Movies like Back from the Front (1943)
The best movies like Back from the Front (1943) are What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) and The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966). If Back from the Front hooked you with its comedy and war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Great Dictator (1940)8.3/10 from 3,869 votes
- NewestFriends Like Us (2026)Released 2026
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)
A by-the-book Captain is ordered to capture a strategic village in Italy. The Italian soldiers are willing to surrender, if they can have a festival first. The lieutenant convinces the Captain this is the only way. Because of aerial reconnaissance, they must look like they are fighting. To sort this out an intelligence officer is sent in. Meanwhile the festival gets complicated with the Mayors daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960)
Lieutenant Rip Crandall is hoodwinked into taking command of the "Wackiest Ship in the Navy" – a real garbage scow with a crew of misfits who don't know a jib from a jigger. What none of them knows, including Crandall, is that this ship has a very important top-secret mission to complete in waters patrolled by the Japanese fleet. Their mission will save hundreds of allied lives – if only they can get there in one piece.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966)
When a Soviet submarine gets stuck on a sandbar off the coast of a New England island, its commander orders his second-in-command, Lieutenant Rozanov, to get them moving again before there is an international incident. Rozanov seeks assistance from the island locals, including the police chief and a vacationing television writer, while trying to allay their fears of a Communist invasion by claiming he and his crew are Norwegian sailors.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOh! What a Lovely War (1969)
The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the five boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDuck Soup (1933)
Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
Milquetoast Henry Limpet experiences his fondest wish and is transformed into a fish. As a talking fish he assists the US Navy in hunting German submarines during World War II.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBuck Privates (1941)
Petty con artists Slicker Smith and Herbie Brown mistakenly join the Army evading the cops. The cop chasing them winds up as their drill instructor. A rich young man and his former working class chauffeur are not only in the same unit, they're vying for a pretty girl who seems attracted to both.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShoulder Arms (1918)
An American doughboy, stationed in France during the Great War, goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines and becomes a hero.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Dictator (1940)
Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Sea Wolves (1980)
A German spy is passing on information about the location of Allied ships in the neutral harbor of Goa, India, with catastrophic results. Unable to undertake a full military operation in the Portuguese stronghold, English intelligence brings out of retirement a crew of geriatric ex-soldiers, veterans from World War I, using their age as cover. These old soldiers are asked to take to the seas and pull off an unlikely undercover mission.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
SnoozefestMovies like thisDer Fuehrer's Face (1943)
A marching band of Germans, Italians, and Japanese march through the streets of swastika-motif Nutziland, serenading "Der Fuehrer's Face." Donald Duck, not living in the region by choice, struggles to make do with disgusting Nazi food rations and then with his day of toil at a Nazi artillery factory. After a nervous breakdown, Donald awakens to find that his experience was in fact a nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Enemy Below (1957)
The crew of the American destroyer escort, the USS Haynes, detects a German U-Boat—resulting in a prolonged, deadly battle of wits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Spy in Black (1939)
A German submarine is sent to the Orkney Isles in 1917 to sink the British fleet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll Through the Night (1942)
Broadway gamblers stumble across a plan by Nazi saboteurs to blow up an American battleship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bridge at Remagen (1969)
In March of 1945, as the War in Europe is coming to a close, fighting erupts between German and American troops at the last remaining bridgehead across the Rhine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAirplane II: The Sequel (1982)
A faulty computer causes a passenger space shuttle to head straight for the sun, and man-with-a-past Ted Striker must save the day and get the shuttle back on track – again – all the while trying to patch up his relationship with Elaine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCaptain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)
Captain Horatio Hornblower leads his ship HMS Lydia on a perilous transatlantic voyage, during which his faithful crew battle both a Spanish warship and a ragged band of Central American rebels.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTop Secret! (1984)
Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers travels to East Germany to perform in a music festival. When he loses his heart to the gorgeous Hillary Flammond, he finds himself caught up in an underground resistance movement. Rivers joins forces with Agent Cedric and Flammond to attempt the rescue of her father, Dr. Paul, from the Germans, who have captured the scientist in hopes of coercing him into building a new naval mine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisH.M.S. Defiant (1962)
Defiant's crew is part of a fleet-wide movement to present a petition of grievances to the Admiralty. Violence must be no part of it. The continual sadism of Defiant's first officer makes this difficult, and when the captain is disabled, the chance for violence increases.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTo Be or Not to Be (1942)
During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEagles Fly Early (1966)
A group of kids from the Bosnian village often run away from school from the terror of Pepper, a teacher who got his nickname because of his red nose. Soon they formed a brigand division, but have been discovered and caught. The sudden arrival of year 1941 turns their game into reality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & war
Friends Like Us (2026)
A dark comedic thriller where two sitcom actors have to reenact a new version of their show’s series finale after a crazed fan keeps them hostage.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Antoine and Colette (1962)
Now aged 17, Antoine Doinel works in a factory which makes records. At a music concert, he meets a girl his own age, Colette, and falls in love with her. Later, Antoine goes to extraordinary lengths to please his new girlfriend and her parents, but Colette still only regards him as a casual friend. First segment of “Love at Twenty” (1962).
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCode Name Lucy: Spies Against Nazis (TBA)
The greatest secret of the Second World War has remained a mystery for the last 80 years: a Jewish Communist, Sandor Rado, led a spy network that proved essential to the victory of Allied Forces. Rado received details of strictly confidential strategies from the highest echelons of the Nazi State through Rudolf Roessler, a dedicated anti-Nazi he'd only known as code name "Lucy." Aided by key German industry leaders, Roessler transmitted timely information from high-ranking collaborators within the German army headquarters. Despite their achievement, Rado, Roessler and their sources remained unacknowledged heroes until today. Thanks to the recent declassification of secret archives, we are now able to step behind the scenes of this incredible story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Steps Through the Mist (1967)
After breaking the enemy's rings, a partisan batch is left only with three wounded and two healthy fighters. Through his binoculars, the German captain Anders monitors the surviving soldiers who are walking through the fog in an effort to reach their brigade. Anders quietly starts a manhunt on wounded while anticipating their physical and mental exhaustion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Personal Baggage (2025)
Two agents, one hardened, one optimistic, face their morality in the line of duty. A short film that was made for the Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Cock, Crap, Fuck (2019)
Max, 20 years old, is a boy scout leader dealing with Tourette's syndrome. His symptoms disappear when he is in front of a camera. That's how he manages to seduce Giulia. But when they decide to make love, is the camera still welcome?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Orquesta Los Bengalas (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Back from the Front?
The closest matches to Back from the Front are What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) and The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Back from the Front?
Start with What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), the closest match to Back from the Front.
What is the highest-rated movie like Back from the Front?
The Great Dictator (1940), rated 8.3/10 by 3,869 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Back from the Front?
Friends Like Us (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Back from the Front?
Yes: What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) and The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966).
How are movies similar to Back from the Front chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Back from the Front, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.