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Movies that feel likeRed Cliff (2008)

In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.

If you loved Red Cliff, the closest films we have are Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007), Eastern Condors (1987) and We Were Soldiers (2002). All three share Red Cliff's epic and bleak feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Flame & Citron (2008).

πŸ… 89% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.3 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. John Wooepicbleakkinetic
7 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Hulu Β· Apple TV

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If Red Cliff hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Red Cliff II (2009)

Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan poster
Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan
2007 Β· dir. Sergei Bodrov
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.2history Β· war Β· action

Epic and bleak in the same breath

The story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan, a slave who went on to conquer half the world in the 11th century.

Eastern Condors poster
Eastern Condors
1987 Β· dir. Sammo Hung
β˜… 7.1action Β· adventure Β· war

Both are built on the same subject: martial arts

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than Red Cliff does

A motley group of Chinese prisoners held in the US is sent on a covert mission with the promise of a pardon: to go deep into Vietnam and destroy a secret depot of missiles that the US left behind during the pull-out.

We Were Soldiers poster
We Were Soldiers
2002 Β· dir. Randall Wallace
πŸ… 63%β˜… 7.2action Β· history Β· warParamount+

Both lean on momentum more than on history

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

The year is 1965 and America is at war with North Vietnam. Commanding the air cavalry is Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Gibson), a born leader committed to his troops. His target: the Ia Drang Valley, called "The Valley of Death." As Moore prepares for one of the most violent battles in U.S. history, he delivers a stirring promise to his soldiers and their families: "I will leave no man behind...dead or alive. We will all come home together."

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War poster
Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War
2004 Β· dir. Kang Je-kyu
πŸ… 79%β˜… 8action Β· adventure Β· drama

War built on scale, twice over

When two brothers are forced to fight in the Korean War, the elder decides to take the riskiest missions if it will help shield the younger from battle.

Black Hawk Down poster
Black Hawk Down
2001 Β· dir. Ridley Scott
πŸ… 77%β˜… 7.7action Β· war Β· historyApple TV+

Bleak action in both cases

When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali warlord, their Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and the Americans suffer heavy casualties, facing intense fighting from the militia on the ground.

Operation Red Sea poster
Operation Red Sea
2018 Β· dir. Dante Lam Chiu-yin
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.6action Β· thriller Β· warPrime Video

Kinetic war, and it commits to that

A squad of the Jiaolong Commando Unit - Sea Dragon, a spec ops team of the Chinese Navy, carries out a hostage rescue operation in the nation of Yewaire, on the Arabian Peninsula, and fiercely fights against local rebel groups and Zaka, a terrorist organization.

12 Strong poster
12 Strong
2018 Β· dir. Nicolai Fuglsig
πŸ… 50%β˜… 6.6war Β· action Β· history

History with a pulse of scale, in both cases

A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.

Shadow poster
Shadow
2018 Β· dir. Zhang Yimou
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7action Β· warPrime Video

Bleak action, and it commits to that

The difference: Easier on the scale than Red Cliff

In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a shadow, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.

King Arthur poster
King Arthur
2004 Β· dir. Antoine Fuqua
πŸ… 30%β˜… 6.3adventure Β· war Β· historyPrime Video

History with a pulse of momentum, in both cases

The story of the Arthurian legend, based on the 'Sarmatian hypothesis' which contends that the legend has a historical nucleus in the Sarmatian heavy cavalry troops stationed in Britain, and that the Roman-British military commander, Lucius Artorius Castus is the historical person behind the legend.

The Woman King poster
The Woman King
2022 Β· dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood
πŸ… 94%β˜… 6.9action Β· drama Β· historyHulu

Cut from the same war cloth

The story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen, and General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

Flame & Citron poster
Flame & Citron
2008 Β· dir. Ole Christian Madsen
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.2drama Β· history Β· war

Both know what they want from history

Gunman Flame and his partner Citron assassinate Nazi collaborators for the Danish resistance. Assigned targets by their Allies-connected leader, Aksel Winther, they relish the opportunity to begin targeting the Nazis themselves. When they begin to doubt the validity of their assignments, their morally complicated task becomes even more labyrinthine.

Midway poster
Midway
2019 Β· dir. Roland Emmerich
πŸ… 42%β˜… 6.7war Β· history Β· drama

Both are action through and through

The story of the Battle of Midway, and the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome massive odds.

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The best-reviewed films that share Red Cliff’s defining feeling.