Every Tom Hanks World War II Movie and TV Show, Ranked

It’s interesting how Tom Hanks‘ career is defined by acclaimed projects across almost every genre imaginable. However, if there’s one subject he keeps returning to, it’s World War II. As an actor, writer, and producer, he has helped build an impressive collection of films and TV shows centered on the historic conflict, each exploring different fronts of the war and, in many cases, setting the standard for the genre. In fact, for many people, the way they picture the war today has been shaped by one of his projects. Whether it’s a drama, a combat thriller, or a sweeping look at the conflict as a whole, every one of these productions has left its mark.

Of course, that also means some of them have made a stronger impression than others. So, here are every World War II movie and TV show connected to Tom Hanks, ranked from worst to best. Which one still comes out on top today?

5) Masters of the Air

The story of Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group, an American Air Force unit tasked with carrying out some of the most dangerous missions of World War II over occupied Europe. From the moment it premiered, however, it faced an uphill battle: as another World War II TV project from Hanks and Steven Spielberg, comparisons to their previous classics were inevitable. It’s hard to criticize it in many respects, especially when it comes to the aerial combat sequences, which are impressive and do an excellent job of capturing the vulnerability of pilots trapped in the middle of the chaos.

At the same time, while Major John Egan (Callum Turner) and Major Gale Cleven (Austin Butler) are compelling central figures, the ensemble as a whole is never quite as engaging as the casts of the other shows on this list. There are undeniably great moments throughout the story, but it often feels like you’re watching events unfold from a distance rather than experiencing them alongside the characters. Masters of the Air is undoubtedly a strong war drama, but it never reaches the same level as the other entries in this ranking.

4) Greyhound

Greyhound is one of the most underrated projects of Hanks’ career, and while the other productions on this list lean into sprawling stories and larger reflections on World War II, this movie takes a much more straightforward approach. The story follows Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks) as he leads an Allied convoy across the Atlantic while German U-boats attempt to sink the ships. So, basically, the entire film is built around a single military operation. However, that ends up being both its greatest strength and its biggest limitation.

On the positive side, Greyhound cuts out almost everything unnecessary, so there are no major detours, side stories, or distractions — the goal is to put viewers on the bridge alongside Krause and sustain the tension until the final scene. At the same time, that focused approach means the movie carries less emotional weight than Hanks’ other World War II projects. Its craftsmanship is undeniably impressive, but it’s difficult to walk away thinking about the characters in the same way you do with the other titles.

3) The Pacific

If you went into The Pacific expecting another story with the same purpose as Band of Brothers, the show was probably a bit of a shock, right? Following several U.S. Marines during the Pacific campaign, it presents a much harsher, more exhausting, and more uncomfortable view of World War II. From the very beginning, the goal is not to create larger-than-life heroes for audiences to admire, but to show how the conflict physically and emotionally broke the men who lived through it. When it comes to portraying the psychological toll of war, few TV productions have done it with the same level of honesty and intensity.

Its tone is darker, its characters are more complicated, and the overall experience is far less uplifting than many people might expect. That ultimately works in its favor, helping it stand as one of the most powerful portrayals of World War II ever made for TV. And the reason it doesn’t rank higher has less to do with quality and more to do with balance: while The Pacific excels at depicting the horrors of combat, the two projects above it do a better job of combining that realism with emotional investment and development.

2) Band of Brothers

More than two decades after its release, nobody has managed to replicate what Band of Brothers accomplished — it’s the benchmark against which every war series is measured. The story follows the soldiers of Easy Company from basic training through the final days of the war in Europe. However, its greatest achievement has never been its scale, but the way the show turns a large group of soldiers into people you genuinely get to know and follow like old friends. As a result, when tragedy strikes, it hits much harder because it has spent the time necessary to make you care about every loss.

What’s maybe even more impressive is how Band of Brothers balances all of this without sacrificing authenticity. The combat sequences remain powerful, the historical recreation is outstanding, and many of its episodes are still among the finest ever produced for TV. In fact, Band of Brothers has a strong case for being the best project on this list. The only reason it falls just short of the top spot is that, when it comes to Hanks’ connection to World War II storytelling, there is one work that not only defined his legacy within the genre but helped redefine the genre itself.

1) Saving Private Ryan

There are great war movies, and then there’s Saving Private Ryan. The film follows a group of American soldiers tasked with locating a paratrooper and bringing him home after his brothers are killed in combat. But the story is so special because of the way Spielberg and Hanks use that mission to explore the value of a single human life in the middle of a conflict that claimed millions. And why does it still hold up so well today? Because no matter how large the battles become, the movie never loses sight of its characters (something that would later become a key part of what made Band of Brothers great).

And yes, much of the conversation around Saving Private Ryan focuses on the Normandy landing sequence, but reducing its legacy to that one scene overlooks what made it a classic. The film is still iconic because of its rare combination of technical achievement and emotional storytelling. It changed the way Hollywood portrayed war, influenced several productions that followed, and gave one of the strongest performances of Hanks’ career. It remains the one to beat.

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