10 Incredible War Movies About Doomed Missions

Bringing an Irish Army unit's role in the titular engagement to life in electrifying style, 2016's The Siege of Jadotville dramatizes a major battle during the UNOC in 1961. Besieged by Katangese separatist forces, 156 Irish soldiers courageously repelled countless attacks from a force that vastly outnumbered them. Remarkably, they did so without sustaining a single casualty, only surrendering after running out of food and ammunition.

As such, it seems incredibly harsh in many respects to label the Irish defense as a doomed mission. However, given the fact that the soldiers were later subjected to accusations of cowardice and incompetence after being released from captivity, it's hard to escape a notable sense of defeat. Not a single Irish soldier even received a commendation for valor, while the commander's reputation was permanently tarnished in the aftermath. 

As such, it's fortunate that Richie Smythe's gritty outing pays the defenders appropriate tribute. Featuring an array of first-rate performances to complement a number of spectacular battle sequences, The Siege of Jadotville thrusts the viewer into this daunting engagement head-on. The Jamie Dornan-led flick occasionally seems to be on the verge of stalling slightly during prolonged lulls in the action, but swiftly rights itself every time. It's also the rare example of an exemplary war movie drawing attention to a lesser-known conflict, a refreshing take in a genre traditionally dominated by the World Wars, Vietnam and the War on Terror.