Summary
The William Eubank war movieLand of Badtold a thrilling story of survival amid a conflict zone that’s likely to leave many viewers looking for something similar to watch next. With Liam Hemsworth and Russell Crowe at the helm,Land of Badpowerfully blended its intense military story with heart-racing action sequences that meant it walked the fine line between insightful war drama and full-blown action movie. While these elements helpedLand of Badstand out as an effective look at modern warfare, it also brought to mind several incredible films from years gone by.
Although it initially flew under the radar,Land of Badbecame a global hit on Netflixasaudiences discovered its compelling story of a US Army special forces team being ambushed while on a mission. This brought together several themes seen in other war movies, such as a lone man struggling to survive in the midst of battlezones or the dual relationship between soldiers in active warfare and the support operatives guiding them behind the scenes. Whatever aspect ofLand of Badviewers connected with, they’ll find plenty of similar movies to check out next.
Behind Enemy Lines
Cast
Navy flight officer Chris Burnett, eager for real action, finds himself shot down over Bosnia during a recon mission. Trapped behind enemy lines, Burnett struggles for survival, evading hostile forces on a perilous trek to safety while his commanding officer defies orders to mount a daring rescue mission.
In the same way thatLand of Badfeatured Russell Crowe as an older military man bent on ensuring Liam Hemsworth’s safety,Behind Enemy Lineswas a survival story where Gene Hackman did everything he could to protect Owen Wilson.Behind Enemy Lineswas the story of a navy flight officer (Wilson) whose plane was shot down, and he soon found himself in the midst of genocide during the Bosnian War. At the same time, the rear admiral commanding officer (Hackman) must fight against bureaucracy to get the approval needed for a search and rescue mission.
WhileBehind Enemy Linesreceived negative reviews at its release, the film boasted two strong performances from Wilson and Hackman. With plenty of intense action and Wilson continually evading death-defying situations,Behind Enemy Lineswas enjoyable, albeit unrealistic, entertainment. While it’s not a perfect film,Behind Enemy Linesstood as an enjoyable,underrated action movie from the early 2000s.
Commando
Commando is a 1985 action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix, a retired special forces soldier who sets out to rescue his daughter from a group of mercenaries. Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke, Rae Dawn Chong, and Dan Hedaya round out the rest of the cast.
As one of the mostunderrated action movies of the 1980s,Commandowas an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle about a special forces officer on a mission to rescue his daughter from his double-crossing former superior. WhileLand of Badblended spectacular action sequences with a war setting that felt intensely real,Commandowas almost comic book-esque in its over-the-top nature and endless Schwarzenegger one-liners. With a bare-bones plot and relentless mayhem,Commandowas an enjoyable action movie for viewers who also want to switch off their brains for 90 minutes.
The outrageous nature ofCommandowas part of its appeal, as it perfectly blended action and humor to create a fun-filled cinematic experience.Schwarzenegger had only just had his biggest success withThe Terminatorthe year beforeand was on the precipice of becoming one of the world’s largest action stars. While it does not get as much recognition as other Schwarzenegger action movies,Commandowas well worth checking out.
The Wall
Doug Liman’s The Wall is a 2017 dramatic war-thriller that follows two American Soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper, with only a wall of rubble separating them from danger. Sent to investigate a site where all the contractors end up dead, Shane and Allen are caught in a deadly sniper named Juba’s crosshairs and must hold out as they wait for help.
The Wallwas a war movie directed by Doug Liman that, much likeLand of Bad, featured an American soldier in a death-defying battle for survival. However, rather than taking place in southern Philippines, the action instead shifted to Iraq as an enemy gunman trapped an American sniper with only an unsteady wall to project him. As a gripping thriller that was categorized by non-stop tension,The Wallwas a well-paced, well-acted, and truly compelling military movie.
