A series of conflicts in the Middle East has left a deep imprint on the souls of ordinary Americans. Perhaps even more so than the ignominious Vietnam War, since these military actions are fresh in people’s minds. Heroism and meanness on the battlefields, a wide range of experiences of ordinary soldiers – all this was reflected in the cinematography, namely in the movies about the war in Iraq.
The Long Road Home (TV show)
- IMDB Rating – 7.5
- Genre: Action , Drama , Military , Biography , History
- Production: USA / 2017
- Director: Phil Abraham , Mikael Salomon
- Starring: Michael Kelly, Jason Ritter, Kate Bosworth, A.J. Bonilla, John Beavers, Noel Fisher, Darius Homayoun, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jorge Diaz, Ian Quinlen.
This day would come to be known as Black Sunday. Every day, a platoon of U.S. Special Forces patrols the eastern Baghdad suburb of Sadr City. On April 4, 2004, the patrol is ambushed by insurgent forces.
Reinforcements can not get through the ring of insurgents, and the soldiers are forced to take the defense in one of the houses. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, worried families await their fate.
The mini-series is based on real events described in journalist Martha Raddatz’s book “The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family”. During the brutal fighting on Black Sunday, 8 American servicemen were killed and 51 were wounded.
American Sniper
- IMDB Rating – 7.3
- Genre: Action, Drama, Military, Biography
- Production: USA / 2014
- Budget: $58,800,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $547,426,372
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis, Ben Reed, Elise Robertson, Luke Sunshine, Troy Vincent, Brandon Salgado, Keir O’Donnell
A movie about the life and death of the most famous sniper of the American army, Chris Kyle. During the fighting in the Middle East, Chris officially killed 160 soldiers of the enemy army, and by personal count – more than 250.
This made him the most successful sniper in U.S. history. The Iraqis nicknamed the shooter, “the devil from Ramadi.” But the famed Marine had a worthy opponent, a professional athlete and Olympic champion, Mustafa.
The action movie is based on Chris Kyle’s memoir American Sniper. After retirement, the sniper was killed at the age of 38 by paratrooper Eddie Ray Routh.
The tape was directed by the most famous American actor and director Clint Eastwood. The movie was nominated for an Oscar in six categories and won the prize for best sound editing.
Generation Kill
- IMDB Rating – 8.5
- Genre: Drama, Military
- Production: USA, UK / 2008
- Director: Suzanne White, Simon Sellan Jones
- Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, James Ranson, Lee Tergesen, Stark Sands, Billy Lash, Eric Nenninger, Kellan Lats, John Huertas, Rudy Reis, Johan Lotan.
War without embellishments and propaganda slogans, war as work. Some people dig trenches, some people kill. That’s how Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright described the fighting. He observed the counter-terrorism operation from the inside and documented the events with the approval of the Pentagon.
The war correspondent spent three weeks with members of the U.S. Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, giving him the opportunity to show the world the other side of the U.S. military.
Television adaptation of the book of the same name by Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright. Throughout the mini-series, Evan Wright is never called by his first name, only Scribe, Rolling Stone or Reporter.
The Hurt Locker
- IMDB Rating – 7.5
- Genre: Thriller, Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2008
- Budget: $15,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $49,230,772
- Director: Kathryn Bigelow
- Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraty, Evangeline Lilly, Christian Camargo, Guy Pearce, Rafe Fiennes, David Morse, Christopher Sayegh, Sam Spruell.
EOD men are hard-working soldiers, laborers of war. When they go demining, it’s life or death. It’s the second year of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The new EOD team commander, Sergeant William James, recognizes no rules.
His subordinates believe that he takes unnecessary risks and puts the whole group in danger, because a tiny mistake can cost the others their lives. William has a whole year of war ahead of him before he can return home.
Such a courageous action thriller about war was directed by a fragile woman, Kathryn Bigelow. In 2009, the movie was nominated for nine Academy Award nominations and won six of them, including Best Picture. “Lord of the Storm” surpassed the box office record holder “Avatar” by Kathryn’s ex-husband James Cameron.
Dag II
- IMDB Rating – 8.7
- Genre: Action, Drama, Military
- Production: Turkey / 2016
- Budget: TRL 2,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $11,378,898
- Director: Alper Caglar
- Starring: Çağlar Ertuğrul, Ufuk Bayraktar, Ahu Türkpençe, Murat Serezli, Murat Arkin, Armagan Oguz, Açelja Özcan, Bediy Akin
Turkish special forces are tasked with rescuing a journalist from the hands of ISIS terrorists. The militants want to broadcast the woman’s public execution to the whole world.
