Netflix provides users with a host of military and war movies that provide countless hours of entertainment and an in-depth look at history. Some of the top military and war movies currently on Netflix include “Band of Brothers,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Gladiator,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” and “Operation Mincemeat.”
Band of Brothers
“Band of Brothers” is a 10-episode miniseries on World War II, based on the nonfiction book “Band of Brothers” that was written by historian Stephen E. Ambrose. According to Military.com, the miniseries was developed by legendary actor Tom Hanks and award-winning director Steven Spielberg in conjunction with World War II veterans, who ensured that the series was an accurate depiction of World War II.
“Band of Brothers” includes interviews of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the Easy Company, and the 2nd Battalion.
The series summary for “Band of Brothers” on Netflix states, “Fresh from training camp, a company of US soldiers plunges into the harsh realities of World War II as they make a treacherous journey across Europe.”
Black Hawk Down
“Black Hawk Down” is a R-rated war film based on the events of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. The film, which was first released in 2001, was inspired by Mark Bowden’s book “Black Hawk Down” that was released in 1999.
According to IMDb, “Black Hawk Down” features Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Tom Hardy, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, and Tom Sizemore. The film was directed by Ridley Scott and provides an emotional and graphic reenactment of the Battle of Mogadishu.
Netflix’s summary for “Black Hawk Down” states, “In 1993, U.S. soldiers helicopter into Somalia on a routine mission — but an unexpected attack forces troops into a battle they aren’t prepared to fight.”
Gladiator
While the movie is not based on events involving the United States military, “Gladiator” is known as one of the most iconic military movies. The film, directed by Ridley Scott, features Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielsen.
In “Gladiator,” Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, the top general of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In the film, Maximus becomes a slave and a gladiator after the emperor’s son, Commodus, kills his father, takes control of the Roman empire, and kills Maximus’s family.
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“Heroic Roman general Maximus wages a brutal battle for vengeance after his family is murdered and his life destroyed by the emperor’s jealous son,” Netflix’s movie summary reads.
Hacksaw Ridge
“Hacksaw Ridge” was inspired by the true story of Desmond Doss, who received the Medal of Honor in World War II.
According to the U.S. Army, Doss served in World war II as a conscientious objector. Because of his Seventh-Day Adventist beliefs, Doss refused to carry a weapon during the war. Instead of fighting as a soldier, Doss served as a medic in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
During the invasion of Okinawa in 1945, Doss saved the lives of between 50 and 100 troops through his role as an Army medic. According to Military.com, Doss is the only conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts to save lives despite being wounded four times during the invasion.
The summary for “Hacksaw Ridge” on Netflix explains, “During World War II, Army medic and conscientious objector Desmond Doss becomes an unlikely hero on an Okinawa battlefield without bearing arms.”
Operation Mincemeat
“Operation Mincemeat” is a story based on the disinformation effort the British used to deceive the Germans regarding the landing of the Allies in France.
According to the Imperial War Museum’s website, “Operation Mincemeat” was an elaborate plan by the British that required positioning the body of a homeless worker who had died from rat poison in a place where the Nazis would discover it. The plan was to have the Nazis find the body and discover false plans for the secret landing in France.
The movie summary on Netflix for “Operation Mincemeat” states, “Two British intelligence officers hatch an outlandish scheme to trick the Nazis and alter the course of World War II. Based on a true story of deception.”
Rotten Tomatoes further describes “Operation Mincemeat” as “The extraordinary and true story of an idea that hoped to alter the course of the war — defying logic, risking countless thousands of lives, and testing the nerves of its creators to breaking point.”
