Sitting at home on Remembrance Day or Liberation Day in the Netherlands? It sounds like the perfect occasion to catch up on some Dutch war flicks.
We have done the legwork and found the top Dutch war movies you won’t want to miss. They’re available on major (Dutch) streaming platforms, and most of them are in English or offer English subtitles.
However, this could also be a good opportunity to brush up on your Nederlands.
Although there are countless great films about the war in the Netherlands, our list would be too long if we mentioned all of them. So here are our suggestions.
1. A Bridge Too Far
This is perhaps one of the most famous WWII movies to date. Released in 1977 and directed by Richard Attenborough, this movie features an all-star cast, including Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Ryan O’Neale.
The plot is based on the true story of Operation Market Garden: the Allies’ failed operation to speed up the end of World War II.
Thousands of paratroopers were dropped over the Netherlands in an attempt to claim the towns of Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem before British forces arrived by land. The movie itself is gigantic and mostly shot in the Netherlands.
Why we love this film: Stunning cinematography and a cast to admire, making this a WWII epic for the ages. Moreover, you get to watch James Bond taking down Nazis. Who could want more?
Where to watch it: Pathé Thuis
Language: English
2. Oorlogsgeheimen
Translated as “War Secrets,” this is the perfect movie to watch if your Dutch is up to scratch (or you have a very patient Dutch speaker in your house).
Oorlogsgeheimen follows the story of Tuur and Lambert, two best friends in Limburg in 1943. A new girl, Maartje, joins their class and makes friends with Tuur.
Maartje shares a terrible secret with Tuur, which Tuur cannot reveal to anyone — not even his best friend Lambert, whose father has just become mayor.
Tuur’s family joins the resistance, but as the situation heats up, Tuur and his family are forced to flee.
Why we love this film: Packed with a riveting storyline and vintage Dutch vibes, this film perfectly encapsulates the sometimes slow but often abrupt changes to village life during WWII.
Where to watch it: Pathé Thuis, Videoland
Language: Dutch
3. Anne Frank: The Whole Story
We can’t write an article about Dutch WWII movies without including arguably the most famous victim of the Holocaust: Anne Frank.
While there are a huge number of movies about the Jewish teenager who hid out with her family in a secret room in Amsterdam (before ending up in Auschwitz), “Anne Frank: The Whole Story” captures this incredibly well.
The movie starts in 1939, while Anne writes in her diary about typical teenage life, pre-war fears, the invasion of the Netherlands, her hideout in Amsterdam, deportation to Auschwitz, and the eventual survival and return of Anne’s father.
The major downside to this film is that, for some reason, all the Dutch people unexplainably have British accents.
Why we love this film: Anne Frank’s story has captivated the world, and this film is a perfect visual window into her life.
Where to watch it: YouTube
Language: English
4. Memories of Anne Frank (Anne Frank: Mijn Beste Vriendin)
Another Anne Frank movie? Naturally. This one is a little different, though, because it’s told through the eyes of her close school friend, Hanneli Goslar.
Hanneli was also Jewish and was eventually deported to the Westerbork transit camp, but was briefly reunited with Anne at Bergen-Belsen, where she passed her some bread and socks.
One particularly special thing about Hanneli’s story is that she survived the war. Hanneli has appeared in multiple documentaries about her experience and knowledge of Anne.
It’s worth noting that this movie was inexplicably produced by Italians, with Italian actors, but it’s ridiculously well dubbed in English. Bonus: it has Dutch subtitles, so you can practice some Dutch along the way.
Why we love this film: This movie is a tearjerker that simultaneously offers an insider and outsider look into Anne Frank’s life.
Where to watch it: Videoland
Language: English
5. Riphagen
A film not so much about remembering the victims of the Holocaust as revealing the crimes of a Dutchman, Riphagen (The Untouchable). It is based on the true story of a man who apparently profited from the war.
Dries Riphagen was a Dutch gangster who collaborated with the Nazis to locate Dutch Jews and deliver them to concentration camps — or was he playing the Germans and actually helping the innocent?
Why we love this film: There’s something about watching bad people that makes us just unable to look away. Plus, from the looks of it, this guy is really bad.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Language: Dutch with English subtitles
6. Band of Brothers
It’s not a movie but a series, and only about 2.5 episodes play out in the Netherlands. However, Band of Brothers is undeniably an unmissable piece about the war.
Episodes four and five, about the boys from the 101st landing in the Netherlands, are as good as it gets. The Spielberg & Hanks production is also already nearly 20 years old, meaning that many young people still need to see it.
Why we love this: Hands down the best series about WWII that also shows the Netherlands.
Where to watch it: HBO
Language: English
7. Soldier of Orange
There’s no other movie that shaped the Dutch collective memory of WWII as much as Soldaat van Oranje.
Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring the late Rutger Hauer, it’s a movie about a group of students from Leiden joining the resistance and their journey through the war.
It’s an iconic movie for the Dutch with scenes that make you understand the Netherlands (Scheveningen!).
It birthed a musical and is a riveting watch for everybody. Need we say more?
Why we love this: It’s a must-watch and a classic. If you watch it, you’ll know why.
Where to watch it: YouTube and on the telly pretty much every year.
Language: Dutch and a bit of English
8. The Forgotten Battle (De Slag om de Schelde)
We can’t end this list without mentioning one of the most expensive Dutch films ever produced.
The Forgotten Battle is a film about the Battle of Scheldt in 1944, which took place in German-occupied Zeeland.
It follows the tense story of a British glider pilot, a Nazi soldier, and a Dutch resistance fighter whose stories intertwine under extreme circumstances in one of the longest and most violent battles in the Netherlands.
Why we love this: It shows multiple perspectives on the war in one battle.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Language: Dutch and a bit of English
Honourable mentions
As we said before, this list of movies about WWII in the Netherlands could have been much longer. So here are some that definitely could have made the list.
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Oorlogswinter (2008)
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De Aanslag (1986)
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Zwartboek (2006)
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De Tweeling (2002)
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Bankier van het Verzet (2018)
What other WWII movies about the Netherlands would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments below!
All good choices. There is one glaring omission: Corrie ten Boom books and movie. “The Hiding Place”
This brave woman deserves to be mentioned for her work during the war and for her writing the books about it. So that we may never forget.
The play is even better!!!
Great recommendations. Thank you.
Black Book was my favourite but i look forward to watching Soldier Orange. It sounds great! I remember visiting Rotterdam in the late 60,s and it was still being rebuilt after the war! Such a shame that a beautiful medieval city was practically destroyed
I miss “Het Bombardement” about the bombing of Rotterdam.
It was a good movie too
Why this facination with NL in WW2?
The Hiding Place (1975)
Operation Amsterdam (1959)
One of Our Aircraft is Mssing (1942)
Lived in Den Haag in the 1950’s, observed the 10th Anniversary flyover commemmorating Liberation Day in 1955. Been back 1995, 2005, and 2010. Today (2026) in observance I played the Netherlands National Anthem (het Wilhelmus) solo on my violin.