{"id":227061,"date":"2026-03-07T18:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T18:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/07\/7-best-world-war-ii-movies-ranked-by-rotten-tomatoes-rating\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T18:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T18:30:16","slug":"7-best-world-war-ii-movies-ranked-by-rotten-tomatoes-rating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/07\/7-best-world-war-ii-movies-ranked-by-rotten-tomatoes-rating\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Best World War II Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes Rating"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>With each year, there are fewer people who lived or fought through World War II.<\/p>\n<p>When they pass, films will be one of the only media keeping their stories alive for new generations to discover.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/watch-with-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Watch With Us<\/a> recently rounded up the seven best World War II movies and ranked them by their Rotten Tomatoes ratings.<\/p>\n<p>If you know your war movies, many of these picks won\u2019t be surprising. But the movie that hit No. 1 isn\u2019t the one anyone expected.<\/p>\n<h2>7. \u2018The Great Escape\u2019 (1963)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) | Official Trailer | MGM\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M2bEzJFVdQ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/the_great_escape\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Movie lovers in 2026 may not be able to appreciate the star-studded lineup of <em>The Great Escape<\/em>, but bringing together <strong>Steve McQueen<\/strong>, <strong>James Garner<\/strong>, <strong>Richard Attenborough<\/strong>, <strong>Charles Bronson<\/strong>, <strong>Donald Pleasence<\/strong> and <strong>James Coburn<\/strong> was quite a casting coup. All of those actors are now Hollywood legends.<\/p>\n<p>The film is very loosely based on true events, as POWs Captain Virgil Hilts (McQueen), Flight Lieutenant Bob Hendley (Garner), Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett (Attenborough), Group Captain Ramsey (Donald) and more hatch a plot to break over 250 men out of one of the most heavily secured camps behind enemy lines. It\u2019s a dangerous endeavor, and discovery may mean death for everyone involved.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Great Escape<\/em> is streaming on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/video\/detail\/B0FNQ54HCB\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>6. \u2018Saving Private Ryan\u2019 (1998)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Saving Private Ryan (1998) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9CiW_DgxCnQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/saving_private_ryan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nearly three decades later, there\u2019s a strong argument to be made that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrities\/steven-spielberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Steven Spielberg<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s <em>Saving Private Ryan<\/em> should have won Best Picture. If you haven\u2019t seen it already, we won\u2019t ruin the surprise about which actor plays the title character. Following the film\u2019s brutal depiction of the invasion of Normandy, all male members of the Ryan family are killed in action except one. Captain John H. Miller (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrities\/tom-hanks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Tom Hanks<\/strong><\/a>) and his team are given a mandate to go behind enemy lines and find the lone remaining Ryan brother to bring him home to his family.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/3-war-movies-to-watch-on-memorial-day-weekend-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"01\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/3-war-movies-to-watch-on-memorial-day-weekend-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"01\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">3 Great War Movies to Watch on Memorial Day<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tMemorial Day is meant to be a time to reflect on the men and women in the military who laid down their lives for our country during times of war. In the spirit of that holiday, the only war movies appropriate for Memorial Day are those that acknowledge the high cost of war for the [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Although the war is down to its last days, the dangers are still ever-present for Miller and his men. So much so that they question whether risking their lives for a man they don\u2019t know is even worth it. They\u2019ll get their answer, but not everyone will get to go home.<\/p>\n<p><em>Saving Private Ryan<\/em> is streaming on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoopladigital.com\/title\/18178524?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hoopla<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>5. \u2018The Bridge on the River Kwai\u2019 (1957)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bridge On The River Kwai, The (original Version) - Trailer\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RlC7XBayj0s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/bridge_on_the_river_kwai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>The Bridge on the River Kwai<\/em> is a POW drama that focuses on a group of British and American soldiers who are held prisoner by Japanese forces. A U.S. soldier, Shears (<strong>William Holden<\/strong>), manages to escape, but he\u2019s blackmailed into returning to the camp to sabotage the bridge being built by the prisoners.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/tag\/star-wars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Star Wars<\/em><\/a> icon <strong>Alec Guinness<\/strong> has a primary role as Colonel Nicholson, a British commander who collaborates with the enemy because he\u2019s too prideful to build a bridge that doesn\u2019t live up to his standards. Nicholson doesn\u2019t even realize that what he\u2019s doing is a betrayal, but his actions will come back to haunt him when he seems more determined to protect the bridge than the lives of his own men.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Bridge on the River Kwai<\/em> is available to rent or purchase on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/video\/detail\/B00BUIXD2S\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>4. \u2018Das Boot\u2019 (1981)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Das Boot (1981) REMASTERED TRAILER [HD]\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KhNnU4h1Q50?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/das_boot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Das Boot<\/em> is an outlier on this list as both a German film and a story that takes place exclusively from the perspective of German forces during the height of World War II. <strong>J\u00fcrgen Prochnow<\/strong> leads the cast as the captain of a submarine, and he\u2019s openly against the Nazis and the decisions made by Adolf Hitler that are bringing ruin to their nation.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone on the sub shares the captain\u2019s views, but there\u2019s a sense of camaraderie among the crew as they risk their lives for each other and their mission. They aren\u2019t necessarily monsters, but they do battle allied soldiers and face retaliation that may put their sub at the bottom of the ocean for good.