20 movies like Reach for the Sky, ordered by similarity : The Dam Busters(1955), Unbroken(2014), Darkest Hour(2017), Hacksaw Ridge(2016), The Bridge at Remagen(1969), Twelve O'Clock High(1949), Ships With Wings(1941), The Wind Rises(2013), Submarine X-1(1968), The King's Choice(2016), Wing and a Prayer(1944), Midway(2019) ...
War, Biography
UK
1957
123 Minutes
Kenneth More Muriel Pavlow Lyndon Brook Alexander Knox Sydney Tafler Nigel Green Dorothy Alison
fighter pilot squadron leader thrilling suspenseful spectacular spirited patriotic inspiring frenetic plane united kingdom office world war ii biography flying career battle of britain underdog rise rivalry
Biopic of RAF Group Captain Douglas Bader who, after having lost both legs, flew a British fighter plane during WW2.
War
UK
1955
119 Minutes
Richard Todd Michael Redgrave Ursula Jeans Stanley Van Beers Raymond Huntley Hugh Manning Patrick Barr Basil Sydney Ernest Clark Derek Farr Laurence Naismith
pilot military officer government official engineer bomber confident gripping patriotic powerful airplane workplace bar united kingdom world war ii war fighting bombing adventure pursuit quest
The story of how the British attacked German dams in World War II by using an ingenious technique to drop bombs where they would be most effective.
Drama, War, History, Biography
USA
2014
137 Minutes
Jack O'Connell Domhnall Gleeson Garrett Hedlund Miyavi Finn Wittrock Jai Courtney Maddalena Ischiale Vincenzo Amato John Magaro Luke Treadaway Louis McIntosh
athlete olympic athlete crew member air force pilot prisoner of war prison guard uplifting patriotic inspiring japan pacific ocean air force base prison camp berlin world war ii prisoners of war olympic games survival air force airplane crash
After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
War, Biography, Drama, History
UK|USA
2017
125 Minutes
Gary Oldman Kristin Scott Thomas Ben Mendelsohn Lily James Ronald Pickup Stephen Dillane Nicholas Jones Samuel West Richard Lumsden Charley Palmer Rothwell Hannah Steele
winston churchill nazi king soldier politician adolf hitler brooding rousing passionate striking tense spirited london great britain war zone nazi germany government building house of parliament world war ii nazi occupation
In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.
War, Biography, Drama, History
Australia|USA
2016
139 Minutes
Andrew Garfield Sam Worthington Luke Bracey Teresa Palmer Hugo Weaving Rachel Griffiths Vince Vaughn Richard Roxburgh Luke Pegler Richard Pyros Firass Dirani
private conscientious objector soldier commander enemy president confident emotional uplifting tense moving raw okinawa, japan airplane ship bunker white house car conscience world war ii
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
War, Drama, History
USA
1969
115 Minutes
George Segal Robert Vaughn Ben Gazzara Bradford Dillman E.G. Marshall Peter Van Eyck Hans Christian Blech Heinz Reincke Joachim Hansen Sonja Ziemann
army officer military officer soldier nazi gripping suspenseful germany battlefield river bridge recording studio remagen, germany war world war ii battle honor adventure rivalry quest 1940s
As the Allied armies close in, the Germans decide to blow up the last Rhine bridge, trapping their own men on the wrong side. But will it happen?
War, Drama
USA
1949
132 Minutes
Gregory Peck Dean Jagger Gary Merrill Hugh Marlowe Millard Mitchell Bob Arthur Paul Stewart John Kellogg Robert Patten Lee MacGregor
pilot military officer soldier patriotic thrilling emotional england military base airplane horrors of war world war ii air raids aviation quest sacrifice 1940s
A hard-as-nails general takes over a bomber unit suffering from low morale and whips them into fighting shape.
War
UK
1941
89 Minutes
John Clements Leslie Banks Jane Baxter Ann Todd Basil Sydney Edward Chapman Hugh Williams Frank Pettingell Michael Wilding Michael Rennie Frank Cellier
pilot naval officer nazi british soldier brash tense gripping aircraft carrier airplane mediterranean sea ocean liner island world war ii navy battle redemption airplane crash adventure transformation rise
Lt. Dick Stacey is dismissed from the Fleet Air Arm for poor discipline. He joins the Aircraft Carrier "HMS Ark Royal" (The Ship with Wings). When they go into battle in the Mediterranean ... See full summary »
Anime, Biography, Drama, History
Japan|France|USA
2013
126 Minutes
pilot designer engineer dreamy spectacular profound striking uplifting heartwarming japan town biography world war ii airplanes great depression japanese history love work adventure love
A look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.
War
UK
1968
89 Minutes
James Caan Rupert Davies David Sumner William Dysart Norman Bowler Brian Grellis Paul Young John Kelland George Pravda
lieutenant naval officer sailor captain german officer inspiring patriotic suspenseful north sea submarine battleship naval base underwater coast world war ii redemption secret mission naval warfare grudge the past
During World War II, the British Royal Navy used experimental midget submarines to raid German warships in Norway.
