Films like Dunkirk
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines Dunkirk, going by its Boxlist taste profile: Expect a realistic, heavy war film, big and varied rather than confined. Best if you like depth over escapism. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of underdogs, an all-consuming quest and resilience and survival, plus tags such as dunkirk, filmed in imax and royal air force.
Here are 15 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on Dunkirk (2017).
- 1
Film7.1
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also sweeping and grounded, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: historical fiction.
- 2
Greyhound (2020)
Film7.4
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: allies, world war ii.
- 3
Fury (2014)
Film7.5
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of underdogs and resilience and survival. Common ground: europe, world war ii.
- 4
Paths of Glory (1957)
Film8.3More intricate
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: france, army, soldier.
- 5
Tears of the Sun (2003)
Film6.8
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: evacuation, rescue mission, military.
- 6
1917 (2019)
Film8.0
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of an all-consuming quest and resilience and survival. Common ground: british army, soldier.
- 7
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Film7.1
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: army, military, soldier.
- 8
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Film8.2Slower burn
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of an all-consuming quest and resilience and survival. Common ground: rescue mission, army, military.
- 9
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Film6.9
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and sweeping, with themes of an all-consuming quest and resilience and survival. Common ground: pilot, army, world war ii.
- 10
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Film7.3
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: soldier.
- 11
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Film7.4
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: world war ii.
- 12
Allied (2016)
Film6.8More intricate
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: world war ii.
- 13
Lone Survivor (2013)
Film7.4Slower burn
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of underdogs and resilience and survival. Common ground: military, survival.
- 14
Das Boot (1981)
Film8.1
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: world war ii.
- 15
Unbroken (2014)
Film7.5Slower burn
Why it's like Dunkirk: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of underdogs and resilience and survival. Common ground: world war ii.
Boxlist compares Dunkirk with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
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Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like Dunkirk?
- Picks with a similar feel include Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Greyhound, Fury and Paths of Glory. Each shares part of Dunkirk's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 films.
- How are these films like Dunkirk chosen?
- Boxlist compares Dunkirk with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.