Best Movies like Dunkirk (2017)

1917, like Dunkirk, is set amidst the chaos of the World Wars and follows the desperate efforts of soldiers on a hazardous mission behind enemy lines, focusing closely on survival, tension, and the urgency of time-driven goals during large-scale conflict.

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers. 1917 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 8.0 by 13,711 people. The movie made an estimated total of $446,064,352 in the box office.

Saving Private Ryan also centers on the brutal realities faced by Allied soldiers during World War II, depicting the psychological and physical toll of frontline combat and weaving a narrative around the experience of ordinary men caught in extraordinary wartime circumstances.

As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home. Saving Private Ryan is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 49m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 8.2 by 17,521 people. The movie made an estimated total of $481,840,909 in the box office.

Atonement shares Dunkirk’s backdrop of World War II, specifically incorporating the events at Dunkirk’s beaches as a pivotal narrative element while examining themes of longing, separation, and the devastating consequences of war on individuals and relationships.

A young girl irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. Atonement is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.6 by 4,765 people. The movie made an estimated total of $131,016,624 in the box office.

The Thin Red Line offers an introspective look at soldiers’ experiences during battle, similarly blending the war genre with drama to explore the internal conflicts and camaraderie of men navigating extreme warfare, paralleling the human focus seen in Dunkirk.

The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived. The Thin Red Line is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 51m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.4 by 3,366 people. The movie made an estimated total of $98,126,565 in the box office.

Greyhound follows the dangerous journey of Allied forces across the sea during World War II, spotlighting the tension and perils of military evacuation and survival against relentless enemy pursuit, echoing the urgency inherent to Dunkirk’s evacuation narrative.

A first-time captain leads a convoy of allied ships carrying thousands of soldiers across the treacherous waters of the "Black Pit" to the front lines of WWII. With no air cover protection for 5 days, the captain and his convoy must battle the surrounding enemy Nazi U-boats in order to give the allies a chance to win the war. Greyhound is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 7.4 by 3,382 people.

Letters from Iwo Jima provides a perspective on World War II’s harrowing battles, focusing on the human experience and ordeals of soldiers under siege, much like Dunkirk’s on-the-ground portrayal of survival during pivotal military standoffs.

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it. Letters from Iwo Jima is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 21m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.5 by 2,334 people. The movie made an estimated total of $68,673,228 in the box office.

Overlord revisits the events of World War II, centered on the D-Day invasion and the profound impact on soldiers, paralleling Dunkirk’s historical realism and depiction of immense military mobilization under dire circumstances.

During World War II, a young man is called up and, with an increasing sense of foreboding, undertakes his army training ready for D-Day, June 6th, 1944. Overlord is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1975 with an average rating of 6.8 by 90 people.

The Longest Day chronicles the expansive operations of D-Day, capturing the scale, coordination, and peril faced by Allied troops during a defining moment in World War II, aligning with Dunkirk’s emphasis on collective struggle during historic evacuations.

The retelling of June 6, 1944, from the perspectives of the Germans, US, British, Canadians, and the Free French. Marshall Erwin Rommel, touring the defenses being established as part of the Reich's Atlantic Wall, notes to his officers that when the Allied invasion comes they must be stopped on the beach. "For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day" The Longest Day is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 58m runtime, released in 1962 with an average rating of 7.6 by 1,038 people. The movie made an estimated total of $50,100,000 in the box office.

Fury focuses on an Allied tank crew’s journey through the European theater of World War II, highlighting the comradeship, resilience, and relentless danger that also characterize Dunkirk’s depiction of soldiers’ desperate survival amid overwhelming odds.

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. Fury is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 15m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.5 by 13,077 people. The movie made an estimated total of $211,817,906 in the box office.

Come and See delves into the harrowing experiences of individuals during wartime, portraying the trauma and chaos that war inflicts on the young, sharing Dunkirk’s intimate exploration of survival and the civilian impact of global conflict.

The invasion of a village in Belarus by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Florya finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope. Come and See is a movie from Soviet Union in Russian, with a total 2h 22m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 8.2 by 1,894 people. The movie made an estimated total of $20,929,648 in the box office.

Enemy at the Gates dramatizes a critical World War II battle, placing emphasis on strategy, survival, and psychological warfare, connecting with Dunkirk’s themes of entrapment, resilience, and the grim realities faced by those on the front lines.

A Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad in WWII. Enemy at the Gates is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 11m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.4 by 4,116 people. The movie made an estimated total of $96,976,270 in the box office.

Stalingrad (1993) immerses viewers in the brutal and desperate conditions of World War II’s major battles, focusing on soldiers’ endurance and group dynamics amid siege circumstances, closely reflecting the intense environment portrayed in Dunkirk.

A German Platoon is explored through the brutal fighting of the Battle of Stalingrad. After half of their number is wiped out and they're placed under the command of a sadistic captain, the platoon lieutenant leads his men to desert. The platoon members attempt escape from the city, now surrounded by the Soviet Army. Stalingrad is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 2h 14m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 7.3 by 642 people. The movie made an estimated total of $152,972 in the box office.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) captures the exhaustion, fear, and moral dilemmas faced by ordinary soldiers thrust into the hell of war, paralleling Dunkirk’s portrayal of the relentless struggle to preserve life during cataclysmic events.

Paul Baumer and his friends Albert and Muller, egged on by romantic dreams of heroism, voluntarily enlist in the German army. Full of excitement and patriotic fervour, the boys enthusiastically march into a war they believe in. But once on the Western Front, they discover the soul-destroying horror of World War I. All Quiet on the Western Front is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 2h 27m runtime, released in 2022 with an average rating of 7.7 by 4,803 people.

The Bridge examines the final days of World War II through the lens of young soldiers defending a strategic location, utilizing a focused ensemble and intense battlefield situations reminiscent of Dunkirk’s intimate snapshots of men caught in decisive moments.

A group of German boys are ordered to protect a small bridge in their home village during the waning months of the second world war. Truckloads of defeated, cynical Wehrmacht soldiers flee the approaching American troops, but the boys, full of enthusiasm for the "blood and honor" Nazi ideology, stay to defend the useless bridge. The film is based on a West German anti-war novel of the same name, written by Gregor Dorfmeister. The Bridge is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 1959 with an average rating of 7.6 by 198 people.

The Big Red One follows a squad’s journey through numerous campaigns of World War II, emphasizing camaraderie and survival during tumultuous conflicts, which aligns with Dunkirk’s depiction of shared adversity and the complex bonds forged in war.

A veteran sergeant of World War I leads a squad in World War II, always in the company of the survivor Pvt. Griff, the writer Pvt. Zab, the Sicilian Pvt. Vinci and Pvt. Johnson, in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and France, and ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horror of war. The Big Red One is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1980 with an average rating of 6.7 by 342 people. The movie made an estimated total of $7,206,220 in the box office.

Das Boot shifts the setting to underwater but maintains focus on Allied and Axis forces’ experiences, frontline tension, and survival in confined circumstances, mirroring Dunkirk’s intense, immersive representation of men besieged by enemy forces.

A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits. Das Boot is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 2h 30m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 8.1 by 2,562 people. The movie made an estimated total of $85,000,000 in the box office.

Resistance dramatizes the efforts of people fighting occupation forces during World War II, examining the uncertainty and courage required in the face of overwhelming danger—a thematic intersection with Dunkirk’s focus on perseverance under siege.

The story of mime Marcel Marceau as he works with a group of Jewish boy scouts and the French Resistance to save the lives of ten thousand orphans during World War II. Resistance is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 6.9 by 479 people. The movie made an estimated total of $449,753 in the box office.

The Forgotten Battle follows multiple perspectives during a lesser-known World War II operation, highlighting Allied and Axis efforts for control and bringing to light the same sense of historical urgency and national stakes seen in Dunkirk.

During WWII's crucial Battle of the Scheldt, the lives of a glider pilot, a Nazi soldier and a reluctant Resistance recruit tragically intersect. The Forgotten Battle is a movie from Netherlands in Dutch, with a total 2h 6m runtime, released in 2021 with an average rating of 7.1 by 784 people.

Hacksaw Ridge is set amid brutal combat in World War II, focusing on the resilience of individuals facing overwhelming odds and the personal courage required when surrounded by enemy forces—paralleling the harrowing escape and survival themes of Dunkirk.

WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hacksaw Ridge is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 2h 19m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 8.2 by 15,061 people. The movie made an estimated total of $175,302,354 in the box office.

Paths of Glory explores the trauma, futility, and ethical dilemmas confronting soldiers and officers during wartime, with a setting in the trenches similar to Dunkirk’s emphasis on the claustrophobia and peril of the frontline experience.

