The Top 10 Best Iraq War Movies

5. Lone Survivor

The thing about the Iraq War is that we get plenty of stories based on true event. The downside that these true events are pretty harrowing accounts of modern warfare. Lone Survivor is no exception as it follows a team of Navy SEALs on a mission to kill a Taliban leader. Things hit the fan though as the team finds themselves facing down an army with no hope of rescue. It’s a movie about the bonds of brotherhood that form in wartime. Unfortunately, the film lives up to its title, and it’s a bit gut-wrenching. However, the action sequences in it alone are well worth watching.

4. The Messenger

So far in this list we’ve had movies about soldiers trying to deal with coming home from war and those that have to deal with their loved ones not coming home. However, The Messenger deals with soldiers that carry the burden of having to deliver heartbreaking news to the families. Of course, it would be a real downer if the movie was just following men delivering devastating news about KIA’s in the Iraq War, so the film also focuses on a budding romance between one of the soldiers and a widow he has to deliver terrible news to. It becomes a film that questions the ethics of such a relationship, especially given the brotherhood mentality of the military.

3. American Sniper

One of the better known Iraq War movies based on the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. While the movie might have been a little too “Team America,” it certainly did take the time to examine the psychological consequences of being one of the most prolific snipers in modern military history. In a way, it’s another metaphor for the Iraq War. There’s this need to honor those who fought bravely, but it’s not always easy to stomach the things they do for their country. There’s no question that Chris Kyle was a hero, but the machismo required to survive in a war zone is toxic to say the least. It might be a movie with issues, but it’s one that tries to pay its respects.

2. Zero Dark Thirty

Supposedly the whole reason for the Iraq War was to find and kill Osama Bin Laden for his hands in 9/11. Zero Dark Thirty is a movie that tears everything else aside and focuses on the efforts that went into obtaining that goal. It focuses heavily on the military intelligence aspect of the hunt, as well as the mission that ended up taking the terrorist leaders life. Strangely enough it shares the same director as the number one movie on this list, Kathryn Bigelow. Unlike a lot of war movies, Zero Dark Thirty isn’t a salute to the people that were heroes, instead it takes a hard look at a very dark period in our history and the final chapter of it.

1.The Hurt Locker

Coming in at number one is a movie that focuses on the new kind of soldier the Iraq War has produced. It’s a war where adrenaline junkies raised on violent video games are the ones who have what it takes to mentally survive the battlefield. Jeremy Renner stars as this new kind of soldier who is the best at what he does, because he puts himself in situations that call for heroes. He’s addicted to the thrill of combat, that moment where his life is on the line and one wrong move could be his last. It’s a sickness that let’s him be a hero, but also puts him and everyone else at risk. So, the real question is if this is the kind of soldier that will win wars or lose them?

There you have it, 10 of the best movies about the Iraq War. Of course, there are plenty of other great ones out there and new ones are hitting theaters all the time. I want to hear your thoughts on this list though. So comment below which movies you loved from the list and what movies you wish had made the cut!