Much in the same way that Russell Crowe assisted Liam Hemsworthy’s character inLand of Bad,The Wallfeatured two extraordinary performances from Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena. Cana played the sniper Staff Sergeant Shane Matthews, while Taylor-Johnson was his spotter, Sergeant Allen Isaac, who both found themselves trapped by an Iraqi gunman. As a nail-bitingly tense survival story,The Wallwas a tight and claustrophobic story that captured the difficulties of being trapped in a conflict zone.
Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor is a dramatization of the United States Navy SEALs' Operation Red Wing, an unsuccessful military operation that aimed to track down the leader of the Taliban. The film follows the four-man SEAL team, and the danger and psychological strain they faced on their mission.
With a similar premise toLand of Bad,Lone Survivorwas a Mark Wahlberg biographical war movie about the U.S. Navy SEALs counter-insurgent mission to track down a Taliban leader. As a tense story of courage and survival,Lone Survivorbrought this true account to life on the screen while failing to appropriately address the deeper issues around the Afghanistan war itself. However, as a brutal and moving war movie,Lone Survivorsucceeded entirely as it showcased the sacrifices of four soldiers who ultimately did not achieve their mission.
WhileLone Survivorcan be criticized for focusing more on action than characterization, the intense action sequences made this a highly entertaining film. With intense violence that truly captured the bloody brutality of warfare,Lone Survivorwas a bare-bones account of military courage. While it’s not a film that will please all viewers, those who connected withLand of Badwould likely enjoyLone Survivor.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo returns to the jungles of Vietnam on a mission to infiltrate an enemy base-camp and rescue the American POWs still held captive there.
While the firstRambomovie saw a veteran Green Beret being pursued by police and the government on American soil, the second installment brought the ritual hero back to Vietnam in the heart of the conflict. Much like Liam Hemsworth inLand of Badwas forced to fend for himself in a story of survival, Sylvester Stallone utilized his character’s skills in guerrilla warfare inRambo: First Blood Part II. As a POW rescue mission,Rambo: First Blood Part IIleaned heavily into the action movie aesthetics that madeLand of Badso compelling.
Rambo: First Blood Part IIwas a classic of 1980s action and the film that transformed Stallone’s character into a bona fide franchise star to even rival Rocky Balboa. Although it received mixed reviews upon release, viewers immediately connected with the high intensity of the film, and the movie became a global success at the box office. While there’s merit to the criticisms that Rambo’s character lost many of his more subtle nuances in this sequel, there’s no denying that it worked as pure entertainment.
Tears of the Sun
Tears of the Sun is a military action film directed by Antoine Fuqua, featuring Bruce Willis as Lieutenant A.K. Waters. The plot centers on a U.S. Navy SEAL team sent into the Nigerian jungle to rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks, played by Monica Bellucci, amidst a brutal civil war. The mission evolves as Waters encounters moral dilemmas, challenging his orders and sense of duty.
Director Antoine Fuqua followed up on the incredible success of his crime thrillerTraining Daywith the war thrillerTears of the Sunstarring Bruce Willis. This intense military rescue mission was set amidst the 21st-century version of the civil war in Nigeria as Lieutenant A.K. Waters (Willis) commanded a team to rescue US citizen Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks (Monica Bellucci.) In a race against the clock to save the target before approaching rebels reach her,Tears of the Sunfeatured much of the same heart-racing survival themes asLand of Bad.
With Willis at the helm,Tears of the Sunwas an effective action movie whose plot felt like it had something urgent to say behind all the carnage and spectacle. As Dr. Kendricks refused to reduce unless her saviors agreed to also take 70 refugees with them,Tears of the Sunhighlighted the often underrepresented plight of those forced to flee conflict during warfare. While it was an action movie at its core, part of the appeal ofTears of the Sunwas its broader message of those seeking refuge from violence.
The Delta Force
The Delta Force follows an elite team of commandos tasked with rescuing hostages from a hijacked jetliner. As Lebanese terrorists demand the plane be redirected to Beirut, the special operations unit races against time to thwart the hijackers’ plans and secure the safety of the passengers.
