HBO Max has curated a remarkable collection of top-notch war films surpassing those on other streaming platforms, that is what I found out recently. A significant portion of these exceptional war movies are set in the vintage era, stretching all the way back to the early days of cinema. These films continue to captivate and engage audiences today, encompassing various genres from cynical comedies to profound Italian neorealist postwar masterpieces. The War Movies on HBO Max span the spectrum from tragedy to humor, melancholy to patriotic action, effectively portraying the harrowing nature of war. Regardless of the specific movie genre you’re seeking, HBO Max has carefully selected the best war movies for its viewers.
War Movies on HBO Max
Take a brief look at the war movies currently streaming on HBO Max, carefully curated and listed based on their IMDb rating:
- Full Metal Jacket (1987) – 8.3/10
- The Battle of Algiers (1966) – 8.1/10
- Platoon (1986) – 8.1/10
- The Bridge of the River Kwai (1957) – 8.1/10
- Rome, Open City (1945) – 8.0/10
- Paisan (1946) – 7.6/10
- The Thin Red Line (1998) – 7.6/10
- The Hurt Locker (2008) – 7.5/10
- A Bridge Too Far (1977) – 7.4/10
- The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) – 7.1/10
- 12 Strong (2018) – 6.5/10
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
This movie delves deep into the core of the Vietnam War, offering a poignant and poetic reflection on the entirety of the conflict. It presents the war through the eyes of a rational soldier who endures the harsh realities of boot camp brutality. Under the visionary direction of Stanley Kubrick, the film captures the full spectrum of emotions experienced by the unwilling and ordinary recruits thrust into the turmoil of the Vietnam War.
This tragic masterpiece of filmmaking etches its place in history as one of the greatest war movies ever made. It owes a debt of gratitude to R. Lee Ermey for his astounding performance as a former real-life sergeant in the boot camp scenes. Ermey’s portrayal adds authenticity and power to the film, leaving an indelible impact on viewers.
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
- Rating: R
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 1h 56m
- Release Year: 1987
- Genre: Drama, War
- Starring cast: Matthew Modine (Pvt. Joker), R. Lee Ermey (Gny, Sgt. Hartman), Vincent D’Onoforio (Pvt. Pyle)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Writer: Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, Gustav Hasford
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
A movie produced by the government of Algeria that depicts the Algerian revolution from all angles. The defeated French foreign legion is out to show itself after leaving Vietnam. Algerians are attempting to become independent. The two argue. The Algerians’ use of bombs in soda shops is compared with the French’s use of torture. a view of war as an evil activity that degrades and damages everyone involved.
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
- Rating: Not Rated
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h 1m
- Release Year: 1966
- Genre: Drama, War
- Starring cast: Brahim Hadjadj (Ali La Pointe), Jean Martin (Col. Mathieu), Yacef Saadi (Djafar)
- Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
- Writer: Franco Sollinas, Gillo Pontecorvo
Platoon (1986)
In 1967, Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) decides to leave his studies at the university to serve in the Vietnam War. His idealistic outlook wanes once he is in the thick of a conflict on the ground. Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), who thinks the adjacent villagers are concealing Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), who has a more favorable opinion of the people, end up pitting the soldiers against one another as well as the enemy in his squad.
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
- Rating: R
- Runtime: 2h
- Release Year: 1986
- Genre: Drama, War
- Starring cast: Charlie Sheen (Chris), Tom Berenger (Sgt. Barnes), Willem Dafoe (Sgt. Elias)
- Director: Oliver Stone
- Writer: Oliver Stone
The Bridge of the River Kwai (1957)
British POWs are given the task of building a bridge of strategic importance by their Japanese captors, and they are happy to sabotage and impede progress until their commanding officer gives the order for them to carry out the task uninterrupted until it is finished. However, are his actions equivalent to working with the enemy?
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Rating: PG
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h 41m
- Release Year: 1957
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, War
- Starring cast: William Holden (Shears), Alec Guinness (Colonel Nicholson), Jack Hawkins (Major Warden)
- Director: David Lean
- Writer: Pierre Boulle, Carl Foreman, Michael Wilson
Rome, Open City (1945)
Following the Allied victory over the Nazis, director Roberto Rossellini embarked on a powerful and emotionally charged project in Rome, resulting in Rome, Open City, one of the finest war movie dramas ever made. This film was created during a time when Italy’s movie industry was non-existent, leading to the challenging circumstances of its production. Shot on the actual streets of Rome, the movie employed amateur actors, contributing to its neorealist aesthetic.
Set in 1943, when the German authorities ruled the city, the story revolves around the courageous actions of resistance fighters who stood against the Nazis. Don Pietro Pellegrini, a priest actively involved in the resistance movement and offering support to the younger warriors, emerged as a central figure in the film. This personal connection and dedication to portraying the heroism of those who fought against oppression resonate throughout the movie, adding to its authenticity and impact.
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Rating: Not Rated
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 1h 43m
- Release Year: 1945
- Genre: Drama, War, Thriller
- Starring cast: Anna Magnani (Pina), Aldo Fabrizi (Don Peitro), Marcello Pagliero (Giorgio Manfredi)
- Director: Roberto Rossellini
- Writer: Sergio Amidei, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini
Paisan (1946)
The post-World War II film by Roberto Rossellini has six unique chapters that depict diverse interactions between the American occupiers and the newly freed Italians. Two of the standout sequences feature a cheeky street kid robbing black military policeman Dotts Johnson of his shoes, and the movie concludes with a reminder that the war was still not over because German forces prefer to fight to the death.
