If you were captivated by the gripping true story and intense action of American Sniper, you’re probably on the hunt for more movies that deliver a similar powerful punch. Clint Eastwood’s 2014 film about legendary Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle struck a chord with audiences, becoming a massive box office hit and earning several Oscar nominations, including a Best Actor nod for Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Kyle.
American Sniper gave us an unflinching look at the brutal realities of war and the heavy toll it takes on soldiers and their families. It’s a film that lingers with you long after the credits roll. Luckily, there are plenty of other great war movies out there that also offer harrowing depictions of combat, insights into the mindset of soldiers, and thoughtful reflections on the lasting impacts of battle.
Whether you’re looking for more modern military thrillers, gritty tales from past conflicts, or character-driven dramas set against the backdrop of war, we’ve got you covered. Here are 18 must-see movies that fans of American Sniper should add to their watchlist.
1. The Hurt Locker (2008)
Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director for this gripping thriller about an elite Army bomb squad unit during the Iraq War. Like American Sniper, The Hurt Locker offers an intense, you-are-there depiction of modern warfare and the dangerous work of defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Jeremy Renner delivers a breakout performance as Staff Sergeant William James, a reckless but highly skilled technician who thrives on the adrenaline rush of his high-stakes job. Bigelow ratchets up the tension to almost unbearable levels in the bomb disposal scenes. But the film is just as effective in its quieter moments, capturing the camaraderie, gallows humor and psychological stresses experienced by soldiers putting their lives on the line every day.
2. Lone Survivor (2013)
This film tells the harrowing true story of Operation Red Wings, a failed 2005 counter-insurgent mission in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of 19 U.S. special forces soldiers. Mark Wahlberg stars as Marcus Luttrell, the only member of the four-man SEAL team to survive after being ambushed by Taliban fighters.
Like American Sniper, Lone Survivor pays tribute to the courage and sacrifice of elite military units while unflinchingly depicting the brutality of combat. Director Peter Berg doesn’t shy away from graphic violence, putting the audience right in the thick of an intense, extended firefight. But he also takes time to humanize the soldiers, highlighting their unbreakable bond of brotherhood. The film builds to a deeply moving final act as Afghan villagers risk their lives to protect a badly wounded Luttrell from the Taliban.
3. Black Hawk Down (2001)
Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning war epic chronicles the Battle of Mogadishu, a 1993 U.S. military raid in Somalia that went disastrously wrong. What was meant to be a quick mission to capture a warlord’s top lieutenants turned into an overnight urban battle after two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and hundreds of armed Somalis converged on the crash sites.
Featuring a stacked ensemble cast (including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, and Tom Hardy in his first film role), Black Hawk Down is a master class in visceral, you-are-there combat sequences. Scott thrusts the audience into a chaotic worst-case scenario as the trapped U.S. soldiers are overwhelmed by the heavily armed militia. Amid the mayhem, the film also captures the soldiers’ courage, resilience and self-sacrifice as they fight to hold their positions and protect the injured until extraction.
4. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Steven Spielberg’s World War II masterpiece may be best remembered for its astonishingly realistic and brutal opening D-Day sequence. But the film is more than just a technical achievement in staging combat. It’s also a powerful meditation on the human cost of war and the meaning of sacrifice.
Tom Hanks stars as an Army Ranger captain tasked with leading a squad deep behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper (Matt Damon) whose three brothers have all been killed in action. Like American Sniper, the film grapples with weighty questions about the toll that war takes on soldiers, even those who make it home. Spielberg captures the horror, chaos and moral ambiguity of battle, but also the moments of grace and humanity amidst the carnage.
5. Fury (2014)
This underrated gem from director David Ayer is like Saving Private Ryan meets American Sniper in a tank. Set in the waning days of World War II, Fury follows the five-man crew of a Sherman tank fighting their way across Germany in the face of overwhelming enemy forces.
Brad Pitt delivers one of his best performances as the tank’s grizzled, battle-hardened commander, with a strong supporting cast that includes Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña, and Logan Lerman as an untested new recruit. Ayer puts you right inside the claustrophobic confines of the tank, capturing the crude camaraderie of the crew and the terror of being a sitting duck in the face of superior German firepower. The tank battles are visceral and intense, but the film is just as effective in its exploration of the psychological costs of combat.
6. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Mel Gibson returned to directing after a 10-year absence with this World War II drama about Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a real-life conscientious objector who became the first soldier to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot. A devout Seventh-day Adventist, Doss enlisted as a combat medic but refused to carry a weapon due to his religious beliefs.
