The best war movies on Hulu (November 2022)

War is an unfortunate constant presence in our world. That’s also why it’s such fertile ground for cinema. Movies try to help us understand war, or more grimly, make it look so exciting and important that they desensitize us to its impact. There are heroes and villains, just causes and unjust foes, and many, many perspectives and ways to consider the world that we live in. Hulu’s collection of war movies isn’t exactly superlative, but we’ve scoured the coffers and found some good options. So, if you’re feeling like some escapist or provocative fun, check out the best war movies on Hulu right now.

Not finding what you’re looking for on Hulu? Try our picks for the best war movies on Netflix.

The Patriot (2000)

63%

7.2/10

r

165m

Genre

Drama, History, War, Action

Stars

Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson

Directed by

Roland Emmerich

Watch on Hulu

There’s a surprising dearth of Revolutionary War movies in Hollywood, but Roland Emmerich’s epic, The Patriot, does more than enough to scratch the itch. After earning glory and respect on the battlefield during the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) has retired to lead a simple life on a South Carolina farm with his family. When talk of revolution reaches Charleston, he votes against getting involved with the Continental Army, only for the war to come to his doorstep nonetheless two years later, sweeping his son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) into the patriotic fervor. When Gabriel returns home bloodied after a nearby engagement, the Martins care for both him and wounded British soldiers who wander by looking for help. But British Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs) rewards Martin by arresting Gabriel, executing the remaining wounded Continental soldiers, and murdering Martin’s younger son in cold blood. Fueled by vengeance and bloodlust, Benjamin resumes his mythic mantle, “The Ghost,” as he forms a militia and wages brutal guerrilla warfare against the British.

Legends of the Fall (1994)

45%

7.5/10

r

133m

Genre

Adventure, Drama, Romance, War, Western

Stars

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn

Directed by

Edward Zwick

Watch on Hulu

Based on Jim Harrison’s novella of the same name, Legends of the Fall is a bit more than a war movie — it’s an epic about life in the American plains in the early twentieth century. After becoming sick of carrying out orders by the U.S. government to betray Native Americans, Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) relocates to the Montana wilderness, where he raises his sons Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas). The Colonel can’t hide his boys from the world forever, and as World War I tears apart Europe, all three boys answer the call. But when only two return, their relationship becomes fractured by their mutual love for their brother’s widow, Susannah (Julia Ormond).

Stripes (1981)

68%

6.8/10

r

106m

Genre

Action, Comedy

Stars

Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates

Directed by

Ivan Reitman

Watch on Hulu

War comedies count as war movies, too, and Stripes is a classic. After losing his job, girlfriend, and apartment within a matter of hours, slacker John Winger (Bill Murray) decides joining the Army is probably his best option. After talking his best friend, Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis), into joining him, the buddies find themselves stationed at Fort Arnold for basic training. Unfortunately, John’s slacking and philandering ways follow him there, too.

Red Tails (2012)

46%

5.9/10

pg-13

125m

Genre

Drama, Action, Adventure, History, War

Stars

Bryan Cranston, David Oyelowo, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Directed by

Anthony Hemingway

Watch on Hulu

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the world’s first African-American air force unit, Red Tails picks up in 1944 as Allied commanders struggle to resolve their dwindling supply of bombers and pilots. Running out of options, they turn to the 332d Fighter Group, a unit of young African-American USAAF fighter pilots training in worn-out aircraft. Despite enduring rampant racism throughout their tenure in the military, the 332nd exhibited extraordinary bravery upon deployment in Italy behind the leadership of Major Emanuelle Stance (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and Colonel A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard).

Hell Hath No Fury (2021)

5.3/10

r

94m

Genre

Action, War

Stars

Nina Bergman, Daniel Bernhardt, Louis Mandylor

Directed by

Jesse V. Johnson

Watch on Hulu

After being branded a traitor by her countrymen, a French national is abandoned and left to die. When she’s rescued by a group of American soldiers, she’s given one condition: Lead them to a cache of gold before the Nazis find it. Now, the woman must take on the German war machine, the French resistance, and the U.S. Army to find her own little slice of the world.

