Best Sniper Movies OF All Time
If you are a fan of snipers and everything action, this one is for you. It is our amateur attempt at listing down the BEST sniper movies of ALL time; or simply the must- watch sniper movies that need to be on your streaming list. This list features all kinds of movies from wartime classics to fictional comedies (but with SNIPERS!).
These films have everything that makes a sniper movie- a classic, from the loudest explosions to the silence and stealth of the sharpshooters. The range is wide and the list is long. So lets get started with the top tier sniper movies:
AMERICAN SNIPER (2014)
American Sniper is one of the, if not the, best war film that was ever made. The story of this masterpiece is all the more mind-blowing as it is based on the real-life story of the American Sniper, Chris Kyle. It does the brilliant job of depicting the post-war life in the most realistic way possible. Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, is a U.S. Navy SEAL and a deadly sniper. His pinpoint accuracy and stealth is the most astonishing thing you’ll witness throughout the movie.
Shooter (2007)
Another epic entry on this list of sniper movies is “Shooter”. Bob Lee Swagger, played by Mark Wahlberg, is an excellent sniper of the U.S. Marine corps. He is extremely skilled but when a mission goes dreadfully wrong, he vanishes into thin air and goes in a hiding. But not much after, he is put back on a mission to go after an assassin who plans to kill the President of the USA. However, this mission backfires as he faces betrayal and gets trapped in a series of setup. A nationwide manhunt is put in place and he is the suspect. He seeks out to get his revenge for being wrongfully framed.
Enemy at the gates (2001)
Enemy at the gates follows the events during the period of Hitler’s Invasion of Stalingard. Vassili Zaitsev, played by Jude Law, is one of Russia’s most skilled snipers. He is assigned with the mission of thinning the invading German troops, at the gates. While he is on the radar of one of Germany’s most deadly sniper, he also gets entwined in a war-time love triangle. This thrilling, real-life story of a Russian sniper who was dangerously good at what he did, made into a pure sniper film blows the viewers minds and is still considered one of the best sniper films, even after two decades.
Jack Reacher (2012)
This Tom Cruise starrer action thriller is actually based on a novel called ”One Shot” by Lee Child. As a classic Tom Cruise movie, it is jam-packed with incredible action sequences. After an ex-US Army sniper, supposedly goes rogue and shoots five innocent civilians to death, he names Jack Reacher in his interrogation. Reacher, who is an ex-Army investigator, is brought in and he decides to investigate deeper only to find out unexpected involvements of a Russian mob in these killings.
Three Kings (1999)
Three Kings is a satirical black comedy war film starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in titular roles. This movie is very light-hearted compared to all other movies mentioned in this list. It follows the journey of a group of four American soldiers who are on a gold heist. This film takes place during the post Gulf War era in 1991.
Sniper (1993)
Sniper is a 1993 cult classic that spawned two sequels, both of which failed at matching the brilliance of the original one. This movie follows the events surrounding the life of Thomas Beckett, a US Marine sniper, while he is in the Panamanian forest with Richard Miller, a marksman. They must go against a rebel leader and bring him down in order to finish their mission.
Jarhead (2005)
Jarhead is based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford’s 2003 memoir of the same name. This American biographical war drama film portrays the life of Anthony who is a trained US sniper awaiting an opportunity for using his sniping skills during the Gulf War but instead faces boredom and misery. After returning from this disappointing mission, another disappointment awaits him as he finds out that his girlfriend has left him and moved on with someone else.
The Wall (2017)
This movie follows the journey of two soldiers who are stranded on a desert in post-war Iraq. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena play Allan Isaac and Shane Matthews respectively. The face many challenges and even get shot and brutally injured as they fight for their lives. Their hideout is just one broken wall that is saving them from sniper fire and giving them a cover. The movie is intense but captivating and filled with suspense and action.
The Jackal (1997)
The brother of Russian gangster Terek Murad gets killed, during an FBI raid on a Moscow nightclub. Murad decides to take revenge of his brother’s death and hires the Jackal, a skilled sharpshooter played by Bruce Willis, to kill FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston. With the help of Russian agent Valentina Koslova, Preston finds the only man who knows what the notorious Jackal looks like, imprisoned IRA terrorist Declan Mulqueen and forces him to help hunt down the hit jackal.