Credit: Summit Entertainment
Netflix Fans Are Calling Brutal WWII Movie The ‘Best Film Ever’
Netflix fans are calling a brutal WWII movie the ‘best film ever.’
Finding something genuinely worth watching on Netflix can sometimes feel like a battle in itself.
With thousands of titles available at the click of a button, viewers are constantly swapping recommendations in search of the next unforgettable film.
Now, one World War II epic is once again attracting huge praise from subscribers, with many describing it as one of the greatest war movies ever made.
Some have even gone a step further, branding it “the best movie ever.”
Nearly a decade after its release, the film has found a fresh audience through Netflix, where viewers continue to rave about its emotional story, jaw-dropping battle scenes and Andrew Garfield’s acclaimed performance.
The film is currently available to stream on Netflix in several regions, including the US.
Viewers say it’s one of the greatest war films ever made
Across social media, film fans have been sharing glowing reviews after discovering, or revisiting, the movie.
One Netflix viewer wrote: “Guys, I just watched the best movie ever on Netflix. I highly recommend it.”
Another added: “Amazing movie. 10/10 recommend.”
A third commented: “One of the best movies I’ve ever watched!”
Someone else admitted: “Cried my eyes out every five seconds.”
A fifth simply wrote: “One of the best movies I have seen in a long time.”
The praise hasn’t stopped there.
Recent discussions on Reddit show the film continues to resonate with audiences years after its release.
One viewer described the second half of the movie as ‘chaotic, brutal, and draining,’ adding that Andrew Garfield was ‘phenomenal’ and saying the repeated ‘just one more’ rescue scenes gave them chills.
Another praised the film for being ‘powerful rather than preachy,’ despite its strong themes of faith.
Others have called it ‘a masterpiece,’ while many continue to single out Garfield’s performance as one of the finest of his career.
The incredible true story behind the movie
The reason the film continues to strike such an emotional chord is because it is based on one of the most extraordinary true stories of World War II.
Directed by Mel Gibson and adapted from Terry Benedict’s 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector, it tells the story of Desmond Doss, a deeply religious Seventh-day Adventist who refused to carry a weapon because of his faith.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Doss enlisted in the United States Army as a combat medic.
His refusal to bear arms made him an outcast during training.
He was mocked by fellow soldiers, criticised by superiors and even threatened with court martial, yet he never abandoned his beliefs.
Instead of carrying a rifle into battle, Doss chose to carry medical supplies.
That decision would ultimately make him one of the most decorated heroes of the Second World War.
During the Battle of Okinawa, one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Pacific War, Doss repeatedly ventured back into active combat to rescue wounded soldiers while Japanese forces continued firing around him.
Time after time, he lowered injured men down the steep Maeda Escarpment—later nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge—using ropes before returning into the battlefield to search for more survivors.
According to the US Army, Doss saved approximately 75 men during the battle without firing a single shot.
His extraordinary bravery earned him the Medal of Honor, making him the first conscientious objector in American history to receive America’s highest military decoration.
Critics were just as impressed as audiences
The film wasn’t only embraced by viewers.
Critics also praised Hacksaw Ridge upon its release in 2016.
It currently holds an 84% critics’ score and an impressive 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while also boasting an 8.1/10 rating on IMDb.
Third Coast Review’s Steven Prokopy wrote: “If you can stomach the gore, you’re in for one jaw-dropping experience.”
Cinema76’s Dan Scully described it as: “An epic film of the grandest tradition.”
Meanwhile, Damian Levy of the Jamaica Gleaner praised its emotional core, writing that it is “a movie for anyone who has felt like an outcast,” adding that it captures the experience of standing by your convictions even when everyone else disagrees.
Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Doss also earned widespread acclaim, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
The supporting cast includes Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Teresa Palmer, Luke Bracey and Rachel Griffiths, all of whom help bring Doss’ remarkable story to life.
Mel Gibson’s controversial comeback
Hacksaw Ridge also marked a significant moment in Mel Gibson’s own career.
The film was Gibson’s first directorial effort since Apocalypto in 2006, following years away from mainstream Hollywood after a series of widely publicised controversies.
His reputation suffered significant damage following anti-Semitic remarks made during a 2006 DUI arrest, as well as several other highly publicised incidents in the years that followed.
Many critics viewed Hacksaw Ridge as Gibson’s return to form behind the camera.
Speaking to The Guardian during the film’s release, Gibson explained why he felt compelled to tell Doss’ story.
“Desmond attributed his actions to a power greater than himself,” he said.
“The difference between a real superhero and a comic-book superhero is that real superheroes didn’t wear any Spandex.”
He continued: “It’s undeniable what the essence of Doss was: he was a man of great courage and strong conviction, and strong faith; to go into a battle zone like that—which the Japanese called it ‘steel rain,’ with the artillery and lead flying around—to go into that armed with only your faith, your faith has to be strong in you.
“That’s an undeniable part of the story I found really inspiring.”
Why the movie still resonates today
War films often focus on heroism achieved through combat.
Hacksaw Ridge does something very different.
Its central character never fires a weapon, yet repeatedly risks his own life to save others.
That unusual perspective, combined with visceral battle sequences and an emotional true story, is one of the reasons the film continues finding new audiences almost ten years after its release.
Whether viewers come away impressed by Andrew Garfield’s performance, the astonishing true story behind Desmond Doss or the brutal realism of the Battle of Okinawa, Hacksaw Ridge remains one of the most talked-about modern war films.
Judging by the reactions flooding social media and online film communities, plenty of Netflix subscribers still believe it’s more than deserving of its reputation as one of the very best.
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