The consequences of World War II are still felt today, nearly 80 years after the war ended in 1945. And interest in the subject, as measured by the number of movies that continue to be made about the war, still fascinates the public. (So does an earlier war: These are the best movies about World War I.)
To determine the 50 best WWII movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of Sept. 1, 2023, weighing all ratings equally. Documentaries were not considered. Director information is from IMDb.
Of the 50 films listed, nine were released in the 21st century. The most recent was “Oppenheimer” – a biopic about atomic bomb developer J. Robert Oppenheimer – released this July 2023. It became one of the summer’s biggest hits, grossing more than $865 million worldwide. Among the other noteworthy World War II films that came out in this century include “Dunkirk” (2017), “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016), and “The Imitation Game” (2014).
Though the majority of the films listed were made by American directors such as Steven Spielberg, Mervyn LeRoy, and William Wyler, motion pictures helmed by filmmakers from other nations also appear on this list. These include films from British directors David Lean and John Boorman; Japanese filmmakers Masaki Kobayashi and Isao Takahata; Germany’s Volker Schlöndorff; and Bosnian-born Emir Kusturica.
Nearly half of the films on our list were Academy Award winners, including multiple Oscar recipients “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), and “Schindler’s List” (1993). (See where the latter two fall on our list of the best Steven Spielberg movies.)
50. Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (47,288 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (31,247 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian G. Hutton
49. The Tin Drum (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (24,569 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (25 reviews)
> Directed by: Volker Schlöndorff
48. Decision Before Dawn (1951)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (2,611 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (345 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Anatole Litvak
47. Empire of the Sun (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (127,582 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (60,320 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
46. Three Came Home (1950)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (1,817 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (857 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (8 reviews)
> Directed by: Jean Negulesco
45. Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (6,059 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (732 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy
44. The Americanization of Emily (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (2,545 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Arthur Hiller
43. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (69,957 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (41,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Aldrich
42. The Enemy Below (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (10,548 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (4,631 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (7 reviews)
> Directed by: Dick Powell
41. Hope and Glory (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (13,126 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (5,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (21 reviews)
> Directed by: John Boorman
40. From Here to Eternity (1953)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (45,202 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (14,909 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
39. Foreign Correspondent (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (19,743 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (6,923 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
38. Attack (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (5,031 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (1,362 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (8 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Aldrich
37. Dunkirk (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (595,440 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (69,228 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (461 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
36. To Hell and Back (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (5,588 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (5,043 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Jesse Hibbs
35. Where Eagles Dare (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (55,522 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (27,681 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian G. Hutton
34. The Guns of Navarone (1961)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (47,868 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (20,768 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (24 reviews)
> Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
33. Mister Roberts (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (15,533 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (6,729 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford & Mervyn LeRoy
32. Jojo Rabbit (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (339,208 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (6,542 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (422 reviews)
> Directed by: Taika Waititi
31. The Longest Day (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (56,678 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (42,945 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki
30. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (8,341 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Masaki Kobayashi
29. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (16,937 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (6,084 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
28. The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (4,762 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (4,447 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Mark Robson
27. Lifeboat (1944)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (27,765 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (9,430 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
26. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (26,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (7,564 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (25 reviews)
> Directed by: Edward Dmytryk
25. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (158,118 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (341,132 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (204 reviews)
> Directed by: Clint Eastwood
24. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (467,761 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (55,854 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (280 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
23. The Man Who Never Was (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (4,773 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (1,745 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
> Directed by: Ronald Neame
22. The Train (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (15,508 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (4,310 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (15 reviews)
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
21. Sahara (1943)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (8,432 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (4,891 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (10 reviews)
> Directed by: Zoltan Korda
20. The Imitation Game (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (717,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (104,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Morten Tyldum
19. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (1,333,240 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (776,325 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (332 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
18. Conspiracy (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (22,064 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (2,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (7 reviews)
> Directed by: Loring Mandel
17. Underground (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (56,946 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (20,821 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Emir Kusturica
16. Patton (1970)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (98,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (43,344 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
15. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (15,120 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (2,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
14. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (78,648 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (8,681 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kramer
13. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (211,273 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (54,763 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (61 reviews)
> Directed by: David Lean
12. Stalag 17 (1953)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (54,031 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (13,214 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
11. Rome, Open City (1945)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (26,963 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Roberto Rossellini
10. Oppenheimer (2023)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (419,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (462 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
9. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (33,747 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (6,029 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
8. The Great Escape (1963)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (233,835 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (103,579 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: John Sturges
7. Army of Shadows (1969)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (23,960 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Jean-Pierre Melville
6. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (60,985 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (10,855 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (91 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,292,307 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (993,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (143 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
4. The Pianist (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (770,832 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (253,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (184 reviews)
> Directed by: Roman Polanski
3. Casablanca (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (542,975 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (357,759 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (124 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Curtiz
2. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (252,801 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (69,069 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (40 reviews)
> Directed by: Isao Takahata
1. Schindler’s List (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (1,359,268 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (411,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (128 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg