The ‘best’ war movie of the 21st century revealed – not Dunkirk or Black Hawk Down | Films | Entertainment

War films are full of emotion, thrill, suspense and sometimes historical revelations. It is no wonder it remains a popular genre loved by many. Over the centuries, there have been many incredible war films that provide realistic and engaging depictions of battles, many of which are based on true events.

In the 21st century alone, film lovers have been graced with a countless number of remarkable war films, including Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, a 2017 film based on the Dunkirk evacuation during World War 2. It went on to become the highest-grossing World War 2 film before being surpassed by Oppenheimer in 2023. Critics have also labelled it as one of the greatest war films ever made.

This century also brought film fans Black Hawk Down directed and produced by Ridley Scott and co-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The film, adapted from a screenplay by Ken Nolan, is based on the 1999 eponymous non-fiction book by journalist Mark Bowden and follows the crew of a Black Hawk helicopter that was shot down during the Battle of Mogadishu.

As incredible as the two films are, there is one that beats them, according to IndieWire, a film industry and critic website.

With the same writer and director as The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty ranked number one on IndieWire’s list of the best war films of the 21st century. The 2013 thriller dramatises what happened in the decade-long search for Osama Bin Laden.

Indie Wire wrote: “Bigelow’s disjunctive cutting style and Boal’s on-the-fly observational journalism do not follow narrative conventions; the movie generated political controversy for representing waterboarding as a means to extricate information vital to bin Laden’s capture.”

The film has a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics consensus describing the film as “gripping, suspenseful, and beautifully crafted.”

MovieFreak.com gave the film full mark and said: “[Zero Dark Thirty] is one of the greatest cinematic procedurals ever made.”

Keith & the Movies wrote: “It’s a movie that’s not afraid of asking tough questions or of challenging popular sentiments. It’s also a movie made with impeccable filmmaking style and skill which all comes back to Bigelow.”

Fans also praised the film, with one describing it as “two and a half hours of adrenaline rush”. Others said the film is so great that its worth watching multiple times.