Sniper movies had made a significant influence on the battlefield. Ultimately, snipers have been the subject of many films, which made fascinating cinematic stories over the period.
The movies provide thrilling battle epics to heart-pounding action thrillers to the filmmakers.
Here is the list of the 20 best sniper movies of all time.
20 Best Sniper Movies of All Time
| 1. | American Sniper (2014) |
| 2. | Shooter (2007) |
| 3. | The Wall (2017) |
| 4. | Jarhead ( 2005) |
| 5. | The American (2010) |
| 6. | Enemy At The Gates (2001) |
| 7. | Saving Private Ryan (1998) |
| 8. | Jack Reacher (2012) |
| 9. | Wanted (2008) |
| 10. | The Jackal (1997) |
| 11. | Three Kings (1999) |
| 12. | Sniper (1993) |
| 13. | Léon: The Professional (1994) |
| 14. | Hyena Road (2015) |
| 15. | Hitman (2007) |
| 16. | The Hurt Locker (2008) |
| 17. | Lone Survivor (2013) |
| 18. | Casualties Of War (1989) |
| 19. | Full Metal Jacket (1987) |
| 20. | Act Of Valor (2012) |
20. Act Of Valor (2012)
Act Of Valor is an American action movie directed and produced by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh. The film follows the story of a terrorist assassinated in Manila who killed his son and dozens of children at an international primary school.
The stars are Jason Cottle, Derrick Van Orden, Rorke Denver and Dave Hansen in lead roles.
The movie received negative reviews from critics. However, the viewers had a great response to the story. It grossed $81 million worldwide against a budget of $12 million.
It gained only 28% approval from Rotten Tomatoes on 144 reviews and rated 4.54/10. Nonetheless, the audience gave 72% considering 50,000 reviews. The film gained a nomination for Best Original Song. Also, it has a 6.4 rating in IMDB.
Act Of Valor is available on HBO Max and DIRECTV. Besides, people can watch the movie by renting on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, AMC on Demand, and Apple iTunes.
19. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 battle drama movie produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick on Hasford’s 1979 novel The Short-Timers.
The cast members are Matthew Modine, Vincent D’ Onofrio, Lee Ermey, Adam Baldwin and Arliss Howard.
The movie follows a platoon of U.S. Marines who struggle with their offensive drill instructor. It even shares the experience of the joker in the second half.
The film was released on June 26, 1987. by Warner Bros. in the United States. The movie grossed $120 million worldwide against a budget of $16 million.
The film received positive reviews from the viewers and scored 90% approval on Rotten Tomatoes analyzing 84 critics and rated 8.30/10. Even the movie received an 8.3 rating on IMDB.
Full Metal Jacket is available to rent or stream via subscription on DIRECTV, Amazon Video, The Roku Channel, Apple iTunes, Redbox, Google Play Movies, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, and YouTube.
18. Casualties Of War (1989)
Casualties Of War is an American war drama movie by Brian De Palma and David Rabe based on a 1969 The New Yorker article.
The movie cast is Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Patrick Harvey and John C. Reilly in lead roles.
The movie had released on August 18, 1989, in the United States. Although the story received an 83% rating based on 47 reviews, it could not meet the budget of $22.5 million. It only collected $18.7 million worldwide.
The film rated 7.1/10 based on 149 user reviews and 88 critic reviews on IMDB.
People can watch Casualties Of War on fuboTV by subscribing for $69.99 / month. You can rent the movie for $2.99 or $12.99 to rent and buy on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, AMC on Demand, and Vudu.
17. Lone Survivor (2013)
Lone Survivor is an American biographical war movie based on Marcus Luttrell’s 2007 nonfiction book with Patrick Robinson starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana.
It follows the unsuccessful United States Navy SEALs counter-insurgent mission. The four SEALs made a surveillance team to track down Ahmad Shah.
The film received positive responses from the critics and audience for its acting, story, visuals, and war sequences. However, some of them criticized the focus on action. The movie grossed $154.8 million worldwide against only $40 million.
