War movies are having a bit of a comeback. Granted, most of that is courtesy of filmmaker and writer Alex Garland, whose Warfare and Civil War have both reignited interest in what was once a thriving subgenre. If war movies are going to take off again, those are the kinds I’d like to see. Claustrophobic, scary movies whose intent is to frighten, not valorize. Civil War was, after all, pretty danged scary despite my personal misgivings.

I’m excited to see what Garland cooks up next, with his script for 28 Years Later looking (from the trailers at least) to lean into that warfare sensibility, what with its many soldiers and sundry explosions. All that got me thinking about previous war movies that scratch that same genre itch. Sam Mendes’ 1917 is pretty sensational, and David Ayer’s Fury ranks among the best work Ayer has ever done. The latter...