When the United States entered Afghanistan in 2001, no one expected it to be their longest war, spanning over two decades. With the war and occupation lasting for such an extended period, it is no surprise that so many films have come out featuring stories of the soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Although some films are fiction, a majority of them are based on true stories, and these are the most well-made films intended to humanize American soldiers and promote the militaristic ideology of the U.S. occupation.
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9 Green Zone
Universal Pictures
Bourne series director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon team up again for the 2010 action thriller Green Zone. Damon stars as US Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller who is searching for weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad’s Green Zone. The film is based on the 2006 non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran which documented life in the Green Zone during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Green Zone is currently available on Hulu.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Sand Castle
Netflix
Sand Castle has one of Nicholas Hoult’s best performances as U.S. Army soldier Matt Ocre, who is tasked with restoring water to a village in Iraq after it was destroyed by a bomb. It is an interesting take on someone who doesn’t want to be a soldier and how the experience of war can change you. Sand Castle is directed by Fernando Coimbra and written by Chris Roessner, who was inspired by his own experiences as a soldier in Iraq. Sand Castle is now streaming on Netflix.
7 War Machine
Brad Pitt is hysterical in the satirical comedy War Machine. The film was written and directed by David Michôd and features a cast of characters including Topher Grace, Will Poulter, and John Magaro. War Machine is about four-star General Glen McMahon (Pitt) and his team as they prepare an assessment on how to pull the U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.
The film is a fictionalized adaptation of the nonfiction book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings which is about General Stanley McChrystal. War Machine is now streaming on Netflix.
6 The Outpost
Screen Media Films
The Outpost tells the little-known story of the U.S Army Outpost PRT Kamdesh (later renamed Combat Outpost Keating) and the Battle of Kamdesh. Director Rod Lurie does a fantastic job at capturing this gut-wrenching account of the Afghanistan war and the camaraderie among soldiers. The large cast, including Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom, is incredible in this action-packed tale. The Outpost is currently available on Netflix.
5 12 Strong
Warner Bros. Pictures
12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan right after September 11th. The film is based on the true story of the 12 soldiers who fought on horseback against the Taliban. Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon are both fantasti,c as is the rest of the cast in the 2018 film. 12 Strong is currently streaming on Netflix.
4 Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor is a biographical film about U.S. Navy Seal, Marcus Luttrell. The film is based on Luttrell’s book by the same name and stars Mark Wahlberg as the only survivor of his four-man reconnaissance team. The 2013 film, which was nominated for two Oscars, was revived by director Peter Berg after he was originally set to direct the film back in 2007 and truly shows a harrowing tale of survival.
3 The Hurt Locker
Summit Entertainment
The Hurt Locker is an incredible film about an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) unit targeted by insurgents as they try to disable bombs. The 2008 film stars Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner, who are both honest and raw in their performances as they deal with the stresses of combat. The Hurt Locker went on to win six Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, who was the first female director to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The Hurt Locker is currently available on Netflix.
2 War Dogs
War Dogs is a dark comedy based on the 2011 Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson. The film, directed by Joker’s Todd Philips, tells the story of two arms dealers, Efraim Diveroli (Johan Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller), as they receive a U.S. Army contract to supply weapons to the Afghan National Army. Hill and Teller are both fantastic as high school friends turned arms dealers in this wild ride that is based on a true story. War Dogs is currently streaming on Netflix.
1 American Sniper
American Sniper is probably the most known and arguably one of the best films about the Afghanistan and Iraq war. Steven Spielberg was originally set to direct the film, but Clint Eastwood replaced Spielberg before casting was finished. The 2014 film received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper’s performance as Chris Kyle. Loosely based on Kyle’s 2012 autobiography, the film follows Chris Kyle, the deadliest marksman in the United States military history as he performs his four tours in Iraq. American Sniper is an emotional look at war from the eyes of a marksman.
Now that the last American troops have pulled out of Afghanistan, it will be interesting to see what content will follow. As more information and stories from veterans are coming out about the war, we cannot doubt that Hollywood will be right behind with star-studded dramatized versions.
