The Most Underrated Anti-War Movies of the 1990s, Ranked

10. Heaven & Earth (1993)
We're kicking things off with Oliver Stone's finale to his Vietnam trilogy. This time, though, there's a twist: a Vietnamese perspective. Le Ly's life story unfurls like a patchwork quilt of love, loss, and war's havoc.

From her village to Saigon, from torture to romance with an American soldier (Tommy Lee Jones), it's all the war-time drama one can handle. Truly a multi-faceted story. But is it perfect? Maybe not, but it's a fresh angle.

9. A Midnight Clear (1992)
Winter in 1944, in the thick of World War II, but wait – there's a strange stillness. A U.S. intelligence unit bumps into something unheard of: German soldiers wishing for a truce. What ensues? Not gunshots, but snowball fights.

Strange? Absolutely. Tensions rise, trust teeters, but one big question remains: Can a real truce even happen amidst such chaos?

8. Regeneration (1997)
Fancy a trip to Craiglockhart War Hospital? Hope not, because it's not the best spa in town. It's World War I, and here, soldiers are battling not with guns, but with their minds.

Poet Siegfried Sassoon, one such patient, is brilliantly rebellious, questioning the very war he's fought in. Mixed with the haunting poetic touch of Wilfred Owen, you've got the makings of a psychological masterpiece.

7. Three Kings (1999)
Gulf War, gold heist, George Clooney. Intrigued? You should be. A map's discovered; it leads to hidden Iraqi gold.

Four American soldiers reckon it's finders keepers. Only, it's not all fun and games when they come face-to-face with the brutal realities of war and its consequences on civilians. Does greed win over compassion? Oh, the suspense!

6. Welcome to Sarajevo (1997)
Picture a war zone. Now, throw in a bunch of journalists, each chasing the next big story. Sarajevo, during the Bosnian War, is a deadly playground, and yet, amidst the chaos, a journalist decides to smuggle a child out to safety. Heartwarming? Yes. Risky? Oh, absolutely. But sometimes, a story becomes personal, doesn't it?

5. The War at Home (1996)
1970s America. Vietnam vet Jeremy Collier is back home for Thanksgiving. But the war? It's far from over. Physically, he's with his family in Texas. Mentally? Still in 'Nam. The dinner table becomes a battlefield of sorts: unresolved trauma, conflicting ideologies, and pent-up resentment.

With flashbacks giving glimpses into the brutal war experiences, it unravels why Jeremy is so disturbed, juxtaposing past horrors with present tensions.

4. Land and Freedom (1995)
Jump into the Spanish Civil War, will you? A Liverpudlian unemployed communist, David Carr, decides to fight for the Republican side. But get this: it's not just about battles. It's about the politics inside the brigade, the ideological rifts, and yes, a touch of romance.

Torn between love and his commitment to the brigade, David witnesses the heartbreaking division between allies. War's messy, and it's not just about bullets.

3. Before the Rain (1994)
Three interconnected tales spread across Macedonia and London. We've got a silent Christian monk, a passionate photographer, and a tormented young girl caught between love and tradition.

These tales offer glimpses of religious strife, war's senselessness, and its far-reaching consequences. Cross-cutting between tales and timelines, the structure of the story alone will keep you on your toes.

2. The Thin Red Line (1998)
Pacific front, World War II. Director Terrence Malick isn't just giving you your standard war flick. Instead, think of soldiers philosophizing amidst chaos. Serene nature shots interrupted by intense, gritty combat scenes.

The plot itself oscillates between the hard-fighting troops of C Company and their inner monologues. Nature vs. man. War vs. peace. It's all there, intertwined.

1. Underground (1995)
A dark comedy set against the Yugoslav Wars. Two friends, Marko and Blacky, capitalize on the war by selling weapons. Marko deceives Blacky into staying in a cellar for years, convincing him the war's still raging above.

The tale spans decades, crossing from WWII to the 1990s, a tragicomic take on the absurdity of war, deception, and nationalism. It's grand, it's bizarre, and it's got brass bands, monkeys, and a tragic love triangle. Emir Kusturica paints war not just with blood but with shades of absurdity. Brilliant? Oh, without a shadow of a doubt!