<\/p>\n<p><em>Das Boot<\/em> is available to rent or purchase on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/video\/detail\/B00BSWTT7O\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prime Video<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>3. \u2018Schindler\u2019s List\u2019 (1993)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Schindler&#039;s List 25th Anniversary - Official Trailer - In Theaters December 7\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mxphAlJID9U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/schindlers_list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Spielberg entered a serious phase of his career with <em>Schindler\u2019s List<\/em>, a film that went on to win Best Director and Best Picture as well as five other Oscars. This film is based on the true story of <strong>Oskar Schindler<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrities\/liam-neeson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Liam Neeson<\/strong><\/a>), a German war profiteer who uses Jewish workers in his factories as their people are rounded up into concentration camps.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/the-best-movie-of-every-year-of-the-90s\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"00\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/fight-club-pitt-norton.jpg?crop=0px%2C9px%2C1920px%2C1086px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=55&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/fight-club-pitt-norton.jpg?quality=74&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/the-best-movie-of-every-year-of-the-90s\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"00\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">The Best Movie of Every Year of the &#8217;90s<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tHollywood may have embraced blockbusters in the \u201990s, but it\u2019s an underrated decade when it comes to movies. Some of the films made during the 1990s can easily be counted among the best movies ever made. However, the Watch With Us team feels that the Oscars only named the correct Best Picture winners three times [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Once Schindler gets a first-hand view of the evil that the Nazis inflict on the Jewish people, he shifts his focus to saving as many lives as possible. Almost every German official that Schindler encounters has a price, including the ruthless commander Amon G\u00f6th (<strong>Ralph Fiennes<\/strong>). But as the war winds down, Schindler is forced to give up everything and still wonders if he could have done more.<\/p>\n<p><em>Schindler\u2019s List<\/em> is streaming on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com%2Fwatch%2Fasset%2Fmovies%2Fdrama%2Fschindlers-list%2Fb3c09538-f409-3369-b9ce-d5cac041fa29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peacock<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>2. \u2018Casablanca\u2019 (1942)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Casablanca | 4K Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MF7JH_54d8c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/1003707-casablanca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Casablanca<\/em> is the only World War II movie on this list that was actually made during the war, when the outcome was far from certain. The response to <em>Casablanca<\/em> was tremendous, as it won Best Picture and became widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.<strong> Humphrey Bogart<\/strong> solidified his legend with his role as Rick Blaine, a cynical American riding out the war in Morocco.<\/p>\n<p>Rick is embittered that his lover, Ilsa Lund (<strong>Ingrid Bergman<\/strong>), ran off years earlier without telling him why. Much to his surprise, Ilsa shows up at his bar with her husband, resistance leader Victor Laszlo (<strong>Paul Henreid<\/strong>). They desperately need Rick\u2019s help, but it\u2019s going to take more than just words to convince him. The ending of this film is so widely known that you may have seen it referenced without even realizing where it came from.<\/p>\n<p><em>Casablanca<\/em> is streaming on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.hbomax.com\/movie\/83b99ff6-56a0-4696-aa68-fdd6d3f31efa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HBO Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__thumbnail related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/5-sexiest-movie-couples-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"00\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/praites-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C1920px%2C1086px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/praites-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article__title-link related-ab-test\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/5-sexiest-movie-couples-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-source=\"00\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">5 Sexiest Movie Couples of All Time: From Neo and Trinity to Jack and Rose<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tReal-life love can\u2019t ever be like the movies, but that\u2019s what makes it so much fun to live vicariously through movie characters. In the spirit of Valentine\u2019s Day, we\u2019re thinking about our favorite movie couples. But not just any movie couples:\u00a0sexy movie couples. The ones whose chemistry makes you positively soon. Watch With Us combed [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>1. \u2018A Man Escaped\u2019 (1956)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Man Escaped - Original Trailer\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o6nHFpKK6Lc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/a_man_escaped\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"news-block\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form  \">\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup__success\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<h3>Thank You!<\/h3>\n<p>You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><em>A Man Escaped<\/em> isn\u2019t as widely known as <em>Casablanca<\/em>, but this French World War II film is one of the few movies with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is another POW story, and it\u2019s based on the true story of French Resistance member <strong>Andr\u00e9 Devigny<\/strong>, although the name of the main character was changed.<\/p>\n<p>This film treats the escape plans of Lieutenant Fontaine (<strong>Fran\u00e7ois Leterrier<\/strong>) in a very serious and realistic way, while following the steps he takes to pull it off. It\u2019s a gripping tale, even when so much of the screen time features Fontaine in his cell working out the necessary details to get out. Numerous filmmakers have cited <em>A Man Escaped<\/em> as an influence, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrities\/christopher-nolan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Christopher Nolan<\/strong><\/a>. If you\u2019ve never seen it, it\u2019s available to stream online.<\/p>\n<p><em>A Man Escaped<\/em> is streaming on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterionchannel.com\/a-man-escaped\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Criterion Channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/entertainment\/news\/7-best-world-war-ii-movies-ranked-by-rotten-tomatoes-rating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With each year, there are fewer people who lived or fought through World War II. When they pass, films will be one of the only media keeping their stories alive for new generations to discover. Watch With Us recently rounded up the seven best World War II movies and ranked them by their Rotten Tomatoes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":227069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-227061","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}