When the United States entered Afghanistan in October 2001, no one expected it to be its longest war, spanning over two decades. With the war and occupation lasting for such an extended period, it is no surprise that so many films have come out featuring stories of soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Although some films are fiction, most are dramas based on true stories.

Update November 11, 2023: In honor of Veterans Day, this article has been updated with more details on the movies about the United States' involvement in Afghanistan and where each title is streaming.

While films focused on the war in Afghanistan never entirely lit up the box office, as audiences did not want to be reminded of what was happening and wanted to escape from it, the subject has yielded some interesting films. The following are some of the most well-made films intended to humanize American soldiers that tackle and explore the United States' occupation in Afghanistan.

14 Green Zone (2010)

Bourne series director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon team up again for the 2010 action thriller Green Zone. Damon stars as US Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, who is searching for weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad’s Green Zone. The film is based on the 2006 non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, which documented life in the Green Zone during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

What Makes It Great

While the war in Afghanistan is well documented, Americans still don't know half the truth of what went down there. Once the Bush administration declared victory in Afghanistan, they went on to move the "war on terror" to Iraq, where accusations of weapons of mass destruction made headlines. This film recounts the events that led to the conspiracy related to the non-presence of said weapons in the Arab nation.

Stream on Netflix

13 Sand Castle (2017)

Sand Castle has one of Nicholas Hoult’s best performances as U.S. Army soldier Matt Ocre, who is tasked with restoring water to a village in Iraq after it was destroyed by a bomb. It is an interesting take on someone who doesn’t want to be a soldier and how the experience of war can change you. Sand Castle is directed by Fernando Coimbra and written by Chris Roessner, who was inspired by his own experiences as a soldier in Iraq.

What Makes It Great

War is an ugly business, one that is run by actual human beings who must make decisions in the heat of combat. Private Ocre makes a choice and acts like a human being in a place where he needs a warrior mindset. The story of this soldier is not a dime in a dozen as plenty of troops choose to build instead of destroy, even if it means becoming a target for people who want them dead and gone from their land at all costs.

Stream on Netflix

12 Lions for Lambs (2007)

Sporting a star-studded cast that included A-listers like Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep, the 2007 war drama Lions for Lambs was the feature debut of Andrew Garfield, and it was directed by Robert Redford. The movie tells the story of two university students who enlist in the army after being influenced by their idealistic professor. The tragic ending of the movie touches the heart of the audience and alludes to how those in power make war propaganda. Streep also gives us a powerful performance as a journalist who stands up against propagandism.

What Makes It Great

Lions for Lambs is a work of fiction. However, it's a perfect case study illustrating how the war machine works in the USA, especially regarding the press. The building of ideals of altruism in prospects and the appeal of finding meaning and purpose is enticing for young people, especially in the modern era. Yet the practice of taking these young folks and throwing them in the wild to fight a highly motivated enemy is nothing new, and it's still the leading cause of the high rates of PTSD present in soldiers after a single tour.

Stream on Tubi

11 War Machine (2017)

Brad Pitt is hysterical in the satirical comedy War Machine. The movie was written and directed by David Michôd and features the talents of Topher Grace, Will Poulter, and John Magaro. War Machine is about four-star General Glen McMahon (Pitt) and his team as they prepare an assessment on how to pull the U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. The film is a fictionalized adaptation of the nonfiction book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan by Michael Hastings, which is about General Stanley McChrystal.

What Makes It Great

Making a comedy about war doesn't sound that great, to begin with, but the sheer disconnection with reality of the people deciding the fate of soldiers is an unending source of comedy gold. Glen McMahon is a surreal character in this movie, as he actively resents civil leadership and uses the press to antagonize the presidency. While the movie distorts some facts for the sake of storytelling, it's still hard to imagine these events are based on real-life history.

Stream on Netflix

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10 The Outpost (2020)

The Outpost tells the little-known story of the U.S. Army Outpost PRT Kamdesh (later renamed Combat Outpost Keating) and the Battle of Kamdesh. Director Rod Lurie does a fantastic job at capturing this gut-wrenching account of the Afghanistan war and the camaraderie among soldiers. The large cast, including Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom, is incredible in this action-packed tale.

What Makes It Great

The Outpost tells the story of the Battle of Kamdesh, a fight with nearly impossible odds, where 53 US operatives fought and defeated 300 enemy insurgents. The movie explores the political background of the events that led to the operation and how the local customs of the Afghan people clash heavily with American views. The film perfectly portrays the chaotic nature of war and how each side believes they are fighting for the right thing.

Stream on Netflix

9 Brothers (2009)

Starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman, the 2009 American war drama Brothers is a remake of the 2004 Danish movie of the same name. In this film, Maguire plays the role of a returning war prisoner in Afghanistan who struggles to adapt to society after his release. The movie delves deep into PTSD and family relations, with Portman playing Maguire's wife and Gyllenhaal playing his brother.

What Makes It Great

Homer's Odyssey inspires both the Danish and American movies and shows post-war trauma in a really haunting and realistic manner. Brothers is a drama not focused on combat. The film touches on an important subject: mental health. Most soldiers leave home only to return transformed into something else. Now quite what they were before, most of these men struggle to lead an everyday life. Things can get a turn for the worse when they are believed to be dead only to return. People tend to move on and overcome pain, with feelings changing in the process. This film explores this scenario with flying colors.

Stream on AMC+

8 12 Strong (2018)

The wake of 9/11 brought a lot of heat to America as the country made it clear they would offer a swift response to the attacks in the Twin Towers once they pointed their fingers towards Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. 12 Strong tells the story of the first troops entering Afghanistan grounds. The story recounts the operation led by the Green Berets Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 595 to infiltrate the country. It was written by Ted Tally and directed by Nicolai Fuglsig. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, and Michael Peña.

