6 Best Prisoner of War Camp Movies

By Vlad Zakh · May 1, 2026

Prisoners of war showed ingenuity, defiance and camaraderie, and these World War II dramas show it. The Great Escape has Allied prisoners tunneling out of a German camp, Unbroken has an Olympic runner surviving a plane crash and brutal captivity, and Empire of the Sun has an English boy surviving a Japanese internment camp. King Rat, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Stalag 17 round out the six.

Unbroken (2014)

TMDB ★ 7.2

An Olympic runner survives a plane crash at sea only to endure years of brutal captivity in a Japanese POW camp.

Directed by Angelina Jolie · 2h 17m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Empire of the Sun (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A privileged English boy is separated from his parents and must survive a Japanese internment camp in wartime Shanghai.

Directed by Steven Spielberg · 2h 33m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

King Rat (1965)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A resourceful American corporal thrives on the black market inside a brutal Japanese POW camp.

Directed by Bryan Forbes · 2h 14m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Great Escape (1963)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 94% Metacritic 86

Allied prisoners of war plan an elaborate mass breakout from a heavily guarded German camp.

Directed by John Sturges · 2h 53m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar3 wins & 12 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 96% Metacritic 88

British prisoners of war are made to build a strategic railway bridge for their Japanese captors.

Directed by David Lean · 2h 42m · Rated PG

Won 7 Oscars30 wins & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Stalag 17 (1953)

TMDB ★ 8.0

POWs suspect one of their own is feeding information to their German captors.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 2h 00m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Prisoner of War Camp Movies

Unbroken (2014)

Empire of the Sun (1987)

King Rat (1965)

The Great Escape (1963)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Stalag 17 (1953)

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