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It’s astonishing to consider that we’re not far from commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War II’s onset. As a result, the cinematic retelling of those pivotal years is also nearing a century mark. Since the war’s early days, filmmakers have captured its stories across a plethora of genres, ensuring a vast selection of WWII movies that continue to captivate audiences.
With an abundance of WWII films available, viewers can find many of these classics streaming online. Yet, despite the convenience of paid streaming services, their rising costs often surpass the appeal of traditional cable—a fact that has some opting out entirely. Fortunately, free streaming platforms offer a valuable alternative, boasting extensive libraries that include a range of WWII films. Here’s a look at some of the best WWII movies accessible on these free services, though they do come with the occasional ad break.
One of the standout classic films is “The Great Escape.” Even if you haven’t watched this iconic movie, its unforgettable theme is likely familiar, having been featured in numerous films and TV shows like “The Simpsons,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Wallace & Gromit,” and “The Goonies.” This gripping depiction of Allied soldiers attempting to flee from a German POW camp is a must-watch for any WWII film enthusiast.
The soldiers’ daring escape isn’t solely for personal freedom; it’s a strategic move aimed at drawing Nazi forces away from the battlefield to search for them, thus weakening their enemy. Led by Steve McQueen, the film showcases an ensemble cast of notable actors such as James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, David McCallum, and Donald Pleasence. While the escape itself is the film’s highlight, the meticulous planning and dramatic aftermath are equally compelling, solidifying “The Great Escape” as a timeless classic.
The Great Escape
Available on: Pluto, Tubi, Hoopla
Admirably, their own personal freedom isn’t even the only goal of the mission, as the hope is that forcing the Nazis to pull troops off the front lines to search for the escapees will weaken their forces and turn the tide of the war. Led by Steve McQueen, the movie’s ensemble is a who’s who of the biggest and most talented actors of the day — James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, David McCallum, and Donald Pleasence, to name just a few. The actual titular escape is obviously the highlight, but both the lead up to it and what happens after deserve just as much credit for why “The Great Escape” is a classic.
Empire of the Sun
Christian Bale is one of the rare child actors who ended up super rich and famous well into adulthood. And even as a young actor, he wasn’t content just taking obvious roles in light, breezy family fare. In fact, he already had two WWII films under his belt before he turned 20. While 1993’s “Swing Kids” is mostly forgettable, it was Bale’s second ever film role in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” that served notice that this 13 year old was not just destined for great things — he was already doing great things.
Bale plays James “Jamie” Graham, a boy whose privileged life in China is upended after Japan invades during World War II. Soon he finds himself alone, and later, a prisoner in a Chinese internment camp. Despite being in the direst of circumstances — and in spite of his young age — Jim proves to have an unbreakable spirit in the face of despair, which in turn inspires his fellow prisoners to rely on optimism to get them through it all.
Available on: Pluto
Downfall
Unsurprisingly, there are relatively few WWII movies that position Adolf Hitler as the lead character. And the movies that feature him at all tend to show the version that is most well known to the world, where he’s at the height of his power and giving impassioned speeches to excited crowds who cheer at every hateful word. Both of these things make the 2004 drama “Downfall” an incredibly unique entry into the WWII movie canon.
When the movie begins, WWII is already nearing its end. The Battle of Berlin is in full swing, which means that Allied Forces are in the midst of striking their final blows against Nazi Germany. Hitler (Bruno Ganz) is aware that his defeat is imminent, and his attempts to still put on a brave, confident face for his inner circle are no longer fooling anyone. Ganz delivers a powerhouse performance as a Hitler who no one but his closest confidantes ever got to see — slumping, haggard, and knowing his end is fast approaching.
A Bridge Too Far
Richard Attenborough not only appeared in a star-studded WWII film, he also directed one: The 1977 action epic “A Bridge Too Far.” In yet another ensemble that was not only impressive in its day but remains so even now, the movie stars Robert Redford, Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Elliot Gould, James Caan, and Laurence Olivier among a large ensemble cast.
The movie tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a real WWII offensive by the Allies where they attempted to claim several key bridges as an inroads to attacking Germany. Of course, Operation Market Garden was an infamous failure — and the fact that the movie is called “A Bridge Too Far” should clue you into the fact that it ultimately depicts that failure and its aftermath. Between the massive cast and the nearly three-hour runtime, it’s an ambitious undertaking for sure, one that critics were relatively lukewarm about. But there are many who feel the critics got it wrong, and that “A Bridge Too Far” is an underrated WWII masterpiece. There’s only one way to find out where you land, of course, and that’s to watch it yourself.
Available on: Pluto, Tubi, The Roku Channel
Saving Private Ryan
Paramount Pictures
When ranking every Steven Spielberg movie, his WWII output has a strong showing near the top of the list. In fact, two of his productions made our top five: “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” But this particular feature has a specific angle, and only one of those is currently available to stream for free. That being said, we did already recommend another Spielberg WWII movie, “Empire of the Sun,” which means you can have a double feature of the director’s WWII filmmaking works tonight without paying a dime.
The aspect of “Saving Private Ryan” that got the most attention at the time of its release was its D-Day sequence. Few war films of any kind had ever depicted anything quite so violent, graphic, and gory — and not in a crowd-pleasing action romp way, but in a way that is meant to make you wince rather than cheer. And that is only a small part of why it’s an incredible WWII movie that was rightfully showered with critical praise and awarded five Oscars. “Saving Private Ryan” is also brilliant in those quiet scenes between periods unflinchingly realistic violence, when the soldiers have rare moments of respite with which to bond, argue, and have flashes of normalcy before the next one of them inevitably ends up getting brutally shot to death.
Available on: Pluto