10 Movies To Watch if You Like ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’

In a dramatized retelling of the events of Operation Postmaster, Guy Ritchie locks audiences in for a World War II piece that crosses the boundaries between the drama, action, heist, and spy genres. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare stars Henry Cavill, Alan Richson, Alex Pettyfer, Eiza González, Babs Olusanmokun, Henry Golding, and Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the special forces unit privately sanctioned by Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) to destroy the depot ships supplying the deadly German U-Boats off the coast of Africa. Their mission was completely secret except to Churchill and military officials Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox) and Brigadier Gubbins (Cary Elwes).

Like most other historical movies, Ministry takes obvious fictional liberties with the true story and characters that would go on to inspire the inception of James Bond. However, audiences who appreciate either Ritchie’s style, Cavill’s leading essence, or just a downright satisfying war film that lightens the genre’s cinematic tone will find enjoyable experiences streaming these similar titles. These movies hit the same notes as Ministry, making them ideal for fans of Ritchie’s latest effort.

10 ‘The Guns of Navarone’ (1961)

Directed by J. Lee Thompson

One of Hollywood’s greatest espionage tales of World War II, The Guns of Navarone has its roots in historical context. Gregory Peck stars as American Captain Keith Mallory as he joins a team of Allied fighters, ultimately leading them to destroy German guns on the Greek Island of Navarone and free some 2,000 trapped British soldiers.

Like the crew in Ungentlemanly Warfare, Mallory’s squad is tasked with doing the impossible to turn the tides of the war by infiltrating a Nazi-occupied island with weapons capable of terrible destruction. The Guns of Navarone was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For fans of Ritchie’s latest movie, this Gregory Peck-led film is a foundational watch for the World War II espionage genre.

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9 ‘The King’s Man’ (2021)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

A divisive pick among critics and audiences, The King’s Man serves up action, espionage, and war on a 131-minute platter. This prequel set in Matthew Vaughn’sKingsman universe takes audiences to the beginning of the Kingsman agency when Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) trains the first round of agents to take down some of history’s most notorious tyrants and criminals before they launch a war on millions.

The King’s Man fits in with the Ungentlemanly Warfare viewer not only for its linguistic title play but also for its warfare action that differs from the standards of the drama category of the genre. Vaughn and Ritchie’s filmmaking styles are different, but they cater to the same set of viewers with their musical timing and flair for dramatics. Both movies are irreverent, stylized, and explosive, offering a new take on the usually by-the-numbers war genre.

8 ‘Jojo Rabbit’ (2019)

Directed by Taika Waititi

The six-time Oscar-nominated film Jojo Rabbit is a masterful installation in the World War II genre by director Taika Waititi. Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is a 10-year-old boy swept up in the propaganda of the Hitler Youth, so much so that his imaginary friend is Hitler (Waititi) himself. It isn’t until he discovers his mother has hidden a Jewish girl in their home that he begins to question everything he believes in.

A hands-on approach to this film, not only did Waititi direct and star in it, but he also wrote the screenplay about the atrocities of World War II as told through the eyes of a child. While playful, Jojo Rabbit and Ungentlemanly Warfare never let the audiences forget the severity of the situation these characters find themselves in. Waititi’s filmmaking style will certainly appeal to audiences who appreciate Ritchie’s approach.

7 ‘The Italian Job’ (2003)

Directed by F. Gary Gray

For more team-up/getting-the-band-back-together action, The Italian Job matches Ungentlemanly Warfare in its utilization of a cast of characters cohesively working as one unit. A remake of the 1969 Michael Caine-led feature, the 2000s film stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie Croker as he leads his disbanded group of thieves on one last heist to rob the man who betrayed them. The action-packed remake includes Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton, and Jason Statham.

While it’s not a war movie, The Italian Job parallels Ungentlemanly Warfare as each character has a specialty role conducive to the operation, each working in sync with the other, ebbing and flowing as the plan evolves. By the end of the historical action feature, Ungentlemanly Warfare is, in fact, a comedic heist story, making The Italian Job a worthy watch for the same audience.

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6 ‘The Hunt for Red October’ (1990)

Directed by John McTiernan

A dark Cold War submarine tale, The Hunt for Red October is a page-to-screen adaptation that will surely thrill Ungentlemanly Warfare audiences. The film stars the iconic Sean Connery as Soviet submarine Captain Marko Ramius and follows the CIA and American military race to determine if Ramius’s sudden move to head to the United States in an undetectable sub is an act of war or a sign of defection.