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Rating: Not Rated
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h
- Release Year: 1946
- Genre: Drama, War
- Starring cast: Carmela Sazio (Carmela), Gar Moore (Fred), William Tubbs (Captain Bill Martin)
- Director: Roberto Rossellini
- Writer: Sergio Amidei, Federico Fellini, Klaus Mann
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Jim Caviezel plays Private Witt, a 1942 U.S. Army deserter who coexists amicably with the inhabitants of a small South Pacific island. Witt is compelled to restart his active duty training for the Battle of Guadalcanal after being found by his commanding officer, Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn). The plot examines the many outcomes and attitudes toward life-or-death circumstances when Witt and his regiment arrive on the island and the American troops launch an assault on stubborn Japanese defenses.
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
- Rating: R
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h 50m
- Release Year: 1998
- Genre: Drama, War, History
- Starring cast: Jim Caviezel (Pvt. Witt), Sean Penn (1st Sgt. Welsh), Nick Nolte (Lt. Col. Tall)
- Director: Terrence Malick
- Writer: James Jones, Terrence Malick
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Filmed by Kathryn Bigelow and directed by Point Break, The Hurt Locker has won 6 Oscar awards and is the best war movie in this list to showcase the brutality that happened during the Iraq War. The sergeant of replacement is very complex to work with, so when one of them is sent to a bomb squad, tensions are already sparked. His unconventional techniques, no matter how perilous they were, caused suspicion in the squad for his capability to handle numerous challenges they went through. Lifestyle addiction is an awful war side effect that Jeremy Renner has portrayed beautifully in his first role before his groundbreaking role in the Marvel Universe.
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
- Rating: R
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h 11m
- Release Year: 2008
- Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
- Starring cast: Jeremy Renner (Staff Sergeant William James), Anthony Mackie (Sergeant JT Sanborn), Brian Geraghty (Specialist Owen Eldridge)
- Director: Kathryn Bigelow
- Writer: Mark Boal
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
The Allies appear to be winning the European ground war at the end of 1944. In order for British ground forces led by Lieutenant General Horrocks (Edward Fox) and Lieutenant Colonel Vandeleur (Michael Caine) to enter enemy territory, a combined British and American paratrooper force, led by American General Gavin and British General Urquhart (Sean Connery), plans to take a highway leading from the Netherlands into Germany. However, the Allies quickly discovered that they might be overconfident.
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 61%
- Rating: PG
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h 55m
- Release Year: 1997
- Genre: Drama, History, War
- Starring cast: Sean Connery (Maj. Gen. Urquhart), Ryan O’Neal (Brig. Gen. Gavin), Michael Caine (Lt. Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur)
- Director: Richard Attenborough
- Writer: Cornelius Ryan, William Goldman
The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)
The Tuskegee Airmen, the first all-African-American Air Force squadron during World War II, are the subject of this semi-fictionalized tale, which centered on ambitious teenage pilot Hannibal Lee. Lee, along with Walter Peoples, Leroy Cappy, and other white officers are sent into battle against the initial reluctance of higher-level white officers. The Tuskegee Airmen have a reputation as a skilled, intimidating bunch of pilots as their number of accomplished missions rises.
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 1h 46m
- Release Year: 1995
- Genre: Drama, War, History
- Starring cast: Laurence Fishburne (Hannibal Lee), Allen Payne (Walter People), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Leroy Cappy)
- Director: Robert Markowitz
- Writer: Paris Qualles, Trey Ellis, Ron Hutchinson
12 Strong (2018)
Captain Mitch Nelson commands a US Special Forces squad into Afghanistan for a very risky mission following the September 11 attacks. Once there, the forces form a tense alliance with the Northern Alliance in order to defeat the Taliban and its allies in al-Qaida. Nelson and his forces are up against a merciless foe who spares no captives, and they are outnumbered and outgunned.
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
- Rating: R
- Where to watch: HBO Max
- Runtime: 2h 10m
- Release Year: 2018
- Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery
- Starring cast: Chris Hemsworth (Captain Mitch Nelson), Michael Shannon (Hal Spencer), Michael Pena (Sam Diller)
- Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
- Writer: Ted Tally, Peter Craig, Doug Stanton
HBO Max Quick Review
Like HBO Max before it, Max is still our preferred streaming service. Of course, the biggest change is the arrival of Discovery Plus programs. Max seems to be intended to overshadow popular streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus. Actually, we think it’s the best option. The factors that we used to evaluate this platform are listed below:
| User Interface | Content Offering and Price |
| – Easy and subtle with deep search filters | – 35,000 hours of content – $9.99-$19.99 per month |
| Streaming Quality | Customization and security |
| – Provides enhanced versions of movies – 4K and HD qualities available | – Users can get suggestions according to their watching preferences – Parents can control what their children watch on the platform |
HBO Max Pros
- Original HBO Max movies and TV shows
- 35,000 hours of content
HBO Max Cons
- 4K is more expensive than other platforms (just like on Netflix).
- Last Chance needs improvement.
What else to watch on HBO Max?
Conclusion
In summary, HBO Max has solidified its position as a top-tier destination for war movie enthusiasts. The streaming platform offers an impressive assortment of captivating films that delve into the intricacies and realities of war. The curated selection of war movies on HBO Max delivers a truly engaging cinematic experience, immersing audiences in the intense emotions, gripping battles, and thought-provoking narratives that define this genre.
From enduring classics to contemporary masterpieces, HBO Max’s war movie collection encompasses a wide range of eras and conflicts. It features an array of genres, including historical dramas, action thrillers, and epic war films, ensuring that there is something to cater to the diverse preferences of viewers. With its comprehensive and varied catalog, HBO Max provides a rich and fulfilling experience for war movie enthusiasts.
