Black Hawk Down is a 2001 war movie directed by Ridley Scott set during 1993's Battle of Modadishu, one of the largest American military losses in recent memory. An American task force is sent in at the height of the Somali Civil War to capture the advisors of Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. However, Aidid is prepared for the Americans, and plans to shoot down a chopper before collapsing all of his forces around the crash site.
After the chopper is shot down, Aidid's plan works. What should have been a quick in-and-out smash-and-grab turns into a bloody nightmare that lasts almost 24 hours. It's a critically-acclaimed movie rife with action and intense violence. Many find it exciting, and may be looking for something that's similar. Look no further, because there are loads of films that bear some similarities that fans of Black Hawk Down will be sure to enjoy.
10. 'Captain Phillips' (2013)
Captain Phillips is a biopic starring Tom Hanks as the titular Captain of a cargo ship bound from Oman to Kenya. Unfortunately, this means passing by the Horn of Africa, and near Somalia in particular, which are extremely dangerous waters due to piracy. The cargo ship is quickly taken over by pirates, and the situation quickly gets out of hand. This film is arguably one of Tom Hanks' best performances, expertly supported by Barkhad Abdi as the pirate leader Muse, in his first on-screen acting role.
The poor living conditions in the country as a result of its ongoing civil war provide viewers with a glimpse into the reasons why many Somali militants and pirates choose to live a life of crime. This is frequently their only option, as shown in this film. This is a great film for fans of Black Hawk Down due to it being about the same conflict, and because it portrays the oppression and terror wrought by Somali warlords, who have ensnared innocent people in their net, forcing them to do their evil bidding just to get by.
9. 'The Hurt Locker' (2009)
The Hurt Locker is about a cynical bomb technician who loses his squadron in an IED attack and is reassigned to a new squadron during the Iraq War. This new bomb tech has an unorthodox way of doing things, and often clashes with his superiors, but proves to be instrumental in dismantling improvised explosives, While not a very realistic movie, it received stellar reviews and is a personal favourite war movie for many.
It's also a must-see for fans of Black Hawk Down, as it centres a lot on how insurgent fighters are often underestimated, and of course, on desert warfare. It might not be as action packed as the Ridley Scott film, but The Hurt Locker has a whole heck of a lot going for it, with its tense bomb defusal scenes really raising the stakes, and its pulse-pounding firefights portraying the chaos and unpredictability of combat to a tee.
8. 'Beasts of No Nation' (2015)
Beasts of No Nation is a Netflix original movie based on a novel of the same name by Uzodinma Iwe'ala, which follows a rapidly escalating civil war in an unspecified African country. As rebel forces join the fight against the government, a young boy named Agu (Abraham Atta) is scooped up and brought into the conflict, serving as a child soldier. The things that Agu witnesses and endures are absolutely horrific, even if there isn't a whole lot of action in the movie.
Beasts of No Nation happens to be a good pick for fans of Black Hawk Down due to the fact that both movies are about a civil war occuring in Africa, albeit in two vastly different regions. Though, it should be noted that the story of Beasts of No Nation is fictional. There's a reason why the country in which the movie occurs is never specified: because civil conflicts in Africa have occured and are occuring, and child soldiers are a problem in many of them. In short, the country it happens in doesn't matter, because it's deeply wrong regardless of where it is.
7. 'The Outpost' (2019)
The Outpost is set during the War in Afghanistan, in a very poorly-placed American outpost at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by mountains. This makes them the prime target for insurgent fighters, who have an immense tactical advantage by being able to use the surrounding hills as firing positions. Those present in the outpost are at every disadvantage and they know it, but they still give their all to hold their position, even when they are assaulted by an enormous contingent of fighters.
The Outpost is like Black Hawk Down in a lot of ways, namely in its focus on the American military, and with its true story of holding out against impossible odds, even if the mission is doomed to be a failure. Also, both The Outpost and Black Hawk Down star Orlando Bloom, which is kind of interesting.
