Movies like The General (2004)
The best movies like The General (2004) are The Beast of War (1988), Ghost Recon: Alpha (2012) and The Red Badge of Courage (1951). If The General hooked you with its war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
The General
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Beast of War (1988)7.1/10 from 231 votes
- NewestThe Codes of War (2025)Released 2025
The Beast of War (1988)
During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGhost Recon: Alpha (2012)
Ghost Recon: Alpha sees a team led by Ghost Leader infiltrate a trade at a Russian depot between a general and a mysterious other figure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Red Badge of Courage (1951)
Henry Fleming is a young Union soldier in the American Civil War. During his unit's first engagement, Henry flees the battlefield in fear. When he learns that the Union actually won the battle, shame over his cowardice leads him to lie to his friend Tom and the other soldiers, saying that he had been injured in battle. However, when he learns that his unit will be leading a charge against the enemy, Henry takes the opportunity to face his fears and redeem himself.
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 thisBunker (2023)
Trapped in a bunker during World War I, a group of soldiers are faced with an ungodly presence that slowly turns them against each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe One That Got Away (1957)
Based on the true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war captured in Britain to escape back to Germany during the Second World War.
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 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 thisThe Codes of War (2025)
War stories about family, ethics and honor include the true story of two U.S. Marines who in a span of six seconds, must stand their ground to stop a suicide truck bomb, a Navy Corpsman who attempts to hold on to his humanity, and a WW2 soldier who gets separated from his squad and is forced to re-evaluate his code.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 Kill Team (2019)
When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.
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 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 thisFather Soldier Son (2020)
When Sgt. First Class Brian Eisch is critically wounded in Afghanistan, it sets him and his sons on a journey of love, loss, redemption and legacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHell 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 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 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 thisThe Scarlet and the Black (1983)
Fr. Hugh O'Flaherty is a Vatican official in 1943-45 who has been hiding downed pilots, escaped prisoners of war, and Italian resistance families. His activities become so large that the Nazis decide to assassinate him the next time he leaves the Vatican.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisTian Soepangat: Muslim Sailor (2015)
Tian Soepangat joins the U.S. Navy out of a commitment to helping others. As a Muslim, Tian is uncertain of his shipmates' attitudes toward his religion, and so he hides it. Eventually discovering he doesn't have to hide his faith, he is free to express pride in his heritage.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
The Tale of the Floating World (2004)
A surrealistic montage set in motion by a tidal wave and incorporating a samurai battle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Gdansk (2017)
First in a series of medieval giants. Inspired by the artwork of Jakub Różalski.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Pigeon (TBA)
Set in Remies, France in 1941 during World War II, a Jewish man tries to escape Nazi persecution and a chance encounter with a woman sitting next to him on the train. Based on a true story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
The Golden Wedding (1911)
A grandfather recalls how he and his wife met and fell in love during the Second Italian War of Independence.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Morgengrauen (1992)
Two children fleeing from a recon helicopter. They flee to a village and, without knowing it, bring the horror with them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Till Forever (2018)
A Paratroop Regiment returns to England after succeeding a top secret mission in world war II , only to find things are not as they seem…
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Also People (1960)
Based on an excerpt from the novel by L.N.Tolstoy "War and Peace." The war of 1812. The defeated Napoleonic army is retreating. Three Russian soldiers settled in a snowy forest near a fire: a young (Zaletayev), an elderly and a middle-aged one. Zaletayev fantasizes — as if he had captured Napoleon. The soldiers laugh good-naturedly at him. After dinner, they fall asleep... Two Frenchmen go to the clearing — an officer and a soldier. Russian soldiers wake up and, seeing that the officer is barely standing on his feet from cold and hunger, take him to the colonel. The French soldier sits down to the fire. The Russians give him porridge and vodka. The soldier, encouraged, sings a french song. Zaletayev echoes him. A tired Frenchman falls asleep on Zaletayev’s shoulder. The soldiers carefully shelter him. “Also people,” an elderly soldier says with a sigh.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Noble Claim (2016)
In 650 AD, Viking warrior Olaf defies his father, Earl Jora, and leads rival clans on a treacherous expedition across the Scottish Highlands and Norwegian fjords. Battling inner demons and vengeful foes, Olaf must complete his first epic raiding campaign to secure his noble claim and prove his worthiness as the rightful heir to lordship
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Mosholu Parkway (2019)
Mosholu Parkway is a short film comedy about a day in the life of a raucus family during World War II, a teenaged girl's disastrous blind date and her 80-year-old aunt who runs a crap game out of her apartment in The Bronx, New York in 1942 . Director Allison Robbins Writer Allison Robbins Stars Caroline AaronMatthew BrodskyMike Cefalo
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The General?
The closest matches to The General are The Beast of War (1988), Ghost Recon: Alpha (2012) and The Red Badge of Courage (1951). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The General?
Start with The Beast of War (1988), the closest match to The General.
What is the highest-rated movie like The General?
The Beast of War (1988), rated 7.1/10 by 231 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The General?
The Codes of War (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The General?
Yes: The Beast of War (1988), Ghost Recon: Alpha (2012) and The Red Badge of Courage (1951).
How are movies similar to The General chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The General, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.