Even the movie was selected as one of the top ten films of 2013 by the National Board of Review and nominated for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
The film received an approval rating of 75% and rated 6.60/10 based on 227 reviews. It has a 7.5/10 rating by 549 users and 345 critics on IMDB. Also, Lone Survivor is available on Netflix.
16. The Hurt Locker (2008)
The Hurt Locker is an American war thriller by Kathryn Bigelow starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pearce.
The movie follows the psychological reactions of the targeted Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal group by insurgents due to the stress of combat.
The film had released on June 26, 2009, in the United States and earned acclaim from critics. They praised the directing, Jeremy’s performance, and screenplay by the writer Mark Boal.
It received a 97% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 289 reviews and rated 8.50/10. Also, the flick received nine Academy Awards nominations and won six of them.
The movie grossed $49.2 million worldwide against a $15 million budget. Also, it was the first Best Picture winner directed by a woman. It has a 7.5 rating out of 10 in IMDB.
People can watch The Hurt Locker on Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, and Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
15. Hitman (2007)
Hitman is an action-thriller movie by Xavier Gens starring Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, and Olga Kurylenko, based on video game series, which revolves around a professional hitman Agent 47, who is an assassin by the ICA group.
The agent found him pursued by Interpol and PSB in a political conspiracy. The movie premiered on November 21, 2007, in the United States.
Although the movie did not acquire critical reviews well, it made a financial success of $101.3 million worldwide against a budget of $24 million. The film obtained only 16% of Rotten Tomatoes critics and a 3.9/10 rating.
However, it has a 6.2/10 rating based on 539 users and 201 critic reviews. Also, You can watch Hitman on Hulu, Xfinity, Google Play, and iTunes.
14. Hyena Road (2015)
Hyena Road is a Canadian war drama movie by Paul Gross based on the true story of ‘Route Hyena.’ It was built by a Quebec-based task force from 2010 to 2011, assembled with the 1st Battalion Royal 22e Régiment and more.
It stars Paul Gross, Rossif Sutherland, Clark Johnson and Allan Hawco.
It was released on September 14, 2015, by Elevation Pictures. The movie gained average feedback from critics and scored 57% based on 23 reviews. It has a 6.5/10 rating in IMDB based on 77 users and 25 critic reviews.
Hyena Road is currently streaming on Tubi TV for free, or you can buy or download it on Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Cineplex, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, and YouTube.
13. Léon: The Professional (1994)
Léon: The Professional is a 1994 English-French action-thiller by Luc Besson starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, and Danny Aiello.
The story centers on a professional hitman Leon who reluctantly takes in Mathilda Lando after the twelve-year-old girl’s family got murdered by agent Norman Stansfield. Leon and Mathilda have an unusual relationship. The girl became a protegee and learned about the hitman trade.
The movie was released on September 14, 1994, in France and made a commercial success of over $45 million worldwide against a budget of $16 million. The film received positive approval from its critics. Rotten Tomatoes rated 74% out of 65 reviews and 6.9/10.
Meanwhile, the film received an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb per 1.4k users and 157 critics’ reviews.
You can watch Léon: The Professional on Netflix by buying a subscription for $6.99 per month and renting for $2.99 or buying for $12.99 on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
12. Sniper (1993)
Sniper is a 1993 action movie by Luis Llosa starring Tom Berenger, Billy Zane, and J.T. Walsh. The film is the first installment of the Sniper film series that followed eight sequels.
The story focuses on a US Marine sniper and a SWAT member who arrived on an assassination mission in the jungles of Panama.
The plot reaches more interesting when the lead character, Master Sergeant Gunnery Beckett, is paired with a sharpshooter Miller who lacks combat skills and suffers from distrust. The movie shares a compelling plot and heart-pounding action.
The film had released on January 29, 1993, and grossed $19 million worldwide. It received positive reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a 6.1/10 rating in IMDB per 76 users and 30 critics.
You can watch Sniper on Prime Video, Redox, and Vudu on Roku Device.
11. Three Kings (1999)
Three Kings is a 1999 American comedy war movie by David O. Russell, where four American soldiers are on a gold heist following the end of the Gulf War against Saddam Hussein.
The stars are George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Mykelti Williamson, Cliff Curtis, and Said Taghmaoui.