What Makes It Great

The US invasion of Afghanistan didn't happen entirely in the same way as things went down in Operation Desert Storm. A special team was put together to get inside the country and have American forces create alliances with tribes that have been fighting Al-Qaida and the Taliban for years. The ODA 595 are trained killing machines, but they also have to play politics without much diplomacy, as the looming threat of the US remote weaponry forces negotiations.

Stream on Hulu

7 The Kill Team (2019)

The Kill Team is a movie loosely based on the Maywand District Murders. The director, Dan Krauss, also produced a documentary on the same topic. The film tells the story of a young American soldier named Andrew Briggman who becomes morally conflicted over the war when his superior officer forces them to kill Afghan civilians. The heartbreaking story shows the soldier in a difficult position as he keeps an open line with his family, who try to pursue justice by calling on the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to investigate Officer Deeks.

What Makes It Great

War is a brutal endeavor, and it brings some of the worst elements in humanity to the forefront in the guise of patriots. Human nature can overtake these men in the heat of the battle, making them do horrible things. A few others are aware of their actions, yet they still enjoy inflicting pain on others simply because they perceive them as the enemy.

Stream on Netflix

6 Lone Survivor (2013)

Lone Survivor is a biographical film about U.S. Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. The film is based on Luttrell’s book of the same name and stars Mark Wahlberg as the only survivor of his four-man reconnaissance team. The film tells the story of the failed Operation Red Wings and is mainly told from the point of view of Corpsman First Class Marcus Luttrell.

What Makes It Great

Lone Survivor was nominated for two Oscars for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, and it truly conveys the horror of the battlefield. It was a film revived by director Peter Berg after he was originally set to direct the film back in 2007. The movie went on to gross $154 million at the worldwide box office against its $40 million budget.

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5 The Hurt Locker (2008)

The Hurt Locker is an incredible film about an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) unit targeted by insurgents as they try to disable bombs. The 2008 film stars Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner, who are both honest and raw in their performances as they deal with the stresses of combat. The film picks up after the death of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit leader and follows how both men deal with the loss, the new leadership in place, and Staff Sergeant William James' recklessness and risk-taking when it comes to defusing out bombs.

What Makes It Great

While the film is a work of fiction, it's an excellent portrayal of the detachment required to succeed in high-pressure tasks. Explosive Disposal is a high-risk occupation, one that saves lives in the combat field. The Hurt Locker went on to win six Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, the first female director to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Stream on MAX

4 Dear John (2010)

The 2010 romantic war drama Dear John is based on the popular book of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, the movie tells the story of a young couple and their tragic love story. The film is told through letters that the lovers exchange over the years as they grow apart. The idealistic Savannah Lynn has dreams of doing good, while John Tyree is bound by his sense of duty to his country after 9/11.

What Makes It Great

Even though Dear John received mixed reviews, the movie shows the sad reality of war and how it affects the people left behind. While the film never romanticizes war, it portrays the sense of duty as something that goes beyond any social attachments, such as love and meaningful relationships. Viewers get to see the ups and downs of their relationship until they finally overcome all obstacles to be together.

Stream on Netflix

3 War Dogs (2016)

War Dogs is a dark comedy based on the 2011 Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson. The film, directed by Joker's Todd Philips, tells the story of two arms dealers, Efraim Diveroli (Johan Hill) and David Packouz (Miles Teller), as they receive a U.S. Army contract to supply weapons to the Afghan National Army. Hill and Teller are both fantastic as high school friends turned arms dealers in this wild ride that is based on a true story.

What Makes It Great

War Dogs is an unconventional war film showcasing how the slickest people can make a killing in the arms industry just with the correct information. While many procedures portrayed in the film have been updated since to avoid corruption, the movie is an excellent illustration of bad actors getting rich beyond their wildest dreams in an industry that will do business with just about anyone.

Stream on Hulu

2 American Sniper (2014)

American Sniper is arguably one of the most beloved films about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Loosely based on Chris Kyle’s 2012 autobiography, the film follows Kyle, the deadliest marksman in the United States military history. Kyle gained such notoriety that he was well-known in the military and among his enemies. While much debate has been made about if Kyle inflated these numbers, the film follows his four tours in Iraq and how his life spins out of control as his mental health deteriorates after each tour, making him unable to leave conflict behind.

What Makes It Great

As happens with some of the best productions, this film had to endure a last-minute change that shifted the film's tone and probably made it as great as it is. Steven Spielberg was initially set to direct this movie, but Clint Eastwood replaced Spielberg before casting was finished. The movie received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper’s performance as Chris Kyle. The movie is also the most successful film of 2014 at the domestic box office, even outgrossing popular films like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Stream on MAX

1 Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Kathryn Bigelow's second film on this list, Zero Dark Thirty, details the CIA's hunt for Osama bin Laden. While focused more on the men and women in the CIA and less on the soldiers on the ground, the film was a captivating look at the decade-long manhunt and the tricky tactics that were used. The movie was released one year after Osama bin Laden's death, and the dramatic recreation of the Navy Seal Team 6 in the bunker is one of the most thrilling sequences ever put in film.

What Makes It Great

While the actual details behind Operation Neptune Spear are still hush-hush, the film picks up multiple accounts to depict the most realistic portrayal of the events that led to the logistics behind the operation. Given how the Army is always taking notice of Hollywood productions, it's safe to say this movie is the closest thing to a recount of the actual events that transpired on the fateful night Osama bin Laden was finally killed. It was nominated for five Academy Awards and won one, Best Sound Editing, which it tied with Skyfall.