A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916. Paths of Glory is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 1957 with an average rating of 8.3 by 3,327 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,200,000 in the box office.

The Pianist presents an individual’s perspective on survival and resilience during the devastation of World War II, bringing a human face to historical events, much like Dunkirk’s focus on the personal struggles behind collective wartime experiences.

The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city. The Pianist is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 30m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 8.4 by 10,298 people. The movie made an estimated total of $120,098,945 in the box office.

Journey's End is set in the trenches during the final days of World War I, portraying a small group of soldiers under psychological and physical pressure, akin to Dunkirk’s intense, character-driven depiction of men facing imminent danger.

Set in a dugout in Aisne in 1918, a group of British officers, led by the mentally disintegrating young officer Stanhope, variously await their fate. Journey's End is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.3 by 337 people.

Land of Mine addresses the aftermath of World War II, focusing on POWs forced into perilous tasks in occupied territory, with shared themes of captivity, desperation, and the struggle for survival found in Dunkirk’s evacuation scenario.

In the days following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, a group of young German prisoners of war is handed over to the Danish authorities and subsequently sent to the West Coast, where they are ordered to remove the more than two million mines that the Germans had placed in the sand along the coast. With their bare hands, crawling around in the sand, the boys are forced to perform the dangerous work under the leadership of a Danish sergeant. Land of Mine is a movie from Denmark in Danish, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.8 by 1,487 people.

The Captain presents another World War II narrative, examining identity, authority, and survival in times of chaos and military disorder, echoing the tense uncertainty and moral ambiguity central to Dunkirk’s depiction of war’s disorienting effects.

Germany, 1945. Soldier Willi Herold, a deserter of the German army, stumbles into a uniform of a Nazi captain abandoned during the last and desperate weeks of the Third Reich. Newly emboldened by the allure of a suit that he has stolen only to stay warm, Willi discovers that many Germans will follow the leader, whoever he is. The Captain is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.2 by 503 people.

The Outpost centers around a small unit defending a vulnerable position under relentless assault, spotlighting courage and camaraderie among soldiers—structurally similar to Dunkirk’s focused lens on individuals trapped behind enemy lines.

A small unit of U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battles to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 and Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict. The Outpost is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 6.9 by 1,198 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,133,452 in the box office.

The Grey Zone explores the day-to-day decisions and ethical quandaries involved in surviving within war camps during World War II, connecting with Dunkirk’s exploration of human choices and endurance under extraordinary circumstances.

The story of Auschwitz's twelfth Sonderkommando — one of the thirteen consecutive "Special Squads" of Jewish prisoners placed by the Nazis in the excruciating moral dilemma of assisting in the extermination of fellow Jews in exchange for a few more months of life. The Grey Zone is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 6.6 by 180 people. The movie made an estimated total of $621,592 in the box office.

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War recounts a war between divided nations through the lens of brotherhood and battlefield experience, resonating with Dunkirk’s attention to collective effort and the personal cost of war’s chaos.

When two brothers are forced to fight in the Korean War, the elder decides to take the riskiest missions if it will help shield the younger from battle. Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 28m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 8.0 by 782 people.

Downfall captures the collapse of the Third Reich through intense, close-quarters perspective, chronicling the final days in a city under siege and encapsulating a sense of inescapable danger and breakdown similar to that found in Dunkirk.

In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his generals and advisers to fight to the last man. When the end finally does come, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender. Downfall is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 2h 35m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.9 by 4,386 people. The movie made an estimated total of $92,181,574 in the box office.

A Midnight Clear tells the story of Allied soldiers in WWII confronted with moral choices behind enemy lines, using a small cast and isolated setting to explore survival and tension, suitably reflecting the urgent, ensemble-driven story in Dunkirk.

In 1944 France, an American Intelligence Squad locates a German Platoon wishing to surrender rather than die in Germany's final war offensive. The two groups of men, isolated from the war at present, put aside their differences and spend Christmas together before the surrender plan turns bad and both sides are forced to fight the other. A Midnight Clear is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 1992 with an average rating of 6.5 by 128 people.

Stalingrad (2013) dramatizes one of World War II’s most pivotal battles, focusing on intense urban warfare, shifting frontlines, and the tribulations of soldiers, aligning with Dunkirk’s depiction of historic events as experienced by those on the ground.

