Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s most prominent and entertaining stars. Here are his seven war movies ranked against each other, from worst to best.

Brad Pitt is one of the most charismatic and entertaining movie stars of the past thirty years, and his filmography includes several war movies worth watching. Since his career breakout in the 1990s, Pitt has been among Hollywood’s most influential stars, having won two Academy Awards and appearing in many critically acclaimed films. With so many classic stars like Tom Hanks and Marlon Brando having iconic war roles under their belt, it’s almost vital for a leading star to see battle. Brad Pitt has been on the front lines multiple times.

From iconic directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Zemeckis, Pitt has played characters in both contemporary and historical war periods. In Troy, Pitt suited up with a luscious blond mane to play the Greek demi-god Achilles in the mythological Trojan War. He’s appeared in World War II films like Allied, Fury, and Inglourious Basterds, which explored the devastating conflict from different perspectives, with Pitt playing vastly different characters. His charm is a given in any film, but Brad Pitt’s various war films demonstrate his impressive versatility.

7
War Machine (2017)
Directed by David Michôd

Brad Pitt isn’t known for his comedic work, but the 60-year-old actor has always had the chops for it, from films like True Romance to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. David Michôd’s War Machine isn’t an essential piece of Brad Pitt’s filmography, but he’s undeniably funny in it. The Netflix film received a 48% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even more abysmal 34% Audience Score. Pitt’s performance makes the film worthwhile to a degree, but it’s a largely forgettable war movie with an inconsistent tone.

6
Allied (2016)

Allied is in the middle of the pack in Robert Zemeckis’ filmography, and it’s another of the less outstanding films in Pitt’s career. The war/romance premise has potential, and Pitt is surrounded by capable supporting actors like Jared Harris, Marion Cotillard, and Matthew Goode. With all that talent involved, Allied certainly has great moments, though overall suffers from mediocrity. The period between Fury and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is somewhat of a lull in Pitt’s career, with none of the movies he starred in working out.

5
Seven Years In Tibet (1997)
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud

1997’s Seven Years in Tibet is one of the more obscure films in Brad Pitt’s career. Coming off of movies like Se7en, Pitt was beginning to find his footing as a leading man, and the story of a man who befriended the Dalai Lama amidst World War II was a fascinating choice. The film is one of the rare occasions where Pitt’s performance isn’t stellar, with him struggling to find his Austrian accent, but it’s still a gorgeously shot, underrated war film. The 73% Audience Score is the more fair assessment of the film, rather than the 58% Tomatometer.

4
Legends Of The Fall (1994)
Directed by Edward Zwick

The 1994 film Legends of the Fall is only partially a war movie. Its events, beginning in World War I, span over 50 years. Sir Anthony Hopkins’ character is a United States Army Colonel, and Brad Pitt plays his son, who goes off to fight in the war with his brothers. The film received multiple Academy Award nominations and has been praised for Pitt and Hopkins’ performances, though the film’s tone suffers from melodrama that hasn’t aged that well. Still, Legends of the Fall has one of Pitt’s best Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores.

3

First and foremost, the critical reviews for Troy don’t represent how exciting of a war movie it is. While it isn’t an accurate depiction of the Iliad, Troy was made in the shadow of Gladiator in an era of the 2000s when massive-scale, sword-and-sandal war movies had a brief renaissance despite often lacking historical accuracy. The film’s ensemble is particularly impressive, with veteran actors like Sean Bean, Brian Cox, Peter O’Toole, and Brendan Gleeson lending their presence in essential supporting roles. It’s epic, raunchy, and wildly entertaining, with one of the most epic sword fights in movies.

Brad Pitt stars as Achilles, the great mythological warrior of the Iliad. His performance is intense and brooding, and while not his most nuanced role, it’s definitely one of his most fun. He shouts an unforgettable battle speech as the Greek army approaches Troy’s shores and has some incredible, memorable melee action sequences. Pitt’s physicality makes him believable as the Ancient Greek hero, and he delivers some of the finest stuntwork in the genre. Troy stands out as one of the best Greek mythology movies.

2
Fury (2014)
Directed by David Ayer

Out of all Brad Pitt’s war films, Fury is perhaps the most traditional in the sense that Pitt plays a sergeant leading a small crew into battle. Joined by Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and Jon Bernthal, Suicide Squad director David Ayer’s war flick boasts a solid cast to support its star. The film is brutal, action-packed, and an essential watch as a contemporary war movie. It might not have the emotional strength of films like Dunkirk or 1917, but it’s equally as entertaining and raw a depiction of war.

1
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino

While Christoph Waltz is often considered the highlight of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, how phenomenal Brad Pitt is in the film can’t be understated. Having won his Academy Award in a Tarantino film, it’s clear that the two work excellently as collaborators and that the writer/director knows how to bring out the most from his star. Pitt delivers one of his career-best performances with extended monologues, witty dialogue, and a pinch of comedy mixed into the heightened reality of Tarantino’s World War II film.

In Brad Pitt’s career, Inglourious Basterds holds his third-highest IMDb rating, only falling short of Se7en and Fight Club. The film also boasts an excellent 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and is considered among Quentin Tarantino’s best movies. Iconic moments like Pitt’s line delivery of “Gorlomi” and “Buongiorno” as his character stumbles his way behind Nazi lines in the climactic sequence are unforgettable. Of all Brad Pitt’s war films, Inglourious Basterds is the best-written and best-performed and is coveted with the most acclaim all around.