Iraq War Movies
by jaypreu | created - 20 Apr 2019 | updated - 20 Mar 2022 | PublicMovies where the Iraq War (2003-2011) is central to the plot or the motivations of a major character. Primarily focused on the American experience. Does not include documentaries, science fiction, horror or fantasy films. Some are masterpieces, others are not.
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1. The Hurt Locker (2008)
R | 131 min | Drama, Thriller, War
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce
Votes: 473,984 | Gross: $17.02M
2. Taking Chance (2009 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 77 min | Drama, War
Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming.
Director: Ross Katz | Stars: Kevin Bacon, Tom Aldredge, Nicholas Art, Blanche Baker
Votes: 14,779
3. American Sniper (2014)
R | 133 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home with his family after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis
Votes: 529,532 | Gross: $350.13M
4. In the Valley of Elah (2007)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A retired military investigator works with a police detective to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.
Director: Paul Haggis | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jonathan Tucker, Jason Patric
Votes: 75,113 | Gross: $6.78M
5. War Dogs (2016)
R | 114 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Loosely based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a three hundred million dollar contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Steve Lantz, Gregg Weiner
Votes: 254,221 | Gross: $43.03M
6. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)
R | 113 min | Action, Drama, Sport
19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks, the film shows what really happened to his squad - contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Arturo Castro, Mason Lee
Votes: 24,098 | Gross: $1.74M
7. Body of Lies (2008)
R | 128 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A CIA agent on the ground in Jordan hunts down a powerful terrorist leader while being caught between the unclear intentions of his American supervisors and Jordan Intelligence.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Golshifteh Farahani
Votes: 239,629 | Gross: $39.39M
8. American Son (2008)
R | 90 min | Drama, Romance, War
The story of a young Marine, fresh from Camp Pendleton, who is forced to confront the complexities of adulthood and a volatile home life during a four-day Thanksgiving leave.
Director: Neil Abramson | Stars: Nick Cannon, Matt Sigloch, Dotan Baer, Justin Diedolf
Votes: 916
9. Megan Leavey (2017)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Based on the true life story of a young Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Kate Mara, Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford
Votes: 27,206 | Gross: $13.41M
10. Allegiance (I) (2012)
R | 90 min | Drama, Thriller
After his transfer request to stay stateside is approved, a lieutenant in the National Guard faces a dilemma: one of his soldiers looks to go AWOL as their unit gears up for deployment to Iraq.
Director: Michael Connors | Stars: Seth Gabel, Reshma Shetty, Aidan Quinn, Jason Lew
Votes: 643
11. The Messenger (I) (2009)
R | 113 min | Drama, Romance, War
An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.
Director: Oren Moverman | Stars: Ben Foster, Samantha Morton, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone
Votes: 36,785 | Gross: $0.07M
12. The Lucky Ones (2008)
R | 115 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Three different soldiers - a woman and two men - return from war and facing the peaceful life's problems of each other.
Director: Neil Burger | Stars: Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña, Molly Hagan
Votes: 14,546 | Gross: $0.18M
13. Boys of Abu Ghraib (2014)
R | 102 min | Drama, Thriller, War
An American soldier deployed at Abu Ghraib finds himself behind the walls of the infamous Hard Site, where he develops a secret friendship with an Iraqi detainee.
Director: Luke Moran | Stars: Luke Moran, Sean Astin, Sara Paxton, Omid Abtahi
Votes: 2,367
14. Battle for Haditha (2007)
R | 97 min | Drama, History, War
An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgents who plant the roadside bomb.
Director: Nick Broomfield | Stars: Matthew Knoll, Elliot Ruiz, Eric Mehalacopoulos, Nathan De La Cruz
Votes: 7,558 | Gross: $0.01M
15. Last Flag Flying (2017)
R | 125 min | Comedy, Drama, War
Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, a former Navy Corpsman Larry "Doc" Shepherd re-unites with his old buddies, former Marines Sal Nealon and Reverend Richard Mueller, to bury his son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Carell, J. Quinton Johnson
Votes: 28,587 | Gross: $0.97M
16. Grace Is Gone (2007)
PG-13 | 85 min | Drama, War
Upon hearing his wife was killed in the Iraq war, a father takes his two daughters on a road trip.
Director: Jim Strouse | Stars: John Cusack, Emily Churchill, Rebecca Spence, Jennifer Tyler
Votes: 9,700 | Gross: $0.05M
17. The A-Team (2010)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A group of Iraq War veterans look to clear their name with the U.S. Military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.
Director: Joe Carnahan | Stars: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel
Votes: 269,018 | Gross: $77.22M
18. Green Zone (2010)
R | 115 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a U.S. Army officer to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Igal Naor
Votes: 142,730 | Gross: $35.05M
19. Home of the Brave (2006)
R | 106 min | Action, Drama, War
Three soldiers struggle to readjust to life at home after returning home from a lengthy tour in Iraq.
