Netflix has no shortage of war movies, but its WWII selection goes well beyond the most familiar Hollywood titles. The streaming service currently has dozens of movies set during or around World War II, including historical dramas, action movies and stories based on real events.
If you’ve already watched the usual WWII classics, here are five worth adding to your Netflix queue.
The Six Triple Eight
Kerry Washington leads The Six Triple Eight, a 2024 drama directed by Tyler Perry about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during World War II.
The women are given an enormous assignment: clearing a massive backlog of undelivered mail while dealing with racism, sexism and difficult working conditions. It’s a very different kind of WWII story, focusing on the women whose work helped keep American troops connected with home.
Netflix describes the movie as being inspired by the true story of the unit, and it remains available to stream on the service.
Midway
If you’re looking for something more action-heavy, Midway is the obvious pick.
Roland Emmerich’s 2019 movie dramatizes the Battle of Midway, one of the most important turning points in the Pacific theater. The ensemble cast includes Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart and Dennis Quaid.
It’s a big, effects-driven war movie that puts viewers directly into the chaos of the battle rather than focusing exclusively on the soldiers on the ground.
Netflix currently lists Midway among its WWII movies.
Operation Mincemeat
Operation Mincemeat offers a completely different kind of WWII story.
The 2021 movie stars Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen and follows a British intelligence operation designed to deceive Nazi Germany about the Allies’ plans for the invasion of Sicily.
Instead of tanks and massive battle sequences, the movie revolves around espionage, strategy and an elaborate deception involving a fake identity and carefully planted documents.
Netflix currently categorizes it among its WWII and suspense movies, making it a good choice for viewers who prefer spy thrillers to traditional war movies.
The Forgotten Battle
For something a little more intense, check out The Forgotten Battle.
The 2020 Dutch war drama follows three characters whose lives intersect during the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944. The battle was crucial to the Allied effort to open access to the port of Antwerp, but it’s considerably less familiar to most American audiences than Normandy or Pearl Harbor.
Netflix currently lists the movie in both its WWII and action categories.
Narvik
Finally, Narvik offers another perspective on the war.
The 2022 Norwegian film centers on the Battle of Narvik in 1940, while also following a Norwegian soldier and his family as the fighting reaches their hometown.
The movie provides a look at a part of the European conflict that doesn’t get nearly as much attention in American WWII movies. Netflix currently includes Narvik in its WWII collection.
Whether you want a true story, a large-scale battle movie or a WWII thriller that takes a less familiar approach, Netflix has plenty of options beyond the standard war-movie lineup.
