months of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's life.

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+12

Into the White

2012 • 104 min • Box office $712K

War, Action, Drama

In World War II, two enemy fighter pilots meet after each other shoots down their plane over a barren area. To stay alive, they have to ignore the rules of combat.

6.9

7.1

17+

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+12

White Tiger

2012 • 105 min • Budget $11M • Box office $7M

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

1945, World War II. Following a harrowing encounter with an unusual, ghostly white German Tiger tank that he narrowly escapes, Red Army Sergeant Ivan Naydenov becomes consumed by a desire to destroy it.

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Twice Born

2012 • 127 min • Budget $13M • Box office $18K

Drama, Romance, War

This is a passionate story of a doomed love affair, unfolding during the siege of Sarajevo. A mother takes her teenage son to the city, a place where his father perished during the Bosnian War.

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Red Tails

2012 • 125 min • Budget $58M • Box office $50M

Drama, Action, Adventure

This is the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the pioneering African-American pilots who served in a combat squadron during World War II.

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Outlaws - For Greater Glory

2012 • 145 min • Budget $12M • Box office $10M

History, Drama, Action

This is the story of the Cristero War (1926-1929), a conflict sparked by a rebellion against the Mexican government's efforts to remove religion from public life.

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Act of Valor

2012 • 110 min • Budget $12M • Box office $82M

Action, Thriller, War

A secret mission to save a captured CIA agent reveals a terrifying scheme. A specialized U.S. SEAL team then travels rapidly to dangerous locations worldwide, trying to prevent a devastating terrorist attack before it happens.

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