Trigger admonition ! This article contain computer address to the Holocaust .

Somewar moviesare so distressing they should only be watched once . Often conform the revulsion of tangible - life history war , the state of war movie genre is understandably stark . While fabulously significant to show , these war movies are also harrowing to watch . Saving Private Ryan ’s opening scene is a slap-up example of this . It shows the horrific view of soldier shore on Normandy for D - Day . The devastation of that mean solar day alone is enormous .

The warfare movie genre can vary widely , from diachronic propaganda to inspirational taradiddle of human resiliency . Butthe best state of war moviesdemonstrate the humanity that is at the heart of war . The following cinema are essential in understanding the law-breaking commit in human story . While harrowing to determine , they should be watched at least once .

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

1The Pianist (2002)

The Pianistis a biographical state of war dramatic play by esteemed theatre director Roman Polanski . star Adrien Brody , The Pianistis the nightmarish on-key story of a Polish - Jewish musician , Władysław Szpilman , and his endurance during the Second World War . Both Brody and Polanski were highly praised for their roles , in particular for the accuracy and appropriate treatment of such a tragic story .

The Pianistcontrasts the brutality and horror of the Holocaust with the beauty of medicine . This beauty is oppose by the stellar cinematography , which makesThe Pianistimpossible to appear away from . From surviving the Nazi encroachment of Poland , escaping the Warsaw ghetto , and the last trudge to freedom after the Nazi ’s licking , each second ofThe Pianistis as beautiful as it is upsetting .

2Schindler’s list (1993)

Steven Spielberg ’s chef-d’oeuvre , Schindler ’s List,,depicts the true chronicle of Oskar Schindler , a German industrialist who economize over 1000 Jewish refugees from the Holocaust during World War II . star Liam Neeson in the championship role , Schindler ’s Listwon 7 Academy Awards , including Best Picture and Best Director . While undoubtedly a brilliant picture , Schindler ’s Listis incredibly hard to watch .

LikeThe Pianist , Schindler ’s Listdoes not taste to protect its interview from the harrowing case of the Holocaust . One in particular agonising scene fromSchindler ’s Listdepicts the elimination of the Krakow ghetto . At an excruciating 15 - minute length , this fit manifest the indifferent aggregated murder of sinless civilian during World War II .

3Beasts of No Nation (2015)

While Netflix’sBeasts of No Nationis not based on a true story , the events have such real - world parallel of latitude it feels incredibly factual . Beasts of No Nationis the tragic report of a young boy from an unspecified West African body politic recruited to fight in a civil war . star Idris Elba as the intimidating Commandant , beast of No Nationis a harrowing narrative of exploitation and child soldier .

Though fabricated , animal of No Nationis free-base on a Harvard dissertation studying tiddler soldiers . This bring the movie a pragmatism that exasperate the harrowing plot , made all the more actual by the many powerful performances . Beasts of No Nationdepicts the vernal boys as pawns in a state of war they can not fully comprehend , which makes it improbably distressing look at .

4Dunkirk (2017)

Dunkirkis a tragic retelling of the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation , during which over 338,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated from the titulary beach in Normandy , France . write , directed , and grow by Christopher Nolan , Dunkirkfeatured an all - star cast and received decisive eclat . In an interview onThe Late Show , Kenneth Branagh , who plays the fictitious Commander Bolton , recalls actual Dunkirk oldtimer observe on theDunkirk ’s accuracy .

Dunkirktruly recreated the desperation and bloody carnage of the Dunkirk evacuation . Modern war picture benefit from particular effects and sound design that can transport audiences into warfare . However , this also means that modern state of war cinema are so naturalistic they become painful to watch . Dunkirkachieved such levels of naturalism , pull in it a brilliant , albeit upsetting , thrill ride .

5Threads (1984)

Threadsis the only altogether fabricated and hypothetical movie on this list , a British - Australian apocalyptic drama portray a nuclear war . Britain is caught between the warring United States and the Soviet Union and is hit by a atomic blast that devastates the state . Threadswas unbelievably scandalous upon its release and received short views , but in retrospect , it has been highly praise .

Threadsis an unbelievably bleak gauntlet of wretchedness and anguish . While somewhat dated compared to other entrants in this list , Threadsfeels fabulously current , particularly considering global events that repeatedly threaten nuclear destruction in the actual world . Unsurprisingly , atomic war is a particularly excruciating subject that resonates decades later .