War, Drama, History
Norway|Sweden|Denmark|Ireland
2016
133 Minutes
Jesper Christensen Anders Baasmo Christiansen Tuva Novotny Karl Markovics Katharina Schüttler Ketil Høegh Gerald Pettersen Hans Jacob Sand Erik Hivju Rolf Kristian Larsen Jan Frostad
king soldier german german officer bleak inspiring moving emotional frightening norway oslo invasion war difficult choices difficult decision dignity royalty king courage sacrifice
April 1940. Norway has been invaded by Germany and the royal family and government have fled into the interior. The German envoy to Norway tries to negotiate a peace. Ultimately, the decision on Norway's future will rest with the King.
War
USA
1944
97 Minutes
Don Ameche Dana Andrews William Eythe Charles Bickford Cedric Hardwicke Oscar O'Shea Richard Jaeckel Harry Morgan Richard Crane Glenn Langan Renny McEvoy
naval officer pilot actor ensign captain lieutenant commander rousing frenetic inspiring pacific ocean aircraft carrier plane world war ii naval warfare duty patriotism adventure quest sacrifice 1940s
In WW2, an American aircraft carrier sails around the Pacific on a decoy mission until it joins the battle of Midway against the Japanese forces.
War, Drama, History
USA|Canada
2019
138 Minutes
Ed Skrein Patrick Wilson Luke Evans Woody Harrelson Dennis Quaid Mandy Moore Aaron Eckhart Nick Jonas Darren Criss Tadanobu Asano Geoffrey Blake
navy pilot fighter pilot japanese soldier american soldier wife naval officer brooding gripping emotional passionate patriotic spectacular naval base pacific ocean transport ship military base war zone ship world war ii battle of midway
The story of the Battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.
Drama, War
UK
1959
99 Minutes
Richard Todd Richard Attenborough Bernard Lee Michael Wilding Dennis Price Donald Houston William Franklyn Vincent Ball Peter Arne Peter Jones Ronnie Stevens
prisoner of war prisoners military officer informant brutal engaging gripping gutsy patriotic suspenseful tense thrilling italy prison camp world war ii prisoners of war escape informing tunneling escape
In 1943, an Italian-administered P.O.W. camp for captured Allies goes through a series of failed escapes only to culminate in a daring plan for a dramatic mass escape.
War
UK
1943
93 Minutes
Walter Fitzgerald Mervyn Johns Ralph Michael Arthur Young Neville Mapp Barry Letts Michael Allen Frederick Piper Herbert Cameron
ship captain sailor engineer officer german soldier patriotic suspenseful fiery tense atlantic ocean ship lifeboat seafaring world war ii battle disaster teamwork leadership escape underdog
The San Demetrio of the title is a British merchant ship in an Atlantic convoy in 1940. Disabled and left to the mercy of patrolling U-boats the crew must keep her afloat and out of harms ... See full summary »
War
USA
1958
93 Minutes
Clark Gable Burt Lancaster Jack Warden Brad Dexter Nick Cravat Mary LaRoche Don Rickles Eddie Foy III
commander military officer sailor enemy thrilling patriotic submarine military base pacific ocean world war ii vengeance rebellion naval warfare obsession pursuit revenge rivalry 1940s
A U.S. sub commander, obsessed with sinking a certain Japanese ship, butts heads with his first officer and crew.
Drama, War
USA
1956
107 Minutes
Jack Palance Eddie Albert Lee Marvin Robert Strauss Richard Jaeckel Buddy Ebsen Jon Shepodd Peter Van Eyck Jimmy Goodwin Steven Geray Jud Taylor
soldier lieutenant german troops coward captain suspenseful gripping patriotic belgium battlefield war world war ii arrogance battle of the bulge revenge escape rivalry 1940s
In 1945, an American Infantry company sets up an artillery observation post, but tensions between Captain Cooney and Lieutenant Costa run high.
War
UK|USA
1955
97 Minutes
Jose Ferrer Trevor Howard Anthony Newley Victor Maddern David Lodge Peter Arne Percy Herbert Graham Stewart John Fabian John Van Eyssen Robert Desmond
british officer british soldier submarine officer major captain nazi tense suspenseful witty patriotic england bordeaux, france submarine river shipyard coast world war ii secret mission suicide mission kayaking
During World War II, German ships are "safely" docked upriver at Bordeaux, but the British send a team of kayakers to attack them.
Documentary, War, Drama, History
UK|New Zealand
2018
99 Minutes
soldier army recruit british officer british soldier british soldiers german soldier german troops bleak emotional moving patriotic powerful sad somber war zone france belgium united kingdom trenches training camp
A documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war.
Biography
USA
1945
90 Minutes
Dennis Morgan Dane Clark Raymond Massey Andrea King Alan Hale John Ridgely Stanley Ridges Donald Woods Craig Stevens Warren Douglas Mark Stevens
general pilot colonel airman engaging spectacular thrilling texas india china china air force world war ii flying determination training adventure pursuit underdog 1940s
During WW2, American volunteer pilots are stationed in China where, as part of the Flying Tigers unit, they dog-fight against Japanese warplanes.
War
UK|USA
1964
101 Minutes
Cliff Robertson George Chakiris Maria Perschy Harry Andrews Donald Houston Michael Goodliffe
pilot soldier british officer nazi resistance fighter sister patriotic tense solemn inspiring norway england mountain fjord airplane military base world war ii secret mission suicide mission aviation
An RAF squadron is assigned to knock out a German rocket fuel factory in Norway. The factory supplies fuel for the Nazi effort to launch rockets on England during D-Day.