Having snatched the journalist from the clutches of bandits and heading to the place of evacuation, real men can not pass by defenseless people who are in danger. And the squad is left to defend the Turkmen village, which is attacked by terrorists armed to the teeth.
One of the few foreign films about the war in Iraq. The first movie made with the support of the Turkish Armed Forces. All the weapons shown in the movie are real and produced in this country.
The actors who played the roles of special forces underwent a 4-month combat training course. One of the actors, Yunus Emre Ucar, who played himself, was killed in a combat mission.
Jarhead
- IMDB Rating – 7.0
- Genre: Action, Drama, Military, Biography
- Production: USA, UK, Germany / 2005
- Budget: $72,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $96,889,998
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black, Brian Geraty, Jacob Vargas, Las Alonso, Ewen Jones, Chris Cooper, Dennis Haysburt.
All wars are different, and all wars are alike. Sniper Anthony Swofford is a Marine and a military descendant. After training at boot camp, Anthony’s squad is sent to the Persian Gulf to participate in Operation Desert Shield.
The recruits are ready to face danger, to fight the enemy. But instead they patrol the bare desert, tormented by boredom and expecting real combat. Unnecessary people in a senseless war for incomprehensible ideals.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire were considered for the lead role in the movie. But in the end, the role went to Jake Gyllenhaal after he left a passionate message on the voice mail of the film’s director, Sam Mendes.
The Wall
- IMDB Rating – 6.2
- Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2017
- Worldwide box office receipts: $4,476,705
- Director: Doug Lyman
- Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakley
2007, Iraq. Two snipers, Staff Sgt. Shane Matthews and Sgt. Allen Isaac, are sent on a mission on a call for help. On the ground, they discover dead bodies and realize they have fallen into the trap of an experienced Iraqi ghost sniper, Juba.
The unseen enemy sends signals for help and destroys the arrivals one by one. Matthews is wounded, and Isaac manages to take cover behind an inexplicably war-ravaged building wall. What will be the outcome of the confrontation between the Arab and the American?
In one of the movie’s scenes, an Iraqi sniper reads a passage from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” (1845). The movie was directed by Doug Lyman, known for his series of Jason Bourne films.
Megan Leavey
- IMDB Rating – 7.1
- Genre: Drama, Military, Biography
- Production: USA / 2017
- Worldwide box office receipts: $14,510,490
- Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
- Starring: Kate Mara, Edie Falco, Common, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton, Demeson Idris, Shannon Edwards, Bradley Whitford, Alex Hafner, Will Patton
Sometimes a loyal battle buddy has to be rescued not in war, but in civilian life. Megan Levey became a member of the U.S. Marine Corps to make sense of her bleak and worthless life. In the army Megan found her calling and became a dog handler. The girl managed to find a common language with the most aggressive dog of the unit, Rex.
Becoming faithful and reliable partners they participate in real combat operations and save hundreds of lives by detecting explosive devices. After retiring, Megan decides to take the dog back, but the military won’t agree. The overly aggressive dog is dangerous and must be put to sleep. The girl begins a fight for the life of her battle buddy with military officials.
The drama is based on real events. Former US Army servicewoman Megan Levey managed to save her service dog Rex only after the intervention of an influential senator. In the movie, Megan Levey played a cameo role of a canine instructor.
Stop-Loss
- IMDB Rating – 6.4
- Genre: Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2008
- Budget: $25,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $11,207,130
- Director: Kimberly Pierce
- Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rob Brown, Victor Rasuk, Terry Quaye, Matthew Scott Wilcox, Connette Brewer, Timothy Olyphant.
Sgt. Brandon King, a veteran of the Iraq War, is having a hard time adjusting to a peaceful life. However, Uncle Sam needs him again, and the guy is sent to the slaughterhouse in a distant eastern country. But Brandon, having gone through the military meat grinder, matured and realized a lot.
Patriotic appeals became an empty sound for him, he does not want to shed blood for alien and incomprehensible ideals.
Under a U.S. Department of Defense contract, a signatory’s term of service may be extended without the signatory’s desire to do so. Also, those who have once signed a contract may be reenlisted.
Battle for Haditha
- IMDB Rating – 6.9
- Genre: Drama, Military, History
- Production: UK / 2007
- Worldwide box office receipts: $245,521
- Director: Nick Broomfield
- Starring: Matthew Noll, Elliot Ruiz, Eric Megalakopoulos, Nathan De La Cruz, Andrew McLaren, Jess Willett, Thomas Hennessy, Tony Spencer, Vernon Gaines, Antonio Tostado
British war drama about the investigation into the mass murder of 24 civilians by US Marines. The events are shown from three sides. The first part is about Iraqi insurgents who planted the bomb.
