The Top 10 Best Military Horror Movies
5. Dead Snow: Red vs Dead
So, the first Dead Snow technically wouldn’t qualify for a spot on this list, because the “heroes” were a bunch of college kids and not hardened soldiers. Well, not only is the sequel superior in my opinion, but it also technically qualifies, because the zombie Nazis in it end up facing resurrected Russian soldiers (they were #TEAMALLIEDFORCES during the war). I guess you could say that two technically make for not only one of the best military horror movies of all time but a truly great zombie-comedy. Hitler’s hard-on for the occult and a thousand-year Reich has this time resulted in a squadron of undead S.S. zombies that have their un-beating hearts set on carrying out his plan of world domination. They might have gotten away with it too if some fast-thinking geeks hadn’t thought of resurrecting their own squad of Red Army revenants. Who says that military horror movies can’t be funny?
4. VFW
Director Joe Begoes had a pretty good year in 2019 when he not only released the twisted and trippy drug-fueled nightmare, Bliss, but also the 80s throwback dystopian hack and slash, VFW. The title refers to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and is essentially a fraternal order of Veterans providing vets with services. This film follows a bunch of old vets (the likes of Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, and William Sadler) facing a siege of ultra-junkies trying to break in. Their goal is to get ahold of a stash of the insanely addictive fictional drug Hype that was stolen from their dealer by a girl who took refuge with the unlucky old-timers. VFW features that synth-fueled, neon light-drenched, grainy 80s horror aesthetic that’s reminiscent of John Carpenter’s finer hits. It’s a wild ride from start to finish and proves that you might take the soldier out of the war, but you never take the war out of the soldier.
3. Jacob’s Ladder
Next up on this list of military horror movies is another feature that follows an unfortunate veteran. Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) hasn’t had an easy life since he got back from Vietnam. Of course, that war took a tremendous toll on most who served, but Jacob is a bit of a special case. You see, Jacob is having a heck of an existential crisis. One in which he’s beginning to see things he can’t explain, things that shouldn’t be there, things that very well might be from the pits of Hell. If you think that sounds crazy, well, Jacob did too, which is why he started looking into some of those experimental treatments he and his squad got during the war. Once again, I’m not going to spoil the ending, but Jacob’s Ladder keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire ride, making it the most nerve-racking military horror movie of all time.
2. Predator
Horror and science-fiction are often two sides of the same coin. Sure, there are some fun and exciting sci-fi movies out there, but most of the time they feature something terrifying from beyond the stars. That’s why they also usually feature some tough-as-hell commandos staying between us and the big bad extraterrestrials. The majority of the Predator movies feature members of the military, but for this list I’m honoring the one that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and his merry band of mercenaries. The team is hired by the CIA to perform a rescue operation deep in the jungles of Columbia. While these elite soldiers might be the ultimate killers of men, they find themselves being stalked by the penultimate hunter from beyond the stars. While the first film earned an official spot, I want to say Predators and The Predator were also pretty good military horror movies as well.
1. Aliens
In space, no one can hear you scream. At least, that’s what they tell me. That’s probably why it’s the perfect setting for not only horror movies, but specifically this list’s micro-genre. That’s why the number one entry is the ultimate space-military-horror-shoot-em-up-action-adventure! Yeah, it’s a lot to take in, but Aliens really offers all that and a limited edition bag of chips. After surviving the first Alien, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has been hired to consult with a team of Space Marines that are being sent in to investigate a reported Xenomorph infestation in a space colony. While the rough and tumble Space Marines might seem ready for anything, a swarm of acid-blooded aliens that live only to breed and devour everything in sight isn’t exactly something they covered in boot camp. Even now, Aliens is still the kind of movie that I stop and feel compelled to watch again every time.
Honorable Mention: Ravenous
Most of the movies on this list have featured more or less contemporary versions of the military in them. However, I want to give an honorable mention to a movie that features pre-20th century soldiers. Ravenous takes place just after the Mexican-American War at a lone outpost in Sierra Nevada. It’s boring as hell for the men stationed there until a stranger arrives with a chilling tale reminiscent of the Donner Party’s. According to the stranger, he barely survived the harsh winter, but soon the soldiers begin questioning the details of his story and when they look into it they learn a dark and disturbing secret. For those of you who don’t know the story of the Donner Party, that dark secret is cannibalism and if cannibalism movies have taught us one thing, it’s that once you get a hankering for human flesh, you never lose it. A unique and twisted movie, I liked Ravenous because it was different from your typical military horror movie.
Shout-Out: Frankenstein’s Army
Military horror meets found footage in the criminally underrated B-movie, Frankenstein’s Army. A team of Russian soldiers recording their operations for a pro-communism propaganda film, stumble across an abandoned village. Upon further inspection, they find that a descendant of Victor Frankenstein has been recruited by the Nazis to make them the ultimate soldier. The “good doctor” has been hard at work and has quite a few prototypes he’s itching to try out. It’s not what I would call a great movie, but the creature effects and the creativity behind the designs of the monsters make it fascinating. I actually enjoyed Frankenstein’s Army and think this unique horror movie deserves a shout-out.
That concludes my list of the best military horror movies ever made. I’ve seen a lot of them over the years, but if there are any great ones I missed, let me know in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating as new military horror movies are released. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see how the rankings might change.