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.
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The Patriot2000 -
Legends of the Fall1994
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Stripes1981
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Red Tails2012
The Patriot (2000)
63%
7.2/10There’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%
7.5/10Stripes (1981)
68%
6.8/10Red Tails (2012)
46%
5.9/10Hell Hath No Fury (2021)
5.3/10Green Zone (2010)
63%
6.8/10The East (2020)
52%
6.9/10War 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)
69%
6.8/10Shadow in the Cloud (2021)
66%
5/10Quo Vadis, Aida? (2021)
97%
8/10Legion of Brothers (2017)
77%
6/10math 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]