The movie had released on October 1, 1999, in the United States. It received critical acclaim from the viewers, an approval rating of 94% per 128 reviews, and rated 7.8/10. The show combines action, comedy, and drama with the thrilling movie on the Gulf War.
Three Kings successed in grossing $107 million against a budget of $48 million. It has a 7.1/10 rating on IMDb. Also, the film holds 82 Metascore per 580 users and 121 critic reviews.
The comedy-drama movie, Three Kings, is available on Plex – Free Movies & TV, Prime Video, ROW8, Vudu, Apple TV, or Redbox.
10. The Jackal (1997)
The Jackal is an American thriller-action movie by Michael Caton-Jones which involves the hunt for the brutal assassin who paid to complete his next job.
However, an imprisoned I.R.A. fighter had freed to stop him. It was a remake of the 1973 movie The Day of the Jackal based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel.
The movie stars Bruve Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier and Diane Venora. It premiered on November 14, 1997, in the United States.
The movie received negative feedback from critics. Despite this, it acquired commercial success and grossed $159.3 million worldwide to a $60 million budget. It received a 25% rating with 4.7/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.
The critics mentioned the movie is a relatively simple chase thriller movie which incapable of adding excitement. However, it is a heart-pounding action movie that shares an exciting game of cat and mouse.
Even, The Jackal has a 6.4/10 rating on IMDb per 283 users and 73 critics reviews. You can watch The Jackal on Spectrum TV, Redbox., Prime Video, Vudu, or Apple TV on your Roku device.
9. Wanted (2008)
Wanted is an action thriller movie by Timur Bekmambetov based on the Mark Miller and J.G. Jones comic book. The movie stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common, and Chris Pratt.
The story follows a frustrated account manager Wesley Gibson, who discovers himself as the son of a professional assassin. As a result, he decides to join his father’s workplace in a secret society Fraternity. He found the ugly truth which he could avoid.
The film had released on June 27, 2008, and gained favorable reviews earning commercial success and grossing $342 million worldwide against $75 million.
The movie has been praised for its stylized action scenes. It received a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 209 critics with a 6.60/10 rating.
Fans loved Angelina Jolie’s performances; she played the role of an expert assassin. It has a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb as per 392k users.
You can watch Wanted on Amazon Prime Video, where you can rent for $3.99 or buy for $14.99 for HD quality.
8. Jack Reacher (2012)
Jack Reacher is an action-thriller movie directed and written by Christopher McQuarrie based on the 2005 novel One Shot by Lee Child.
In the movie, Jack appears as an ex-United States Army Military police investigator who claims to be involved in a mass shooting.
The film premiered on Crusie’s birthday on July 3, 2021. It grossed $218.3 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million and received a positive response from critics. It received a 6.27/10 rating and 63% approval based on 185 reviews. On IMDb, it received 7.0/10 based on 344k users.
The movie was rated above any crime thriller movie with a charismatic performance from the lead character Tom Cruise.
If you are interested in watching a mind-bending assassination story, Jack Reacher is available on Amazon Prime Video.
7. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Saving Private Ryan is an epic war movie directed by Steven Spielberg set in the World War II Battle of Normandy. The film was known for its graphic depiction of war and the Omaha Beach assault.
It polts shares the United States Army Rangers Captain and his squad who search for a paratrooper. Among the four service-men, James Francis Ryan remained the last-surviving brother. The film listed some sniper sequels with a short sniper epic war.
The movie stars Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, and Jeremy Davies.
Fans and critics have praised the directing of Spielberg with positive reviews of the realistic battle scenes and the performances. The movie received 93% approval and 8.70/10 based on 143 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
It has an 8.6/10 rating per 1.4 million users on IMDb. Along with its positive response, the movie grossed $485 million out of a $70 million budget. It was the 1990s influential movie and the best war movie ever made.
If you don’t want to miss the fantastic thriller movie Saving Private Ryan, it is available on Amazon Prime Video.
6. Enemy At The Gates (2001)
Enemy At The Gates is a battle movie by Jean Jacques Annaud based on the 1973 nonfiction book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad by William Craig.