6Come And See (1985)

Come and Seeis a Soviet anti - war film depicting the brutal Nazi occupation of Belarus during World War II . free-base on a 1977 memoir , I Am from the Fiery Village , Come and Seefollows a youthful Belarusian teen call Flyora . Flyora joins the Belarus resistance move and witness all the atrocity inflict upon the part .

Come and Seeis a barren vision of the cruelty consecrate by the Nazis in Eastern Europe . secern from a tiddler ’s view , the barbarity feel even for upsetting , particularly when Flyora becomes the mark . amount and Seefeatures some phantasmagoric sequence which reflect the absurdity of war , which are then contrast with really tragical picture of harrowing peach .

7Men Behind The Sun (1988)

Men Behind The Sunaccurately adapts one of the darkest events in Nipponese history , the notorious Unit 731 . unit of measurement 731 was the cloak-and-dagger biological artillery experimentation unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that conducted human experiments of inconceivable cruelty . Directed by T. F. Mou , Men Behind The Sunwas extremely controversial but accurately depict the atrocities faced by Chinese and Siberian prisoners of war during World War II .

man Behind The Sunwas criticise for its insensitive treatment of Nipponese war atrocities , but much of this impassivity think over the callous neglect for human life story within Unit 731 . Similarly , critics also suggested that the unflinching distortion panorama delegateMen Behind The Sun , an victimisation film peddling needless violence . This is also as unfounded for an as harrowing reason . These scene recreate real experiments carry out on prisoner in Japan during World War II . The costless violence depicted inMen Behind The Sunis exact and fittingly unpleasant to watch .

8Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Johnny get His Gunis a novel by Dalton Trumbo , first released in 1938 . Trumbo subsequently wrote and directed a movie adaption 32 years later on . Johnny Got His Gundepicts a young American soldier during World War I name Joe Bonham . Bonham is disfigured and rendered deaf , blind and mute in an artillery explosion .

The unswerving anti - war movieJohnny sire His Gunhas a bleak enough assumption , displaying the deformities and casualties due to the first World War . If this was n’t torturous enough , much ofJohnny bewilder His Gunconcerns his desire to end his own life . Trumbo ’s movie capture the surviving soldier ’s conflict through extended harm and post - traumatic stress disorderliness , focussing on the harrowing termination of warfare .

9The Painted Bird (2019)

The Painted Birdwas written , organise , and produced by Václav Marhoul and is take entirely in black and clean . The motion picture ’s plot concerns a young Jewish male child from an unspecified easterly European country essay refuge during World War II.The Painted Birdopens with the boy , Joska , lose his only stay family , and it only gets unsound from there .

The Painted Birdis a traumatic cinematic experience . While it display the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis , The Painted Birdalso establish the harshness enacted by the Russian Red Army and , more importantly , the effect this had on easterly European civilians . The most upsetting acts depicted inThe paint Birdare arguably performed by non - soldier drive mad by state of war .

10The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamasis a heartbreaking dramatic event set at a absorption summer camp in Nazi - occupied Poland during the Holocaust . Directed by Mark Herman , The son in the Striped Pajamasdepicts the friendship between a untried , jug Judaic boy and the son of an SS ship’s officer overseeing the camp . The movie received miscellaneous reviews , in part for some historic inaccuracy , but disregardless , The Boy in the StripedPajamasdelivers one of the most withering endings in the war movie genre .

Like , get along and SeeandThe Painted Bird , the film is severalise from the vernal son ’s perspective , contrasting their innocence with the frigid cruelness of the Holocaust . The event is incredibly knock-down and truly demonstrates the nonchalance of the Holocaust . The son in the Striped Pajamasdepicts a child ’s rendition of World War II , which is brutally realize in the last scenes . Like many otherwar films , The Boy in the Striped Pajamasis a harrowing must - watch movie that should n’t be watched again .

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X Most Harrowing War Movies You Can Only Watch Once-1

pianist war film Adrien brody

Liam Neeson smoking a cigarette as Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List.

Idris Elba looking at Abraham Attah in Beasts of No Nation

Fionn Whitehead standing on the beach in Dunkirk

Two exhausted-looking and battered civilians look in in terror in Threads

Flyora looking horrified in Come and See

men behind the sun 1988

Masked surgeons look down on the camera in johnny got his gun 1979

the painted bird 2019

boy in the striped pajamas