The little-known war epic is being hailed as one of the best war films of all time with viewers declaring it's even better than Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan.08:23, 22 May 2026While the opening 20-odd minutes of Steven Spielberg's war epic, Saving Private Ryan, are widely regarded as amongst the finest ever committed to film, there's a lesser-known war picture that could well rival it.‌Drawing from Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is an anti-war epic chronicled through the eyes of German soldiers in the trenches - and audiences are hailing it as the most visceral, authentic and outstanding war film of recent years.‌The 2022 war drama, available on Netflix, has been co-written, co-produced and helmed by Edward Berger, marking the third adaptation of the acclaimed book following previous versions in 1930 and 1979.‌The German-language picture features an entirely German cast to enhance its credibility, with actors Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl, Sebastian Hülk, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic and Devid Striesow taking on substantial roles in the war epic.The film's official synopsis reads: "All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches.‌The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque." Despite flying under the radar with mainstream audiences, the film garnered extraordinary critical praise upon release, securing 14 BAFTA nominations and claiming seven awards, including Best Film, reports the Express.It also received nine Academy Award nominations and took home four Oscars, including Best International Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.Boasting an impressive 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, All Quiet on the Western Front is frequently celebrated as amongst the "best war films ever", with critics' verdicts supporting such lofty praise.‌One reviewer said: "All Quiet on the Western Front is undoubtedly one of the best films of 2022 and one of the best war films of all time."While another critic said: "A gorgeous, powerful and haunting treatise on the evils, stupidity and pointlessness of war, and is a must see for anyone who loves the craft of filmmaking and can endure another reminder of humanity's most tragic flaw."‌A third reviewer wrote: "This is quite possibly the best war film I've ever seen. The fact that this is a remake and they've found ways of making this foreign film truly mine through the complications, sacrifices, tragedy, & never-ending ramifications of war is a feet! MUST SEE!"Acclaim from audiences echoed similar sentiments, with one IMDB reviewer saying: "One of the best war movies of recent time. Never expected a netflix movie to shake me to my core but this film kept me frozen in my seat even after a few minutes into the ending credits. It made me think about war and what it does to people."They went on: "Just as the book had done. But this time due to the superb acting, marvelous cinematography and flawless direction that feeling will stay with me for a long time."‌Another audience review of the film reads: "Visceral, disturbing and brilliant. I never thought the beach scene from Private Ryan could be matched, but the battle scenes in this film certainly come close. Superb action sequences. This is an outstanding film and deserves to be recognised accordingly. It is not, however, any easy watch. Go and see All Quiet on the Western Front. You won't be disappointed."While one awestruck viewer said: "This movie is epic in every sense. This movie will leave you sitting where you are at the end pondering what you've just witnessed. I urge you to watch this movie. They don't get any better than this."Article continues belowAnother glowing review of the war epic reads: "This movie blows everything else out of the water. The combat is some of the most visceral and brutal I have ever seen in a film. Every actor gives every inch of themselves to the role, to deliver outstanding performances. Every single shot is cinematography gold. Every aspect of this movie is near perfection."Coming away from the theater I felt such a complex mix of emotions. This is something everyone needs to watch, now more than ever. This is by far the greatest WW1 film ever made."All Quiet on the Western Front is currently available to stream on Netflix.