Hacksaw Ridge follows Doss through basic training, where he faces harassment and a court-martial for his pacifist stance, and onto the battlefield at Okinawa. There, he single-handedly saves 75 wounded soldiers in the midst of a brutal fight for a strategic cliff. Like American Sniper, the film is an unflinching depiction of the horrors of combat and a moving tribute to the courage of those who serve. Garfield is outstanding as Doss, capturing his unshakable faith and selfless heroism.
7. The Wall (2017)
This taut, minimalist thriller is like American Sniper stripped down to its bare essentials. Set in 2007 Iraq, The Wall stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena as a pair of U.S. soldiers pinned down by an unseen sniper in the desert. Taking cover behind a crumbling stone wall, they engage in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with their mysterious adversary.
Director Doug Liman keeps the action lean and focused, ratcheting up the tension as the soldiers’ situation grows increasingly desperate. Taylor-Johnson holds the screen as a young sniper pushed to his physical and psychological limits, while Cena impresses in a rare dramatic role. The Wall may be a small-scale film compared to the likes of American Sniper, but it delivers similar insights into the mental toll of modern warfare.
8. Jarhead (2005)
Based on Anthony Swofford’s memoir of the same name, Jarhead offers a different perspective on the Gulf War depicted in American Sniper. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Swofford, a Marine sniper struggling with boredom, isolation and uncertainty during the long build-up to combat.
Director Sam Mendes captures the tedium and psychological strain of waiting for action that never seems to come. When the Marines finally do see combat, it’s almost anti-climactic compared to what they’ve built it up to be in their minds. Like American Sniper, Jarhead grapples with the challenges soldiers face in readjusting to civilian life. It’s a poignant look at the ways in which war can haunt veterans long after they leave the battlefield.
9. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Kathryn Bigelow’s follow-up to The Hurt Locker chronicles the decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11. Jessica Chastain stars as a driven CIA analyst doggedly pursuing leads to track down the al-Qaeda leader, even as her colleagues lose faith in the mission.
Like American Sniper, Zero Dark Thirty offers a gritty, no-nonsense depiction of the realities of the War on Terror. Bigelow captures the painstaking intelligence work that finally led to bin Laden’s location, building to the nail-biting raid on his compound by SEAL Team Six. While not strictly a war film, Zero Dark Thirty shares American Sniper‘s themes of dedication, sacrifice and the costs of combat even for those who make it home.
10. Dunkirk (2017)
Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic tells the story of the miraculous evacuation of more than 300,000 Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France in 1940. Told from three interwoven perspectives – land, sea, and air – Dunkirk immerses the audience in the terror and chaos of the desperate operation.
Nolan stages some of the most harrowing and visceral combat scenes ever committed to film, putting viewers right in the midst of dive-bombing attacks and sinking ships. But he also captures the quiet acts of heroism and self-sacrifice that saved so many lives. Like American Sniper, Dunkirk is a tribute to the courage of ordinary soldiers facing extraordinary circumstances.
11. The Thin Red Line (1998)
Terrence Malick’s lyrical, contemplative World War II drama was overshadowed by the more visceral Saving Private Ryan in 1998. But it’s an equally powerful meditation on the nature of war and its impact on the human soul. Set during the Battle of Guadalcanal, The Thin Red Line follows a group of soldiers as they struggle to take a heavily fortified Japanese position.
Malick is less interested in the mechanics of battle than in the inner lives of his characters, capturing their hopes, fears, and moments of transcendence amidst the horror. The film’s stunning cinematography and elegiac tone make it feel more like a poem than a traditional war movie. But like American Sniper, it grapples with deep questions about the morality of violence and the scars that combat leaves on those who survive it.
12. We Were Soldiers (2002)
Mel Gibson stars as Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore in this Vietnam War drama based on the true story of the Battle of Ia Drang. Moore and his vastly outnumbered troops find themselves surrounded by enemy forces in the first major engagement between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces.
Like Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers puts the audience right in the midst of an intense, chaotic battle. But it also takes time to humanize the soldiers and their families back home, highlighting the sacrifices they make in service to their country. Gibson is excellent as Moore, a deeply religious man struggling to lead his men through an impossible situation. The film’s themes of courage, brotherhood, and the costs of war echo those of American Sniper.
