10 Most Intense War Movies Ever Made

Released in 2005, Jarhead is centred around Anthony Swofford and his involvement with Operation Desert Shield during the Gulf War. It's also probably the war film with the least action in this list.

Whilst still in training Swofford suffers a mental breakdown due to several factors and even threatens to shoot Fergus, one of his fellow trainees, before asking Fergus to shoot him instead.

Now a fully-trained Scout Sniper, Swofford is overly eager to get involved in the action and comes away disappointed to not find any opposition on the ground as his unit advances through the desert.

The closest they come to a gunfight is accidental friendly fire from an air attack, which only further unsettles Swofford.

Later in the film, he and his spotter, Troy, are finally given a sniping mission. At the last second before he takes the shot, however, the US military decides to just air-strike the target instead.

The intensity of this film doesn't come from bullets flying and soldiers dying. Instead. it comes from the fragility of the soldier's psyche. They always seem so close to the action but it never quite happens.

This constant sense of 'nearly' keeps you invested all throughout.