Director: Irwin Winkler | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, 50 Cent, Jessica Biel, Brian Presley
Votes: 11,245 | Gross: $0.05M
20. The Lucky One (2012)
PG-13 | 101 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A Marine travels to Louisiana after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.
Director: Scott Hicks | Stars: Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner, Riley Thomas Stewart
Votes: 113,798 | Gross: $60.46M
21. The Marine (2006)
PG-13 | 92 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
A group of diamond thieves on the run kidnap the wife of a recently discharged marine who goes on a chase through the South Carolinian wilderness to retrieve her.
Director: John Bonito | Stars: John Cena, Kelly Carlson, Robert Patrick, Anthony Ray Parker
Votes: 35,841 | Gross: $18.84M
22. The Mark of Cain (2007)
R | 87 min | Drama, War
Uses detailed research and explosive new testimonies by soldiers who have served in Iraq to tell an emotional fictional story of two young men very much out of their depth.
Director: Marc Munden | Stars: Gerard Kearns, Matthew McNulty, Naomi Bentley, Elliot Cowan
Votes: 1,550
23. The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
R | 94 min | Comedy, War
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
Director: Grant Heslov | Stars: Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges
Votes: 137,625 | Gross: $32.43M
24. Redacted (2007)
R | 90 min | Crime, Thriller, War
The devastating reconstruction of the rape and murder of a 15-year-old Iraqi girl by American soldiers in Samarra in 2006.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Patrick Carroll, Rob Devaney, Izzy Diaz, Ty Jones
Votes: 11,260 | Gross: $0.07M
25. Return (2011)
Not Rated | 97 min | Drama
A soldier returns to her family, friends, and old job after a tour of duty, though she finds herself struggling to find her place in her everyday life.
Director: Liza Johnson | Stars: Linda Cardellini, Michael Shannon, John Slattery, Talia Balsam
Votes: 1,055 | Gross: $0.01M
26. Sand Castle (2017)
TV-MA | 113 min | Action, Drama, War
The story follows a young soldier, and his introduction into the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Based on true events, it bears witness to the destruction and horrors of war.
Director: Fernando Coimbra | Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green, Henry Cavill, Glen Powell
Votes: 27,352
27. Shadows in Paradise (2010)
87 min | Action, War
During a military raid to rescue in Iraq, Max Forrester's teammate and girlfriend Sasha, disappears mysteriously. Two years later, Max, who has since retired from the army receives a call ... See full summary »
Director: J. Stephen Maunder | Stars: Mark Dacascos, Armand Assante, Tom Sizemore, Bruce Boxleitner
Votes: 417
28. The Situation (I) (2006)
R | 111 min | Drama, War
The story of an American journalist, a CIA operative, and an Iraqi photographer against the backdrop of the bloody war in Iraq.
Director: Philip Haas | Stars: Connie Nielsen, Damian Lewis, Mido Hamada, Driss Roukhe
Votes: 889 | Gross: $0.05M
29. Stop-Loss (2008)
R | 112 min | Drama, War
A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.
Director: Kimberly Peirce | Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rob Brown
Votes: 20,893 | Gross: $10.91M
30. Thank You for Your Service (I) (2017)
R | 109 min | Biography, Drama, War
A group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they've left the battlefield.
Director: Jason Hall | Stars: Miles Teller, Beulah Koale, Joe Cole, Scott Haze
Votes: 15,634 | Gross: $9.47M
31. The Wall (II) (2017)
R | 88 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Two American Soldiers are trapped by a lethal sniper, with only an unsteady wall between them.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli
Votes: 30,950 | Gross: $1.80M
32. The Yellow Birds (2017)
R | 94 min | Drama, War
Two young soldiers, Bartle (21) and Murph (18) navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.
Director: Alexandre Moors | Stars: Alden Ehrenreich, Daniel Jose Molina, Mikey Collins, Tye Sheridan
Votes: 4,712
33. A Marine Story (2010)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
An ex-marine returns to her hometown after Iraq and helps a 20 year old woman, who is otherwise facing prison, prepare for military boot camp.
Director: Ned Farr | Stars: Dreya Weber, Paris P. Pickard, Anthony Michael Jones, Christine Mourad
Votes: 2,439
34. American Soldiers (2005)
R | 103 min | Action, Drama, History
A group of U.S. soldiers defy their country when they release mistreated prisoners.
Director: Sidney J. Furie | Stars: Curtis Morgan, Zan Calabretta, Jordan Brown, Eddie Della Siepe
Votes: 2,535
35. Buried (2010)
R | 95 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Paul is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
Director: Rodrigo Cortés | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, José Luis García-Pérez, Robert Paterson, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 168,587 | Gross: $1.03M
36. Cherry (I) (2021)
R | 142 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Cherry drifts from college dropout to army medic in Iraq - anchored only by his true love, Emily. But after returning from the war with PTSD, his life spirals into drugs and crime as he struggles to find his place in the world.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Stars: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo, Jack Reynor, Forrest Goodluck
Votes: 37,339
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