The second part is about four Marines who want to avenge the death of a fellow soldier who was blown up by an explosive device. The third is about innocent civilians who have become a bargaining chip in this war.
The drama is based on real events that took place on November 19, 2005 in the town of Haditha. Among the dead civilians were unarmed old men, women and children, including those under a year old. All of them were killed by several shots at close range.
The U.S. paid relatives of those killed $2,500 each. Of the eight accused military men, seven were acquitted, one was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment.
Taking Chance
- IMDB Rating – 7.5
- Genre: Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2009
- Director: Ross Katz
- Starring: Kevin Bacon, Tom Eldridge, Nicholas Art, Blanche Baker, Tom Bloom, Guy Boyd, James Castanien, Gordon Clapp, Mike Coulter, Henry Coy.
Lt. Col. Michael Stroeble’s heart bleeds every time he reads the lists of those killed in the war in the Middle East. Every day he is afraid to find the names of comrades or acquaintances.
And one day, seeing the name of his fellow countryman on such a list, he persuades his superiors to appoint him to accompany the coffin of the dead soldier to his hometown in Wyoming. The deceased turns out to be a 19-year-old boy named Chen Phelps. For two days, the lieutenant colonel becomes a close and loyal friend to the soldier he never knew.
One of the American Iraq War movies based on real events, specifically the memoirs of Lt. Col. Michael Stroeble.
Green Zone
- IMDB Rating – 6.8
- Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama, Military
- Production: UK, France, Spain, USA / 2009
- Budget: $100,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $94,882,549
- Director: Paul Greengrass
- Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson, Nicoya Banks, Jerry Della Salla, Sean Hughes, Michael O’Neal, Anthony Corone
The action takes place in the Green Zone – ten square kilometers in central Baghdad, closed by the Coalition and became a fortified Allied headquarters after the occupation.
U.S. Army Lieutenant Roy Miller and his team are tasked with finding weapons of mass destruction. The deeper Miller delves into the investigation, the clearer it becomes to him that he has become nothing more than a liability in the game of the security agencies of his home state.
The movie is based on The Washington Post war correspondent Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s novel Imperial Court in the Emerald City.
Miller’s prototype was a U.S. Army officer named Richard “Monty” Gonzalez, who was a consultant for the thriller.
SGT. Will Gardner
- IMDB Rating – 5.9
- Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure, Military
- Production: USA / 2019
- Director: Max Martini
- Starring: Max Martini, Omari Hardwick, Lily Rabe, Robert Patrick, Elizabeth Rehm, Dermot Mulroney, Gary Sinise, JoBeth Williams, Luis Bordonada
After failing to settle into civilian life, Iraq war veteran Will Gardner steals a bike and sets off on a journey across America. He hopes to reunite with his son, whom he has not seen for a long time.
Will is tormented by brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. On the road, he has a mental conversation with his fallen comrade and hopes that the long journey will help him find himself again.
According to U.S. Army research, 30 percent of military personnel who have been in Iraq experience psychological problems when they arrive home. Among the most common ailments were anxiety, depression, nightmares, exasperation and inability to concentrate.
Some veterans have been diagnosed with what is known as post-traumatic stress syndrome, which is considered a very serious mental illness.
The Yellow Birds
- IMDB Rating – 5.7
- Genre: Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2017
- Budget: $12,000,000
- Worldwide box office receipts: $57,946
- Director: Alexander Moores
- Starring: Alden Ehrenreik, Tye Sheridan, Jack Huston, Jennifer Aniston, Toni Collette, Jason Patric, Mikey Collins, Carrie Wompler, Carter Redwood
A chamber drama about the fates of two young boys who find themselves in the war in Iraq. New recruits Brandon Barton and Daniel Murphy became friends before they were sent to fight. Barton made Murphy’s mother a promise to keep an eye on the younger comrade, but was unable to fulfill it. As the investigation begins, the former soldier has no choice but to meet with the family of his fallen comrade and tell the whole truth about their son’s death.
Preliminary work on the drama was so delayed that Benedict Cumberbatch and Will Poulter left the project. They were replaced by Jack Huston and Alden Ehrenreich.
The Kingdom
- IMDB Rating – 7.0
- Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama
- Production: USA, Germany, UAE / 2007
- Budget: $70,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $86,658,558
- Director: Peter Berg
- Starring: Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, Ali Suliman, Jeremy Piven, Richard Jenkins, Danny Huston, Kyle Chandler.