Green Zone (2010)

63%

6.8/10

r

115m

Genre

War, Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Stars

Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson

Directed by

Paul Greengrass

Watch on Hulu

There’s about 100 Matt Damon war movies out there on Hulu alone, so what makes Green Zone stand out? The film follows Damon playing a military officer on the hunt for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. The job carries plenty of danger and the thrill leaves audiences on the edge of their seats. At the same time, the movie does a good job of not painting war as a black-and-white issue, but as one that’s deeply embedded into socioeconomic and political factors – after all, the history of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq is a fraught one that left many questioning the War on Terror in its aftermath.

The East (2020)

52%

6.9/10

137m

Genre

War, Drama, Thriller, History

Stars

Martijn Lakemeier, Marwan Kenzari, Jonas Smulders

Directed by

Jim Taihuttu

Watch on Hulu

War is not a purely American phenomenon, nor is the ugly history of colonialism. The East takes viewers to Indonesia, a colony of the Netherlands looking to gain independence after World War II. The movie looks at the conflict on a micro scale through the eyes of a young soldier coming to grips with his missions, which come increasingly at odds with his conscience. The Dutch film doesn’t pull punches when it comes to confronting the terrible things colonizers did to peoples they deemed inferior or subject to be ruled, ideas that apply throughout the western world.

Moffie (2020)

Play

69%

6.8/10

104m

Genre

Drama, War, Romance

Stars

Kai Luke Brummer, Ryan de Villiers, Matthew Vey

Directed by

Oliver Hermanus

Watch on Hulu

It’s 1981, Apartheid is still very much alive in South Africa, and — like all white men and boys over the age of 16 in the country at the time — Nicholas (Kai Luke Brummer) is conscripted into the South African Defense Force for his two years of compulsory service. While the country fights a border war with nearby Angola, Nicholas undergoes brutal training and desperately tries to hide his homosexuality and his growing attraction to another gay soldier, Dylan (Ryan de Villers). Moffie is a powerful, moving film and an unflinching study of hypermasculinity.

Moffie - Official Trailer | HD | IFC Films

Shadow in the Cloud (2021)

66%

5/10

r

83m

Genre

Horror, Action, War

Stars

Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson

Directed by

Roseanne Liang

Watch on Hulu

When she boards the B-17 Bomber The Fool’s Errand, Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) already has plenty to deal with, including a strange past and the fact most of the otherwise all-male crew would rather she be preparing meals in a kitchen somewhere. But in the midst of intermittent attacks from Japanese fighters, Maude and the crew have to deal with something unexpected — a monstrous gremlin. With war drama fusing with supernatural horror, Shadow in the Cloud is a fun ride.

Quo Vadis, Aida? (2021)

97%

8/10

101m

Genre

War, Drama

Stars

Jasna Đuričić, Izudin Bajrović, Boris Ler

Directed by

Jasmila Žbanić

Watch on Hulu

In a harrowing situation, former schoolteacher Aida (Jasna Djuricic) is luckier than most. Right before the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre of the Bosnian War, Aida works as a UN translator and so, unlike most of the inhabitants of the besieged town, has access to the safety of the UN camp. But the rest of her family is still barred from entry. Through Aida’s eyes, we watch as horrors of war unfold in this unforgettable, Oscar-nominated drama.

Legion of Brothers (2017)

Play

77%

6/10

79m

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Jason Amerine, George W. Bush, Mark Nutsch

Directed by

Greg Barker

Watch on Hulu

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the United States used special forces units extensively to take down the Taliban. The powerful documentary Legion of Brothers follows the soldiers who were sent overseas both during their tours of duty and after they come home. There’s no political agenda here. In Legion of Brothers, we hear from soldiers glad they had the opportunity to fight in Afghanistan and those who wish they had never been involved. The only agenda is to tell their stories and, above all, to highlight the brotherhood their experiences have forged.

Legion of Brothers | Theatrical Trailer | Sundance Film Festival Official Selection

math of the 9/11 attacks, the United States used special forces units extensively to take down the Taliban. The powerful documentary Legion of Brothers follows the soldiers who were sent overseas both during their tours of duty and after they come home. There’s no political agenda here. In Legion of Brothers, we hear from soldiers glad they had the opportunity to fight in Afghanistan and those who wish they had never been involved. The only agenda is to tell their stories and, above all, to highlight the brotherhood their experiences have forged.[/dt_media]