6. '13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi' (2016)
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is about the 2012 American Embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya. The attack occurred as part of the inter-war period of Libya, a period of political tension and violent riots between two deadly civil wars. As a small contingent of American Special Forces patrol the outer perimeter of the embassy at night, they find themselves besieged by hundreds of Libyan militants, all armed to the teeth.
Against seemingly impossible odds, US forces held out for 13 hours, hence the title, having to use whatever resources were available to them to fend off the attacking force. Much like Black Hawk Down, the true story concerns a civil war in a turbulent region of Africa, centring on the desperate and hellish firefight endured by American forces, which lasts all night.
5. 'Mosul' (2019)
Mosul is a Netflix original movie set during the War in Iraq (not to be confused with the Iraq War), centring on the lives of Iraqi SWAT officers amidst hostage crises and terrorist attacks during the Battle of Mosul in 2016. Produced in the United States, yet shot almost entirely in Iraqi Arabic, Mosul is a harrowing tale of the government forces of a nation under siege, which are rapidly losing power in the constant conflict and political uprisings.
Like Black Hawk Down, the movie takes place amidst a city built in the sand, an oasis of death in the middle of an unforgiving desert. It also features a small conventional force against insurmountable odds, fighting off an unconventional force that vastly outnumbers them. It's a movie that hasn't been seen by as many people as it should have been, but it definitely deserves a fair amount of recognition due to its outstanding quality.
4. 'Tears of the Sun' (2003)
Tears of the Sun didn't get very good reviews from critics, but amongst casual moviegoers, it's a perfectly fine film, and an ideal choice for fans of Black Hawk Down. The story is a bit of a fantasy--it ostensibly portrays the Nigerian Civil War, only it takes place in the 21st Century rather than the late 1960s, like it did in real life. The movie stars Bruce Willis as an American special forces operative sent to rescue a doctor from her remote jungle hospital amidst the violence of the conflict.
Even though the movie is more about jungle warfare than desert warfare, Tears of the Sun and Black Hawk Down came out just two years apart, and centre on a special forces mission that rapidly flies out of control amidst a civil war in an African nation. It's not the best war movie ever made, not by a mile, but lovers of Black Hawk Down will almost certainly find something to appreciate in Tears of the Sun.
3. 'The Siege of Jadotville' (2016)
The Siege of Jadotville is yet another Netflix original movie set during the Congo Crisis of the 1960s. As political upheavels and societal revolutions take place, the UN opts to send Irish peacekeeping troops to a remote outpost outside of Jadotville to keep the peace. When they are attacked by revolutionary forces backed by European mercenaries, their small numbers and lack of equipment do them no favors.
Like Black Hawk Down, the story follows a civil conflict in Africa, and features a smaller force holding off against impossible odds, even though they do lose in the end. Fortunately, not a single Irish soldier was killed during the actual battle, but it has remained an example of steadfastness and resilience in the face of adversity, even when the odds are absolutely hopeless.
2. 'Lone Survivor' (2013)
Like Black Hawk Down, Lone Survivor is set during the War in Afghanistan. It is about a simple operation that goes horribly wrong, leading to a mission failure and a huge standoff that turns into chaos that no one can control. What should have been an easy reconaissance mission conducted by four Navy SEALs intended to confirm the presence of a high value target in an enemy outpost devolves into a nightmare when a passing shepherd spots the SEALs and alerts the insurgents to their presence.
While this results in a tactical defeat for the US, it is largely about the fight that the SEALs put up against all odds, standing their ground far longer than expected. However, it also looks at how the United States frequently underestimates paramilitary fighters, resulting in disastrous outcomes. Predictable, yet highly exciting, Lone Survivor would make an excellent pick for fans of Black Hawk Down.
1. 'Escape from Mogadishu' (2021)
Escape from Mogadishu is a South Korean war film set in Somalia in 1991, which some debate as being the outbreak of the ongoing civil war in Somalia. As tensions rise and armed militants flood the streets, the personnel of both the North and South Korean embassies realize that they have to escape, and fast.
The Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, who arrives in the city with the intention of capturing it and ousting the government, shares many names with Black Hawk Down, making Escape from Mogadishu a criminally underrated film that is powerful and moving at the same time.