The events of this spectacular political thriller take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The mysterious terrorist leader Abu Hamza strikes a residential town of an American oil company.
In a well-coordinated militant action, more than 100 people are killed and 200 are wounded. To stop the killer before he strikes again, an elite FBI team is flown in to investigate the attack.
The producers failed to obtain permission to shoot the action movie in El Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the events in the Middle East were reproduced in the Dubai suburbs of the United Arab Emirates. The scenes in the Saudi Arabian desert were filmed in Arizona.
Sand Castle
- IMDB Rating – 6.3
- Genre: Action, Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2017
- Director: Fernando Coimbra
- Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green, Henry Cavill, Tommy Flanagan, Glen Powell, Bo Napp, Neil Brown Jr.
A movie about the transformation of an inexperienced cowardly kid into a courageous warrior. To save money for education, Matt Okr goes to serve in the army. Private finds himself in the very epicenter of the American invasion in the Middle East.
To avoid getting shot, Matt damages his arm with a car door, and instead of the front line he goes to provide drinking water to the suburbs of Baakouba. At the same time, the peaceful mission of the American military does not arouse gratitude in all the inhabitants of the Iraqi countryside.
The Netflix streaming service’s action movie is based on the memoirs of a direct participant in the events, paratrooper Chris Rossner. In turn, Rossner was inspired by the movie “Platoon” by Oliver Stone. Sand Castle was filmed in Jordan.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- IMDB Rating – 6.2
- Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama, Military, Sports
- Production: UK, China, USA / 2016
- Budget: $40,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $30,930,984
- Director: Ang Lee
- Starring: Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, Arturo Castro, Mason Lee, Astro, Beau Nappe
Sometimes it’s better for a soldier to stay in the war. The fight that Billy Ling’s unit took in Iraq was accidentally filmed by journalists. The U.S. government did not fail to use the Marines for a propaganda promotional tour “Victorious”.
Billy and his comrades become participants in entertainment events, banquets and sports matches. They must carry a message to the masses about the need for war and pride in their heroes. As a result, the guy realizes that it is better to be at war than in his native country in the midst of lying civilians who are trying to use him.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Ben Fountain. The role of an American soldier was played by the British actor Joe Elvin, for whom the movie was the debut in his career.
Karbala
- IMDB Rating – 6.2
- Genre: Drama, Military
- Production: Poland, Bulgaria / 2015
- Director: Krzysztof Lukaszewicz
- Starring: Bartlomiej Topa, Anthony Krulikowski, Hristo Shopov, Adir Adel, Leszek Lihota, Michal Jurawski, Tomasz Schuchardt, Zbigniew Stryj, Piotr Jurawski, Lukasz Simlat
Iraq, 2004. During Ashura Day celebrations, a Shiite uprising begins in the Polish stabilization zone. The U.S. leadership has ordered a Polish and Bulgarian contingent to hold City Hall, the headquarters of the local loyalist authorities. The Slavs have only 80 fighters and ammunition for 72 hours, and there is nowhere to wait for help.
A movie co-produced by Poland and Bulgaria, based on real events. During the defense of the Kerbela City Hall, Polish and Bulgarian soldiers did not lose a single fighter, which is not the case with the Iraqi insurgents.
Boys of Abu Ghraib
- IMDB Rating – 5.4
- Genre: Thriller, Drama, Military
- Production: USA / 2014
- Worldwide box office receipts: $62,096
- Director: Luke Moran
- Starring: Luke Moran, Sean Astin, Sarah Paxton, Omid Abtahi, John Hurd, Michael Welch, John Robinson, Elijah Kelley, Scott Patterson, Jermaine Williams
One of the toughest movies about the American war in Iraq. The Abu Ghraib prison, under Saddam Hussein, terrified the public. After the invasion of U.S. troops, enemies of the U.S. are imprisoned here, tortured and abused.
It is here, in the very center of evil and hatred, gets 22-year-old recruit Jack Farmer. He serves in the toughest prison sector. At first Jack can not understand the inhuman treatment of prisoners and even maintains a friendly relationship with one of them. But gradually his heart hardens.
The story of the American channel “CBS” about the torture of prisoners in the Iraqi prison of Abu Dhabi in April 2004 caused a great international resonance. Particularly cynical was the fact that during the torture American soldiers took photos against the background of the unfortunate.
A military tribunal tried eleven American guards, only eight of whom received actual prison sentences.