The movie follows the events of the Battle of Stalingrad of 1942 to 1943 in the winter. The sniper from Russia and German played a game of cat and mouse during the epic war.
Actors like Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins, and Ed Harris appeared in the thriller war movie. The film was believed as a true masterpiece that received commercial success and critical acclaim. With a total budget of $68 million, the movie grossed $97 million.
It gained a 7.6/10 rating on IMDB based on 264k users. Military historian and professor David Russel Stone praised the cast but criticized historical inaccuracies.
If you like movies related to history and war, watch Enemy At The Gates on Netflix.
5. The American (2010)
Anton Corbijn directed The American, a 2010 action thriller movie based on the Martin Booth 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman. The movie stars George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido, Irina Björklund, and Paolo Bonacelli.
The movie shared a thrilling plot focused on the professional killer Jack who flew to Italy after an operation went wrong. The character makes a deadly mistake after falling for Violante Placido.
The film aired on September 1, 2010. It generally received positive reviews and grossed $67 million worldwide with a budget of $20 million. It received 66% approval on Rotten Tomatoes based on 224 reviews. It has a 6.3/10 rating per 98k users.
If you want to watch a sniper movie with a thrilling plot, The American is available on Prime Video.
4. Jarhead (2005)
Jarhead is a 2005 biographical war movie directed by Sam Mendes based on a 2003 memoir on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas, and Chris Cooper.
The story centers on Jarhead chronicling Swofford’s life story and his journey in Military service in the Gulf war. The film shared a powerful and unique look at military life.
It was released on November 4, 2005, in the United States and received mixed responses from viewers and critics. However, the movie box office collection was $97.1 million against $72 million.
It scored 61% approval on Rotten Tomatoes and rated 6.40/10. The movie received 7.0/10 on IMDb and 58 out of 100 on Metascore.
People can watch Jarhead on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Philips, PlayStation, and Roku Channel.
3. The Wall (2017)
Doug Liman directed a sniper movie, The wall, starring Aaron Tylor, John Cena, and Laith Nakli. The film is about two officers, Shane Matthew and Allen Isaac, who analyze in the desert of Iraq during the war.
During their investigation, they sooner realized they had been attacked by snipers around them and tangled them. They only had one option to get back a wall to take cover from the sniper shoots, but the wall was unsteady.
The movie received mixed reviews, with a 6.2 IMDb rating. The film doesn’t rule at the box office with a budget of 3 million while grossing only 4.5 million USD. It received 65% approval on Rotten Tomatoes based on 125 reviews and rated 6.7/10.
The Walls is worth it for the battle enthusiast, which features intense action successions that keep viewers amused. You can watch the movie on Prime Video on your Roku device.
2. Shooter (2007)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Shooter is a movie about a marine sniper played by Mark Wahlberg alongside Kate Mara, Danny Glover, Michael Peña, Levon Helm, and Ned Beatty.
It is about a marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, who leaves the military after his mission fails and becomes missing without a trace.
Swagger gets back into his military service as a big government officer convinced him to work against the president of the United States and soon finds out he was backstabbed and has become the target of a National Wide Manhunt.
Instead of running from the problem, he decides to seek revenge against some influential people in the USA.
The total budget of this flick is 61 million dollars, with a gross total of $95.7 million. The film focuses on actual events with heart-pounding action. Even this movie has a total of 7.1/10 ratings on IMDb.
Shooter (2007) is available on SkyShowtime, Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Vudu.
1. American Sniper (2014)
American Sniper is a biographical war movie by Clint Eastwood based on the 2012 memoir American Sniper starring Bradley Cooper, Luke Grimes, and Sienna Miller.
The movie follows US Navy Seal Chris kyle, who makes his mission to protect his comrades and become the most powerful asset to the US army. His dedication and accommodation saved many lives but made some enemies in Iraq.
Although he was a great soldier, he was not the best husband and father to his children. With a total of 7.3 IMDb ratings and lots of good reviews, this movie shows a life of an American soldier during the Iraq war.
You can watch American Sniper on Redbox., Vudu, Prime Video, or Apple TV on your Roku device.