A well-written siege setup can make a world of a difference when it comes to movies, taking them from bland and boring to highly entertaining. A well-done siege often brings with it a sense of anarchy and chaos, creating a thrilling environment for the narrative to fester. Siege films also have the ability to help viewers break away from the drudge-filled monotony of daily life and transport them into a different scenario, where everything is unpredictable and nobody is safe. Here are some of the best siege movies of all time.
10The Outpost (2020)
The Outpostfollows a small unit of U.S. Soldiers that are alone in adeep valley in rural Afghanistan. Surrounded on three sides, the soldiers are then targeted by the Taliban in a deadly attack, resulting in one of the fiercest gun battles between the States and the militant outfit.The Outpostis based on Jake Tapper’s book of the same name and is a real-life account of the Battle of Kamdesh.
9Green Room (2015)
Successfully blending elements of punk rock, horror, and a dash of thriller,Green Roomfollows a punk band that’s booked to play a gig at a neo-Nazi club. When the band witnesses a murder backstage carried out by members of the club, they themselves become the target of neo-Nazi wrath, and are forced to take shelter in the club’s green room. The film is raw and realistic in its approach to violence, making it all the more relatable and scary to watch.
8Aliens (1986)
Directed by the legendary James Cameron,Aliensserves as a sequel toRidley Scott’s 1979 film,Alien.InAliens,Sigourney Weaver reprises her role as Lt. Ellen Ripley and is sent to planet LV-426 to make contact with a terraforming colony. After her arrival, Ripley realizes she’s up against Xenomorphs again, pushing Ripley and her squad into a corner, as they fight for life and death.
7Home Alone (1990)
Home Alonehas to be one of the cutest siege movies ever. The siege takes place in eight-year-old Kevin McCallister’s home, when his parents leave him behind when they go on a Christmas vacation. Things take a hilarious turn when two burglars break into Kevin’s home, but are put through an ordeal of booby traps and naughty pranks as Kevin outsmarts the older, dumber, robbers.
Related:Every Home Alone Movie, Ranked
A remake of George A. Romero’s classic of the same name, Zack Snyder’sDawn of The Deadtakes place in a shopping mall, where a group of survivors bands together in themiddle of a zombie apocalypse. As the group of strangers struggles with the zombies, cracks in their own relationships come to the surface. Snyder creates a potent and fast-paced atmosphere for zombies to fester, making the film all the more vicious and thrilling.
Related:Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead Has An Easter Egg Hidden in Army of the Dead
5Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Assault on Precinct 13is one of John Carpenter’s most underrated films. The film revolves around a group of thinly-stretched cops manning a police station that’s under attack by aseemingly unstoppable street gang. Carpenter’sAssault on Precinct 13is considered to be one of the best siege films of all time, constantly brimming with high-octane action and memorable characters.
4Die Hard (1998)
When detective John McClane arrives in LA to spend time with his estranged wife, his plans go out the window. Minutes after his arrival in his wife’s office, the building is taken over by a group of terrorists, who holds everybody hostage. Stuck right in the middle of a siege with little to no help from the police, McClane sets out to single-handedly take down the bad guys.
3Panic Room (2002)
David Fincher is a master at all things thriller and suspense. InPanic Room,Meg (Jodie Foster) and her 11-year-old daughter, Sarah (Kristen Steward), take refuge in the high-tech panic room of their house, when a group of invaders breaks in. Unfortunately for the mother-daughter duo, the invaders seem to only be concerned with the room they’re hiding in, causing waves of muted panic and chaos.
2Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Based on theLifemagazine article “The Boys in the Back” by P.F Kluge,Dog Day Afternoonchronicles the1972 robbery and hostage situationconducted by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile at a bank in Brooklyn. The film follows Sonny and Sal, as they attempt to hold up a bank, which quickly goes south and turns the entire fiasco into a media circus.
1Seven Samurai (1954)
Arguably one of the best movies of all time,Seven Samuraiis the epitome of what a siege movie should be. The film follows seven samurai, as they are hired to protect a small village from frequent bandit attacks. The following battle that ensues between the seven brave samurai and the bandits is regarded as one of themost fierce and intense action sequencesin cinema for the time.