13. Restrepo (2010)
This raw, immersive documentary chronicles the deployment of a U.S. Army platoon in Afghanistan’s treacherous Korengal Valley, one of the most dangerous postings in the war. Filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington (who was later killed while covering the civil war in Libya) embedded with the soldiers for a year, capturing firefights, downtime, and everything in between.
The result is an unflinching, apolitical look at the realities of modern warfare and the psychological toll it takes on those who fight it. Like American Sniper, Restrepo puts a human face on the war, capturing the soldiers’ camaraderie, gallows humor, and moments of fear and vulnerability. It’s a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those on the front lines.
14. Platoon (1986)
Oliver Stone drew on his own experiences as a Vietnam War veteran for this searing, Oscar-winning drama. Charlie Sheen stars as Chris Taylor, an idealistic young soldier who finds himself caught between two sergeants with very different leadership styles – the hard-edged Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the more compassionate Elias (Willem Dafoe).
Platoon captures the moral ambiguity and psychological toll of the Vietnam War, as Chris struggles to maintain his humanity amidst the violence and chaos. Stone doesn’t shy away from the war’s uglier aspects, including drug use, sexual assault, and the murder of civilians. But he also captures the bonds formed between soldiers in combat and the difficulty of readjusting to civilian life. Like American Sniper, Platoon is a powerful meditation on the costs of war for those who fight it.
15. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Clint Eastwood companion piece to his World War II drama Flags of Our Fathers tells the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers defending the island. Ken Watanabe stars as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, tasked with holding off the much larger U.S. invasion force for as long as possible.
Shot almost entirely in Japanese, Letters from Iwo Jima humanizes the enemy soldiers, capturing their courage, desperation, and sacrifice in the face of certain defeat. Eastwood stages some intense battle scenes, but he’s more interested in the psychological toll of the fight, as the Japanese soldiers grapple with the knowledge that they will likely never see their homes and families again. It’s a poignant reminder that there is heroism and humanity on both sides of any war.
16. The Kingdom (2007)
This geopolitical thriller stars Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, and Jennifer Garner as members of an FBI team investigating a terrorist attack on an American oil company compound in Saudi Arabia. Like American Sniper, The Kingdom grapples with the complexities of the U.S. presence in the Middle East and the blurred lines between friend and foe.
Director Peter Berg stages some intense action sequences as the team navigates the dangerous streets of Riyadh in pursuit of the attackers. But he also takes time to explore the cultural differences and political tensions that complicate the mission. The Kingdom may be a fictional story, but it feels ripped from the headlines, capturing the high stakes and moral ambiguities of the War on Terror.
17. Green Zone (2010)
Paul Greengrass reteams with his Bourne star Matt Damon for this thriller set in the chaotic early days of the Iraq War. Damon plays Roy Miller, a U.S. Army officer tasked with finding weapons of mass destruction in the wake of the 2003 invasion. But as his search comes up empty, Miller begins to suspect that the intelligence used to justify the war may have been fabricated.
Like American Sniper, Green Zone grapples with the messy realities of the Iraq War and the toll it took on those who fought it. Greengrass brings his signature gritty, handheld style to the action scenes, putting the audience right in the middle of firefights and chases through the streets of Baghdad. But he also raises provocative questions about the reasons for the war and the challenges of nation-building in its aftermath.
18. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)
Michael Bay takes a break from his usual Transformers fare for this gritty, intense depiction of the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, and Pablo Schreiber star as members of a six-man security team that fought to defend the compound against overwhelming odds.
Like American Sniper, 13 Hours pays tribute to the courage and sacrifice of elite military units while unflinchingly depicting the brutality of combat. Director Bay doesn’t shy away from graphic violence, putting the audience right in the thick of intense, extended firefights. But he also takes time to humanize the soldiers, highlighting their unbreakable bond of brotherhood. The film builds to a deeply moving final act as the security team makes a last stand against a relentless enemy onslaught.
From gritty modern thrillers to World War II epics to Vietnam-era classics, this list offers a diverse range of films that will appeal to fans of American Sniper. Whether it’s the intense you-are-there combat sequences, the psychological portrait of soldiers at war, or the thoughtful reflections on the costs of battle, each of these movies shares DNA with Clint Eastwood’s powerful 2014 drama.
Together, they paint a complex, often harrowing picture of the experience of war and the heavy burden borne by those on the front lines. They remind us of the courage and sacrifice of soldiers who put their lives on the line, but also challenge us to grapple with the moral complexities and human toll of combat. For anyone who was moved by American Sniper, these 18 films are essential viewing.
