genre: war drama

The war drama is a very popular film genre, mostly because it encompasses a lot of different movies. These films usually take place either during or before the war – usually, World War I or II. They revolve around characters whose lives change when the realities of war hit. That’s when they often find themselves either fighting for their lives or dealing with the aftermath of it all.

The war drama genre includes many acclaimed classics, like Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, All Quiet on the Western Front, and the Christmas-set Joyeux Noël. But there are also directors that experimented with the genre. Take the award-winning 1917, which was shot entirely in one take. Taika Waititi’s wonderfully bizarre Jojo Rabbit affected us deeply, and Franz Rogowski moved us in queer gem Great Freedom.

Some war movies explore tragic love stories, like Jules et Jim, Cold War, and One Man Dies a Million Times. Others focus on the genocide, like A Radiant Girl, Dara of Jasenovac, and Quo Vadis, Aida?. And then there are beloved hidden gems like The Rifleman, unconventional festival watches like Comandante, and controversial ones like The Painted Bird. This page contains all our war drama genre reviews, analyses, and opinion articles.