(Photo by Touchstone)

All World War I Movies Ranked By Tomatometer

The 2020 Golden Globes pick for Best Motion Picture – Drama: 1917, a dramatic thriller presented as a single continuous shot, and a tale of valor and sacrifice during World War I. The Sam Mendes film arrives in a moment of peak WWI interest, seen from 15-million seller video game Battlefield 1 and Peter Jackson’s incomparably vivid They Shall Not Grow Old documentary. With that, we’ve collected and ranked every World War I movie by Tomatometer.

Not only did the First World War plunge our planet in death, plague, and turmoil, it would become a sort of stress test for filmmaking, which was still in its early years. World War 1 (1914-1918) was humanity’s first shared cataclysm that the movies had been around for. There would be books and there would be songs written about the War – now it was time to see what movies were capable of expressing. This new medium, with its filmmakers just beginning to create feature-length stories, found its power in resurrecting recent history on-screen to transportive life. Movies became how we process trauma, looking back on the things we have experienced with honor, anger, regret, and romance.

So how fitting that at the first Academy Awards ever, World War I epic Wings (1927) would win Best Picture, partially on the strength of its inventive camerawork that swept audiences into the love triangle and aerial dogfights. WWI movies became prestige events, featuring big-budget casts and production values, seen in enduring classics like A Farewell to Arms, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Grand Illusion. But the regular production of WWI movies dried up in the 1940s. Hmmm, wonder what happened!

After World War II, audiences got a major WWI movie once a decade. Paths of Glory came out in 1957. Lawrence of Arabia was in the ’60s. Johnny Got His Gun for the cynical ’70s. It was Gallipoli in the ’80s. Then in the ’90s, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, and Medal of Honor made WWII the guerre du jour for a long time. All three projects were shepherded by Steven Spielberg, so naturally he would be the one to give World War I its biggest spectacle movie in decades: the 2011 Certified Fresh War Horse.

A quick note on our selection criteria: We picked only movies that were set squarely in the War, instead of just using the War as a backdrop, like Hitchcock’s Secret Agent, The African Queen, or The White Ribbon. And only movies whose subject is the War. Multi-decade stories that happened to include WWI were not considered, leaving off movies like The Great Dictator, Legends of the Fall, and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.

Revisit a turning point in human history with our guide to every World War I movie ranked by Tomatometer!

#32 Flyboys (2006) 33% #32 Adjusted Score: 37.031% Critics Consensus: A poorly scripted history-rewriting exercise with mediocre acting and unconvincing CGI battle scenes. Synopsis: As World War I rages in Europe and Allied forces in France, Italy, and England find their resolve quickly diminishing... As World War I rages in Europe and Allied forces in France, Italy, and England find their resolve quickly diminishing... [More] Starring: James Franco, Martin Henderson, David Ellison, Jennifer Decker Directed By: Tony Bill

#26 Private Peaceful (2014) 63% #26 Adjusted Score: 63.192% Critics Consensus: Private Peaceful's deliberate pace will test the patience of many viewers, but its lush visuals and moving screenplay may offer sufficient compensation. Synopsis: Private Peaceful tells the story of two devoted brothers who struggle through a harsh childhood and adolescence in rural Devon,... Private Peaceful tells the story of two devoted brothers who struggle through a harsh childhood and adolescence in rural Devon,... [More] Starring: Jack O'Connell, George MacKay, Alexandra Roach, Richard Griffiths Directed By: Pat O'Connor

#22 War Horse (2011) 75% #22 Adjusted Score: 82.503% Critics Consensus: Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg's customary flair. Synopsis: Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins with the... Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins with the... [More] Starring: Peter Mullan, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup Directed By: Steven Spielberg

#13 Gallipoli (1981) 91% #13 Adjusted Score: 94.209% Critics Consensus: Peter Weir's devastating anti-war film features a low-key but emotionally wrenching performance from Mel Gibson as a young soldier fighting in one of World War I's most deadly and horrifying battles. Synopsis: The first of two consecutive films to see director Peter Weir team with Mel Gibson (the other being The Year... The first of two consecutive films to see director Peter Weir team with Mel Gibson (the other being The Year... [More] Starring: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Harold Hopkins, RONNY GRAHAM Directed By: Peter Weir

#10 Wings (1927) 93% #10 Adjusted Score: 96.815% Critics Consensus: Subsequent war epics may have borrowed heavily from the original Best Picture winner, but they've all lacked Clara Bow's luminous screen presence and William Wellman's deft direction. Synopsis: Wings, the first feature film to win an Academy Award, tends to disappoint a little when seen today. Too much... Wings, the first feature film to win an Academy Award, tends to disappoint a little when seen today. Too much... [More] Starring: Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper Directed By: William Wellman

#6 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 98% #6 Adjusted Score: 107.629% Critics Consensus: The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography. Synopsis: This sweeping, highly literate historical epic covers the Allies' mideastern campaign during World War I as seen through the eyes... This sweeping, highly literate historical epic covers the Allies' mideastern campaign during World War I as seen through the eyes... [More] Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn Directed By: David Lean

#2 They Shall Not Grow Old (2019) 99% #2 Adjusted Score: 105.033% Critics Consensus: An impressive technical achievement with a walloping emotional impact, They Shall Not Grow Old pays brilliant cinematic tribute to the sacrifice of a generation. Synopsis: Peter Jackson directs this homage to the British troops of the First World War with never-before-seen-footage of soldiers as they... Peter Jackson directs this homage to the British troops of the First World War with never-before-seen-footage of soldiers as they... [More] Starring: Directed By: Peter Jackson

Like this? Subscribe to our newsletter and get more features, news, and guides in your inbox every week.