10 Movies like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi you must watch

By Romey Norton
Published: June 13, 2023 (Last updated: February 8, 2024)
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10 Movies like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

We discuss 10 Movies like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi you must watch. Add these well-recommended and highly-rated films to your watch list.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (also known as 13 Hours) is the 2016 war-action film directed by Michael Bay and stars James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, David Denman, and Dominic Fumusa.

The film is based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s 2014 book of the same name and concerns the true events that happened in September 2012 when terrorists attacked a U.S. State Compound and a nearby CIA Station in Libya. 

The film’s storyline follows a security team of six members fighting to defend an American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, as terrorists attack it. 

Audiences love to watch war films as they are full of action, make the viewer think about moral decisions, and fill us with emotions based on real, true-life events. If you enjoyed 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, here is a list of films you should try next. 

10 Movies like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

The Monuments Men (2014) 

Similar to 13 Hours, the film showcases a true story that people might not have heard of. We see an unlikely World War II platoon sent to Germany in order to rescue creative masterpieces (works of art) which have been stolen by Nazis. With a stellar cast, this film is a great watch for war film fans. 

Black Hawk Down (2001)

This war-action film was produced and directed by Ridley Scott and followed the story of Captain Mike Steele, who leads a team of U.S. Army Rangers as they travel to the capital city of Mogadishu to catch the top two lieutenants of a Somali warlord. 

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

While 13 Hours is about defending, Saving Private Ryan follows a group of U.S. soldiers who go behind enemy lines to find and save a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. Set following the Normandy Landings, this film is one of the best war-action films out there and is a must-watch. 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Zero Dark Thirty follows a group of CIA Operatives, who spend a decade tracking the location of Osama Bin Laden. Led by analyst Maya (Jessica Chastain) this film’s story is intense and thought-provoking. 

Lone Survivor (2013)

Similar to 13 Hours, this film is about a group of men defending and fighting against terrorists. Lone Survivor is about four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level Al-Qaeda threat. The team makes an impossible moral decision in Afghanistan which leads them to be ambushed.

12 Strong (2018)

A lot of American war films center around a team fighting against terrorists, and 12 Strong isn’t any exception. We follow a team of CIA agents heading into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban. They must fight to survive and show no mercy.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

This film surrounds the story of Sergeant William James, who is tasked with training a bomb disposal team during the Iraq War. Despite their differences, they must come together as where they are no one and nothing can be trusted.

Jarhead (2005)

Similar to 13 Hours, Jarhead is based on real events. This American biographical war drama film is based on the U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford’s 2003 memoir of the same name. Swofford was a U.S. sniper, and the film narrates his experiences, especially in Kuwait and Iraq. 

American Sniper (2014)

This biographical war drama is based on the true story of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American history. 13 Hours is set during the war, but this film is showcasing the aftermath and effects the war can have on people once they return home. There is still plenty of action throughout. 

Act of Valor (2012)

Similar to 13 Hours, this war-action film sees a team embark on a mission. Here their mission is to rescue a kidnapped CIA operative. While on their covert mission, they discover a global threat that will determine the entire country’s fate. This film is dramatic and thrilling but, unlike 13 Hours, is completely fictional. 

Sand Castle (2017)

And finally, the last film on this list is one to watch as it’s similar to 13 Hours as it follows a group of soldiers, but instead of defending, they are trying to protect a small village in Iraq. The team is sent on a dangerous mission to repair a water pumping station in a rural Iraqi village, and their eyes are opened to the effects of war.

Do you have any other recommendations for Movies like 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi? Let us know in the comments below.

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