Memorial Day
- IMDB Rating – 6.1
- Genre: Action, Drama, Military, History
- Production: USA / 2012
- Budget: $4,200,000
- Director: Samuel Fisher
- Starring: Jonathan Bennett, James Cromwell, John Cromwell, Jackson Bond, Mary Kay Fortier-Spalding, Emily Fradenburg, Charles Hubbell, Corby Kelly, Chris LeFever, Steven Luke
Two generations, two wars, one story. Kyle Vogel, a sergeant in the U.S. Army who served in Iraq, recalls his experiences. Not only the moments of recent battles come alive in his memory, but also the events of a long ago war that his grandfather experienced.
Once a 13-year-old, Kyle found a chest of memorabilia and coaxed it into telling his story of World War II. In honor of Memorial Day, his grandfather agrees to tell stories about any three items from his past life.
American service members killed in all armed conflicts are honored annually on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. A national law passed in December 2000 calls on every citizen to honor those who have died in the service of the United States at 3:00 p.m. local time.
Route Irish
- IMDB Rating – 6.4
- Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama, Military
- Production: France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Belgium / 2010
- Director: Ken Loach
- Starring: Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe, John Bishop, Joff Bell, Jack Fortune, Talib Rasool, Craig Lundberg, Trevor Williams, Russell Anderson, Jamie Michie.
Two longtime friends Frankie and Fergus take jobs as private security guards in occupied Iraq. Frankie is killed while traveling on the Irish Trail, a dangerous road from the Green Zone to Baghdad airport. Fergus gets hold of his dead friend’s cell phone.
It depicts the massacre of a peaceful Iraqi family by contract soldiers. The experienced soldier realizes that his friend’s death and the video are somehow connected. Not trusting the official explanation, Fergus begins his own dangerous investigation.
The Irish route is a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) stretch of highway in Baghdad that connects the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area in central Baghdad, to Baghdad International Airport. Because of heavy military traffic, the route was extremely dangerous in the early years after coalition troops entered.
The Men Who Stare at Goats
- IMDB Rating – 6.2
- Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Military
- Production: USA, UK / 2009
- Budget: $25,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $68,968,688
- Director: Grant Heslov
- Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Walid Zuaiter, Stephen Root, Glenn Morshower, Nick Offerman.
Absurd comedy about the use of psychics by American special services. Super-soldiers of the most secret unit are able to pass through walls, conduct reconnaissance by means of leaving the body, levitate, kill with a look and … disperse clouds.
Journalist Bob Wilton, who finds himself in Iraq after his wife cheats on him, meets one such paranormal warrior, Lyn Cassidy, in a hotel. The two of them travel to the desert to carry out a mysterious mission, the essence of which only Cassidy knows.
The comedy is an interpretation of journalist Jon Ronson’s best-selling book The People Who Stare at Goats. It is a popular science work about the U.S. Army’s research into the potential military use of paranormal phenomena.
Redacted
- IMDB Rating – 6.1
- Genre: Thriller, Crime, Military
- Production: USA, Canada / 2007
- Budget: $5,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $779,600
- Director: Brian De Palma
- Starring: Izzy Diaz, Rob Diviney, Ty Jones, Anas Wellman, Mike Figueroa, Yanal Kassai, Dhiaia Kalil, Kel O’Neal, Daniel Stewart-Sherman, Patrick Carroll.
The film is stylized as a pseudo-documentary. A small detachment of American soldiers is serving at a checkpoint in occupied Iraq. One of the soldiers keeps a video diary, recording daily monotonous military routine.
From boredom, heat and impunity, the guys naturally “go off the rails”. They rape and kill a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, before killing her family. After such a crime, life cannot remain the same.
One of the best movies about the war in Iraq was directed by the famous Brian De Palma. The movie is banned for screening in a number of countries. In the original drama is called “Edited”. Based on real events.
Courage Under Fire
- IMDB Rating – 6.6
- Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama, Detective, Military
- Production: USA / 1996
- Budget: $46,000,000
- Worldwide Box Office: $100,860,818
- Director: Edward Zwick
- Starring: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Matt Damon, Bronson Pinchot, Seth Gilliam, Regina Taylor, Zeljko Ivanek, Scott Glenn.
Lieutenant Colonel Sterling, who was miscarried in the Gulf War, is doing paperwork at the Pentagon. He is tasked with investigating the death of helicopter commander Karen Walden and considering posthumously awarding her the Congressional Medal of Honor.
If approved, she would be the first woman to receive such a high honor. Getting to work, Sterling realizes that the testimonies of the participants in the operation vary greatly. The lieutenant colonel must find out whether the woman died at the hands of the militants or was left on the battlefield by cowardly subordinates.
The performer of the role of a military medic Matthew Damon had to lose weight by 18 kg, which led to health problems of the actor.