Land of Badsaw Liam Hemsworth supporting a US Delta Force team’s rescue mission, making the Chuck Norris action movieThe Delta Forcethe perfect companion film. As one of the major releases that helped transform Norris into a major action movie superstar,The Delta Forcewas based on the real US Army unit responsible for many special forces operations. With Norris and co-star Lee Marvin,The Delta Forcefeatured the unit resolving a major crisis after terrorists hijacked a plane.
The Delta Forcewas a well-made action movie that featured several parallels to real-life conflicts. However, the no-nonsense execution of the force’s tactics did away with any semblance of diplomacy as they blasted, fought, and shot their way to victory.The Delta Forceacted as the inception point for an entire franchise, with Norris returning for the sequel and his son Mike Norris starring in the third direct-to-video release.
Body of Lies
Body of Lies, directed by Ridley Scott, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a CIA operative and Russell Crowe as his manipulative superior. Set against the backdrop of the global war on terror, the film delves into espionage and counterterrorism as the characters navigate complex political landscapes in the Middle East. The storyline explores themes of loyalty, deception, and the blurred lines between allies and enemies.
Russell Crowe’s performance as Captain Eddie “Reaper” Grimm was one of the most enjoyable aspects ofLand of Bad, and those who want to see more of Crowe in a military setting should check outBody of Lies. With the incredible trio of director Ridley Scott and its two stars, Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, at the helm,Body of Liesboasted a talented cast and stood as an effective spy thriller. Crowe played the CIA chief Ed Hoffman, while DiCaprio was the case officer tracking a high-ranking terrorist leader called Al-Saleem in Iraq.
With compelling action sequences and an even more impressive cast,Body of Lieswas a well-executed story that admittedly fell into the trappings of the spy genre tropes and cliches at times. What setBody of Liesapart from other similar espionage thrillers was the solid direction from Scott, who continually showcased himself as a master of suspense as its story slowly unveiled itself. With the powerful theme of colliding Western and Arab civilizations pushing the narrative forward,Body of Liesfelt like it had something urgent to say.
Extraction
Tyler Rake, a fearless black market mercenary, embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he’s enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord in Bangladesh. However, the mission doesn’t go according to plan.
Viewers who enjoyed seeing a Hemsworth brother evading danger in a military setting inLand of Badshould also check outLiam’s brother Chris Hemsworth inExtraction. As the story of an Australian black ops mercenary attempting to save an Indian drug lord’s kidnapped son in Dhaka, Bangladesh, many parallels can be made between the two movies. As the mercenary Tyler Rake, the older Hemsworth, Chris showcased the same action hero leading man potential as his younger brother inExtraction.
This military thriller was packed with stunning action sequences and overloaded with violence to keep audiences' hearts racing.Extractionwas categorized by high intensity, which made sense as its script came from Joe Russo, who was known for his work on some of the biggest MCU movies. As an impressive feature debut by director Sam Hargrave, viewers who are connected withExtractioncan also jump right into its impressive sequelExtraction 2on Netflix.
Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down recounts the harrowing true story of a U.S. military mission gone awry in Somalia. Tasked with capturing a warlord, elite soldiers find themselves in a fierce battle against Somali militia forces.
In his review ofLand of BadforRogerEbert.com, film critic Simon Abrams stated thatLand of Badsold itself as a “post-Black Hawk Down rescue mission thriller,” which was a great reminder to go back and check out that incredible Ridley Scott movie.Black Hawk Downtold the true story of160 US soldiers whose helicopter was shot down in the Battle of Mogadishuand their attempt to capture two renegade warlords. However, rather than featuring a lone man in an epic battle for survival inLand of Bad,Black Hawk Downutilized its ensemble cast.
As an intense depiction of warfare from the perspective of combat troops,Black Hawk Downshowcased for viewers the horrors of being in the midst of battle and the brutality and fatalities that can take place. With no love story or sappy dialogue to sugarcoat the devastating circumstances these soldiers found themselves in,Black Hawk Downwas as effective as it was entertaining. In a career full of extraordinary releases,Black Hawk Downwas one ofRidley Scott’s best movies.
