Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Top 10 Special Forces Units On Film

Features
By Sam Ashurst
Published 2 October 2013

Sponsored by Call of Duty: Ghosts

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Black Hawk Down (2001)

The Special Force: Delta Force.

The Movie: Based on real events, Ridley Scott's fast-paced war flick makes you feel like you've been thrown face-first into a war-zone; here the Delta Force have a small role, but it's significant.

The A-Team (2010)

The Special Force: United States Army Special Forces.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

The Movie: Probably the best special forces team of all time (on TV) - definitely the only one that features a character who gets knocked out by poisoned pints of milk on a regular basis - this big screen version might not touch the telly version in terms of 'quality' but it's still a lot of fun.

Delta Force (1986)

The Special Force: Delta Force.

You may like
  • A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background 10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
  • A solider standing in front of a burning building in Modern Warfare 4 Call of Duty movie officially set in the Modern Warfare universe
  • A thief looking down a scope in Marathon The 25 best FPS games to play in 2026

The Movie: Loud, dumb and full of guns, Chuck Norris is essentially a one-man special forces team, and this ridiculous action-fest is arguably his best. Well, it's either this or Invasion USA .

Sniper (1993)

The Special Force: Special-Ops Sniper

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The Movie: There are several different types of special forces teams, and Tom Berenger's intense sniper movie is probably the best representation of the long-distance killers.

Hugely influential, a wave of sniper movies followed.

Predator (1987)

The Special Force: Green Berets.

You may like
  • A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background 10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
  • A solider standing in front of a burning building in Modern Warfare 4 Call of Duty movie officially set in the Modern Warfare universe
  • A thief looking down a scope in Marathon The 25 best FPS games to play in 2026

The Movie: Take the invisible alien out of the equation, and this is an entertaining war movie about a group of special forces soldiers led by Arnie's Major 'Dutch' who are sent to rescue a cabinet minister from guerrilla forces in Central America.

But of course, it does have an invisible alien, which elevates it into arguably the greatest movie ever made.

Go on, watch it again and tell us we're wrong.

The Cockleshell Heroes (1955)

The Special Force: The Royal Marines Boom Detachment.

The Movie: It may seem unlikely, but this story of a bunch of kayaking commandos successfully destroying German battleships is based on true events, and is surprisingly accurate - including the unfortunate loss of life suffered by the team.

As a film, it's ridiculously entertaining. As a tribute to fallen heroes, it's essential.

They Who Dare (1954)

The Special Force: Special Boat Service.

The Movie : A World War II movie focusing on the - real - mission undertaken by a small team of six British soldiers, two Greek officers and two local guides, to destroy two German airfields.

It might not be the greatest movie on this list, but the real-life story is astonishing enough for it to appeal to WW2 enthusiasts.

Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

The Special Force: Marine Corps.

The Movie: Ridge follows a small group of marines during the U.S' 1983 invasion of Grenada. Eastwood, who also wrote and directed the movie, excels as the leader of the group.

It's probably best you don't mention this one to the actual US military though, they withdrew initial support after seeing the first preview, allegedly annoyed by Eastwood's representation of real-life Medal Of Honour winner Thomas Highway.

We don't know what their problem was, this is one of Clint Eastwood's greatest performances.

Aliens (1986)

The Special Force: Colonial Marines.

The Movie: Okay, so they're not your traditional special force, but when Weyland-Yutani need a colony cleared of creatures, Hicks and his team are the men (and women) they call.

One thing's for sure, this is one of the best examples of grunt behaviour (and banter) that builds between teams of military men tasked with the most dangerous missions to be captured on celluloid.

Well, except for Hudson, obviously. If he was to enlist in the modern military, it'd be game over before you could say 'chicken'.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

The Special Force: Navy Seals.

The Movie: Lesser filmmakers might have been tempted to make the story of Bin Laden's manhunt a 90 minute action movie, but Kathryn Bigelow's slow-burn procedural build to the compound assault increases the intensity of the sequence, with its realistic depiction making this arguably the best film to feature a special forces team - it's certainly the most critically acclaimed.