A band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected to a Russian woman who has been living there. Stalingrad is a movie from Russia in Russian, with a total 2h 11m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.4 by 393 people. The movie made an estimated total of $68,129,518 in the box office.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence centers on Allied prisoners in a Japanese POW camp during World War II, exploring interpersonal dynamics and the struggle to maintain hope under brutal conditions analogous to Dunkirk’s themes of endurance amid adversity.

Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 4m runtime, released in 1983 with an average rating of 7.3 by 530 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,306,560 in the box office.

Empire of the Sun follows a young protagonist separated from family amidst World War II’s chaos, drawing a parallel to Dunkirk’s portrayal of civilians and soldiers attempting to survive and reunite amid the confusion of war.

Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him. Empire of the Sun is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 33m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 7.5 by 2,169 people. The movie made an estimated total of $66,700,000 in the box office.

The Trench provides a snapshot of soldiers’ lives immediately before a major offensive in World War I, using real-time storytelling and a confined setting to evoke the claustrophobia and tension also found in Dunkirk’s depiction of encirclement.

The Trench tells the story of a group of young British soldiers on the eve of the Battle of the Somme in the summer of 1916, the worst defeat in British military history. Against this ill-fated backdrop, the movie depicts the soldiers' experience as a mixture of boredom, fear, panic, and restlessness, confined to a trench on the front lines. The Trench is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 5.3 by 109 people.

Anthropoid focuses on a small group’s covert operation against occupying forces in World War II, with themes of resistance, sacrifice, and the pressure of being surrounded by the enemy, which echo the plight of Allied soldiers depicted in Dunkirk.

In December 1941, Czech soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich. Anthropoid is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.1 by 1,171 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,600,000 in the box office.

Gallipoli depicts young men confronting the horrors of a doomed military campaign during World War I, utilizing character focus and a historical evacuation scenario reminiscent of Dunkirk’s approach to wartime defeat and resilience.

Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Gallipoli is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 7.1 by 552 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,400,000 in the box office.

Tora! Tora! Tora! meticulously reconstructs the events of a crucial World War II battle, using multiple perspectives to explore the lead-up and unfolding of a surprise military strike—comparable to Dunkirk’s historical attention to epic military moments.

In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War. Tora! Tora! Tora! is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 24m runtime, released in 1970 with an average rating of 7.2 by 609 people. The movie made an estimated total of $37,150,000 in the box office.

Battle for Sevastopol presents a World War II siege from the perspective of individuals fighting in a desperate defense, delving into heroism, survival, and the human cost of warfare as experienced in Dunkirk’s portrayal of the besieged.

The story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the most successful female sniper in history. Battle for Sevastopol is a movie from Russia in Russian, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.3 by 505 people.

The Aftermath is set in post-World War II Germany, examining the lingering effects of conflict and the personal and societal recovery processes, making it a thematic complement to Dunkirk’s focus on the war’s devastation and emotional toll.

In the aftermath of World War II, a British colonel and his wife are assigned to live in Hamburg during the post-war reconstruction, but tensions arise with the German widower who lives with them. The Aftermath is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 6.4 by 731 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,215,591 in the box office.

A Hidden Life explores the moral and emotional struggles of an individual during World War II, focusing on personal resistance to oppression, which mirrors the individual courage and internal conflict seen in Dunkirk’s smaller-scale, human-centered storytelling.

Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter faces the threat of execution for refusing to fight for the Nazis during World War II. A Hidden Life is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 53m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.2 by 794 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,645,140 in the box office.

Days of Glory brings to light the experiences of North African soldiers who fought for France in World War II, highlighting the sacrifices and overlooked stories of those involved in pivotal operations, resonating with Dunkirk’s interest in the collective Allied effort.

1943. They have never stepped foot on French soil but because France was at war, Said, Abdelkader, Messaoud and Yassir enlist in the French Army, along with 130,000 other “indigenous” soldiers, to liberate the “fatherland” from the Nazi enemy. Heroes that history has forgotten… Days of Glory is a movie from France in French, with a total 2h 8m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.7 by 407 people. The movie made an estimated total of $22,963,701 in the box office.

The Painted Bird examines a child’s harrowing journey through war-torn landscapes in Eastern Europe, paralleling Dunkirk’s exploration of innocence and survival amid the destruction and turmoil of monumental conflict.

After losing his parents, a young Jewish boy wanders Eastern Europe, seeking refuge during World War II. The Painted Bird is a movie from Czech Republic in Czech, with a total 2h 49m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.1 by 191 people. The movie made an estimated total of $659,535 in the box office.