Movies like The War of Jan-Ken-Pon (1971)
The best movies like The War of Jan-Ken-Pon (1971) are Hell Hath No Fury (2021), What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) and The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970). If The War of Jan-Ken-Pon hooked you with its war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
The War of Jan-Ken-Pon
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Holy Mountain (1973)7.5/10 from 1,086 votes
- NewestWAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (2023)Released 2023
- In JapaneseThe Little Flying Fish Gets Sick (1982)Also in Japanese
Hell Hath No Fury (2021)
Branded a traitor by her countrymen, French national Marie DuJardin is rescued by American soldiers on one condition: to survive, she must lead them to a cache of gold - before the Nazis return to claim it for themselves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat 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 war
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970)
During World War II, Italian villagers hide their wine from the German army.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWaiting for Anya (2020)
During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhy We Fight: Prelude to War (1942)
Prelude to War was the first film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight propaganda film series, commissioned by the Pentagon and George C. Marshall. It was made to convince American troops of the necessity of combating the Axis Powers during World War II. This film examines the differences between democratic and fascist states.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (2023)
Set in an alternate WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a joyful game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers' chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBoudica (2023)
Inspired by events in A.D. 60, Boudica follows the eponymous Celtic warrior who rules the Iceni people alongside her husband Prasutagus. When he dies at the hands of Roman soldiers, Boudica’s kingdom is left without a male heir and the Romans seize her land and property. Driven to the edge of madness and determined to avenge her husband’s death, Boudica rallies the various tribes from the region and wages an epic war against the mighty Roman empire.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
SnoozefestMovies like thisBlitz Wolf (1942)
Yet another variation on the Three Little Pigs theme, this time told as WW2 anti-German propaganda (the US had just entered the war), with the wolf as a thinly-disguised Hitler.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWolf Hound (2022)
Inspired by the real-life German special operations unit KG 200 that shot down, repaired, and flew Allied aircraft as Trojan horses, "Wolf Hound" takes place in 1944 German-occupied France and follows the daring exploits of Jewish-American fighter pilot Captain David Holden. Ambushed behind enemy lines, Holden must rescue a captured B-17 Flying Fortress crew, evade a ruthless enemy stalking him at every turn, and foil a plot that could completely alter the outcome of World War II.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeneath Hill 60 (2010)
The true story of Australia's cat-and-mouse underground mine warfare—one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented and mystifying conflicts of WW I. It was secret struggle BENEATH the Western Front that combined daring engineering, technology and science. Few on the surface knew of the brave, claustrophobic and sometimes barbaric work of these tunnellers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWalking with the Enemy (2014)
Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent Horthy gives up control of his country to the Nazis, who quickly move Hungarians to ghettos and death camps, with no hope in sight. But the despair changes when a young man named Elek emerges. Separated from his family during the relocations and aided by the woman he loves , Elek defies the enemy by becoming one of them. In a race against time, disguised as a Nazi Officer he embarks on a mission to save his family and thousands of his countrymen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)
During a raid on Germany, a British bomber crew is forced to bail out after their plane is damaged. They land in Holland, where they're aided by Dutch civilians.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSahara (1995)
After the fall of Tobruk in June 1942, U.S. Army sergeant Joe Gunn leads his tank into the Sahara desert, in order to evade advancing Rommel's forces and reach Allied lines. Along the way he picks up few Allied soldiers, but soon they are running out of water. They find water at the ancient well, but the well is a goal of an entire German battalion. Despite the impossible odds, Sergeant Gunn decides to defend the well.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Eastern Front (2020)
A dwindling group of German soldiers battle to return to their lines on the harsh Eastern Front.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both 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 war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTaking Sides (2002)
One of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 1930s, Wilhelm Furtwangler's reputation rivaled that of Toscanini's. After the war, he was investigated as part of the Allies' de-Nazification programme. In the bombed-out Berlin of the immediate post-war period, the Allies slowly bring law and order to bear on an occupied Germany. An American major is given the Furtwangler file, and is told to find everything he can and to prosecute the man ruthlessly. Tough and hard-nosed, Major Steve Arnold sets out to investigate a world of which he knows nothing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
