The horrors of war are obvious to the casual observer but through the imaginative eye of some creatives, new nightmares can emerge from an already terrible situation. The setting is one of the most important parts of a story and setting a horror story in an already terrifying situation is bold.
War movies are generally defined as action-drama films that follow the experience of participants in or victims of conflict. While a huge chunk of these take place in real global conflict, just as many take place in fictional battles, events, and settings. From the depths of space to the dark side of world history, horrors of war make for very interesting films.
Overlord
2018's Nazi zombie horror film took a ton of notes from b-movies and old-fashioned schlock and redresses them with immense style. Directed by Julius Avery and written by Captain Phillips scribe Billy Ray and The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith, Overlord just barely made its money back at the box office. The plot concerns a detachment of US paratroopers, dropped into Normandy before D-Day to weaken German entrenchment before the landings.
The US soldiers quickly discover that the Nazis, through their horrific experiments, have developed something akin to undead super soldiers. What follows is a visceral, yet action-packed thrill ride that perfectly sells the war aspect and the supernatural horror. It's a shameless affair, but the acting, effects, action, and gallows humor all hit with sniper-like efficiency. Fans of the 80s b-movie craze have finally found a good film made by people who loved them as much as they did.
The Unkindness of Ravens
Made on a tiny budget, Scottish indie darling Lawrie Brewster's third film is a harrowing dive into the aftershock of war on the human mind. While this film doesn't take place in war, it's a depiction of PTSD that drags the viewer through the entire combat tour of the main character. Jamie Scott Gordon stars as a man who is so racked with horror from his time in the army that his hallucinations begin to dominate his reality. Supernatural occurrences overtake him and the film turns down bizarre alleys as the lead breaks down.
The film is a masterful exploration of a crushingly real topic, hanging almost entirely on one excellent performance from Gordon. For obvious reasons, far fewer people have seen this film than it deserves. Seek it out, along with the rest of Brewster's work. It's an unbelievable ride that must be seen to be believed.
The Bunker
Released in 2001, Rob Green's supernatural war horror film is a terrifying bottle film that takes place overwhelmingly in a tiny underground tunnel. The cast is comprised almost entirely of veteran English character actors who have smaller roles in larger projects, but all shine here. The film concerns a group of Nazi soldiers who find themselves pinned down and forced to retreat into the eponymous bunker. The men argue, become paranoid, look desperately for their enemies, and slowly discover that something more threatening than the US Army lies in wait.
The dual horror of the possible encroachment by enemy soldiers and the mounting supernatural presence is overwhelming. The film's atmosphere is suffocating, and the performances totally sell it. This film was also crafted on a shoestring budget, but with careful filmmaking, clever writing, and spot-on instincts, it keeps its audience completely enraptured.
Dog Soldiers
This film launched the career of Neil Marshall, who went on to direct a couple of great episodes of Game of Thrones, The Descent, and the underrated Doomsday. His second feature film is a fast-paced action film that splices a military thriller into a werewolf movie. A squad of English soldiers engages in what should be a simple operation, only to find themselves pursued and picked off by immensely powerful lycanthropes. The action is video game-esque, the heroes are simple characters, but watching their classic military combat square off with intelligent monsters is consistently entertaining.
The situation goes from bad to worse in quick succession. There's always another turn around the corner and the reveal of which characters are or are not werewolves never fails to be engaging. Dog Soldiers was supposed to have a sequel, Rob Green of The Bunker was even approached to direct, but the production didn't work out. The film stands alone as an excellent action-horror piece.
Jacob's Ladder
This film benefits from going in with as little information as possible, those who haven't seen Adrian Lyne's 1990 psychological masterpiece should get to it immediately. Mind-bending, unnerving, powerfully atmospheric, Jacob's Ladder is one of the most powerful horror films of all time.
The story concerns a Vietnam vet, who returns from war, only to be racked with hallucinations that make him question his reality. The film provides much of the DNA for the classic Silent Hill franchise, among other things. Jacob's Ladder is good in a way that sticks with its audience. Those who see it with fresh eyes won't soon forget this intricate masterwork.