This Oscar-winning feature is certainly a top contender when it comes to the best Cold War movies of all time. The Hunt for Red October is the procedural side of the warfare genre, where audiences spend time inside the intelligence rooms and the character psyche instead of on the battlefield. This feature will lure Ungentlemanly Warfare‘s audience with the evolution of submarine warfare that plagued the Allies during World War II. It might be light on humor, but it more than makes up for it with tension.

5 ‘The Great Escape’ (1963)

Directed by John Sturges

Instead of sneaking into Nazi-occupied territory, The Great Escape is all about breaking out of prison. Steven McQueen stars as Captain Virgil Hilts, an American soldier imprisoned in a German POW camp during World War II. Determined to free himself and his newfound friend, British Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough), Hilts hatches a plan to outsmart their captors and escape.

Much like Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Great Escape is a slow build inspired by the true events of March 1944, when 76 prisoners tunneled out of the German camp Stalag Luft III. This timeless Hollywood classic contains elements of grandeur and cinematic liberty in its retelling–like Ungentlemanly Warfare—of some of World War II’s most harrowing efforts of survival.

4 ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)

Directed by Guy Ritchie

For more historical action and adventure from Guy Ritchie and Henry Cavill, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. presents audiences with an underrated Cold War feature. Cavill stars as CIA agent Napoleon Solo as he’s forced to partner with a KGB agent, Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), to take down a criminal operation whose plan is to use a nuclear weapon to demolish the fragile relationship between the United States and Russia.

The modern feature is based on the 1964 drama starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. Ungentlemanly Warfare audiences will appreciate this earlier installation in the Ritchie-Cavill resume because of Cavill’s ability to play a rogue agent who, while good at his job, has unique methods of madness for getting the task done. The tailored action sequences paired with the right dialogue make The Man From U.N.C.L.E. an obvious choice for the shared viewership.

3 ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (2011)

Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a compelling Oscar-nominated feature that depicts the isolating truths of war. In this Cold War-era thriller, audiences of Ungentlemanly Warfare will enjoy a spy thriller from another acclaimed British author, John le Carré. Gary Oldman stars as retired MI6 espionage specialist George Smiley as he’s called back to the agency to uncover a Soviet spy funneling British Intelligence secrets to the Russians in the 1970s.

Although they occur during different eras, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy and Ungentlemanly Warfare converge for audiences in the spy thriller genre. Ungentlemanly Warfare‘s Majorie’s (Eiza González) journey is a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat experience as she attempts to seduce Luhr (Til Schweiger), extracting and distracting so that the plan may survive. Smiley’s journey is quite the opposite, as he must avoid the seduction of “trusted” colleagues and agents to determine who the mole is. It’s an interesting dichotomy that makes for a complex yet satisfying double feature.

2 ‘Das Boot’ (1981)

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

One of the best movies of the 1980s and a six-time Oscar nominee, Das Boot features a look inside one of the dreaded World War II German U-boats Britain was desperate to stop. In this psychological thriller, the crew battles raging storms inside and outside the submarine while their supplies dwindle alongside their mental resolve.

Throughout Ungentlemanly Warfare, the German U-Boats are the ominous hunters of the Nazi regime, halting the United States from entering the war. As one of the best World War II movies, Das Boot takes audiences below the depths and into the psyche of the German soldiers operating the stalking submarines. While a much darker watch than Guy Ritchie’s newest film, Das Boot provides the viewers with the perspective of exactly what was at stake should Operation Postmaster fail.

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1 ‘Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

With quite a star-studded cast, Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino‘s World War II masterpiece. Nominated for eight Oscars, the film takes place in Nazi-occupied France where Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) leads a team of Jewish soldiers on their quest for revenge against the Nazis, ultimately uniting with German actress and undercover agent Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on her crusade to take down the Third Reich.

In his signature style, Tarantino’s WWII installment is far more violent than Ungentlemanly Warfare; however, both films take a theatrical approach to one of the darkest moments in history. It’s a multi-genre war film dabbling in historical context and a good old-fashioned spy flick. Whereas Inglourious Basterds is entirely fictional in its A-plot, Ungentlemanly Warfare is rooted in a real-life mission. Both movies add heightened dramatization with their comedic elements and expressive performances.

NEXT: The 10 Most Underrated World War II Movies, Ranked