Topper Harley is found to be working as an odd-job-man in a monastery. The CIA want him to lead a rescue mission into Iraq, to rescue the last rescue team, who went in to rescue the last rescue team—who went in to rescue hostages left behind after Desert Storm.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJacknife (1989)
A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJarhead: Law of Return (2019)
Major Ronan Jackson, an accomplished fighter pilot for the Israel Defense Forces and son of a U.S. Senator, is shot down while flying through Syrian airspace. After miraculously surviving the crash, Jackson is taken captive by a group of Hezbollah militiamen. A squad of elite soldiers, led by Gunnery Sergeant Dave Torres, risk their own lives in the hopes of saving an ally they've never met.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRosa Rosa (2008)
A married woman has an affair. She gets pregnant by her lover and they live serenely together, although war is thundering towards their city. Despite lineups, traffic jams and shortages they manage to live a peaceful life with their little girl.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Andha Yug (1989)
"Andha Yug"—literally 'Age of Blindness'—is an allegorical play written in the aftermath of the Partition of India by Shri Dharamvir Bharti. Rooted in the epic Mahabharata, this landmark 1989 Delhi performance was staged for the Nehru Shatabdi Samaroh Festival and has since been preserved by the Natya Shodh Sansthan, Kolkata (NSS). Set on the final day of the Kurukshetra war, the narrative chronicles the end of the Dvapara Yuga and the immediate descent into the dark Kali Yuga, triggered by Lord Krishna's demise. This five-act masterpiece explores the moral collapse, cycles of revenge, and psychological trauma of war. It depicts the pyrrhic reality of the Kali Yuga—the worst, shortest, and darkest of the four cosmic ages—in which recursive violence degrades the fabric of civilization, blinding individuals to reason as they are forced to reckon with the devastation's fallout.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
The Man Who Lies (1968)
A man may or may not have betrayed a resistance fighter during World War II. He has supposedly been shot down by the Nazis and wanders into town. Mourning the death of an unseen comrade, he is taken in by the family of the dead rebel. He engages in a superfluous affair and witnesses the lesbian relationship between the man's sister and a female servant. When passions subside, the family has doubts about the reliability of the man's story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Little Flying Fish Gets Sick (1982)
The peaceful passage of daily life in the Pacific Ocean is upended in a flash on March 1, 1954, with the first American nuclear test at Bikini Atoll. The far-reaching fallout forever changes the lives of the ocean’s cheerful inhabitants.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
1941 (1941)
In December, 1941, using music by Stravinsky, this film provides a reaction to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. An egg is smashed by a hammer; red color with white and then blue dominates the frame. Blue paint runs; small bulbs float. The dark colors spread. White, red, blue, and black dominate the frame. Then comes fire. The bulbs burn and break. A broken bulb's filaments are exposed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Cyclepaths (2023)
An old woman is carrying shopping bags. A child with a gun is riding a scooter. Birds are flying. A city is falling. A party is lit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
I am Perfectly Normal: Part I (2022)
A forgotten faceless celebrity ascends into heaven along the path of self-discovery and through a land of faded memory.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Wealth of a Nation (1964)
"This film explores how freedom of speech — including dissent — is afforded to all Americans, and shows freedom of expression in art, music, dance, architecture, and science. The film also emphasizes the importance of the individual’s contribution to the whole of society and demonstrates how a productive and creative society is formed by the open and respectful exchange of ideas. The film was written, produced, and directed by William Greaves" (National Archives).
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Holy Mountain (1973)
The Alchemist assembles together a group of people from all walks of life to represent the planets in the solar system. The occult adept's intention is to put his recruits through strange mystical rites and divest them of their worldly baggage before embarking on a trip to Lotus Island. There they ascend the Holy Mountain to displace the immortal gods who secretly rule the universe.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMangúe-Bangúe (1971)
The quasi-fictional story of transgender sex workers living in Rio de Janeiro's swampy red light district, who are joined by a group of hippies and a runaway stockbroker, "Mangue-Bangue" is the paradigmatic expression of the post-1968 spirit of desbunde, the Brazilian slang catchword for "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll".
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The War of Jan-Ken-Pon?
The closest matches to The War of Jan-Ken-Pon are Hell Hath No Fury (2021), What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) and The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The War of Jan-Ken-Pon?
Start with Hell Hath No Fury (2021), the closest match to The War of Jan-Ken-Pon.
What is the highest-rated movie like The War of Jan-Ken-Pon?
The Holy Mountain (1973), rated 7.5/10 by 1,086 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The War of Jan-Ken-Pon?
WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The War of Jan-Ken-Pon?
Yes: The Little Flying Fish Gets Sick (1982).
How are movies similar to The War of Jan-Ken-Pon chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The War of Jan-Ken-Pon, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.