Now experience the pinnacle of special forces awesomeness with Call of Duty: Ghosts

The latest instalment in one of the world's biggest blockbuster first person shooter franchises is almost here - and it's as action-packed and cinematic ever.

Set in a near, technologically advanced future, Call of Duty: Ghosts drops gamers into a world that's been transformed and altered the global balance of power.

As a result, the USA is no longer the superpower it once was, with mere pockets of power struggling to survive against outside attacks.

Ten years on, and an elite group of soldiers known as 'Ghosts' are forced to protect the remains of the USA from a new threat south of the equator.

With mind-bendingly awesome weapons, stunningly cinematic visuals, a gripping plot, addictive multiplayer and gunplay as frantic and thrilling as ever, Call of Duty: Ghosts is guaranteed to blow the doors (and everything else) off the FPS world.

Find out more about Call of Duty: Ghosts on the official website , or Like the game on Facebook .

Call of Duty: Ghosts is out in the UK on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on 5 November 2013.

Sam Ashurst
Social Links Navigation

Sam Ashurst is a London-based film maker, journalist, and podcast host. He's the director of Frankenstein's Creature, A Little More Flesh + A Little More Flesh 2, and co-hosts the Arrow Podcast. His words have appeared on HuffPost, MSN, The Independent, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, and many more, as well as of course for us here at GamesRadar+.

Read more
A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background
Call of Duty 10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
 
 
A solider standing in front of a burning building in Modern Warfare 4
Action Movies Call of Duty movie officially set in the Modern Warfare universe
 
 
A thief looking down a scope in Marathon
FPS Games The 25 best FPS games to play in 2026
 
 
A helicopter of soldiers flies above a forest in Wardogs
FPS Games Wardogs is coming to early access very soon, and you can pre-order this gigantic 100-player online FPS right now
 
 
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam screenshot of a soldier aiming a gun towards a tank; another soldier can be seen nearby it
FPS Games Hell Let Loose: Vietnam director says games need "friction" to thrive, and this shooter is proof
 
 
Gallipoli
FPS Games Unforgiving, one shot one kill WW1 shooter Gallipoli is out now
 
 
Latest in Movies
John Cena squeezing Tweety in Coyote Vs ACME
Comedy Movies Coyote Vs. Acme made an anvil-shaped popcorn bucket to celebrate the film's long-awaited release
 
 
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne during The Batman
DC Movies New The Batman 2 set leaks see the Batmobile crash into Gotham City PD squad cars
 
 
Chris Pratt as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Marvel Movies Marvel's casting director reflects on Chris Pratt's "heartfelt" Captain America audition
 
 
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Movies Star Wars fan artist recreates Anakin and Obi-Wan's famous Revenge of the Sith duel with an incredible twist
 
 
Jubilee (Lana Condor) in X-Men: Apocalypse
Marvel Movies Lana Condor "desperately" wants to play Jubilee again after only getting seconds of screen time in X-Men: Apocalypse
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Movies The 5 movies you need to watch in September 2026
 
 
Latest in Features
A man in a jaw trap in Saw: Genesis
Horror Games Saw Genesis hands-on preview: Execution needs work (pun intended)
 
 
The Nacon Revosim Aston Martin expansion Formula wheel
Gaming Controllers Brands keep promising sim racing ecosystems, but Nacon is one of the few starting to follow through
 
 
Dialogue with a squad member at the base in Star Wars Zero Company
Strategy Games Game of the Week – Star Wars Zero Company has stolen my strategy-loving heart
 
 
A man with a face covered in drugs brandishes a revolver as he leans out of an airplane, from the GTA 6 extended look
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6's 8 biggest gameplay changes and new mechanics that will forever change the open-world sandbox
 
 
A fridge in GTA 6 shows photos of Lucia and Jason and some stickers reference in-game locations, along with messages of affirmation
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 extended look breakdown: 7 things you might have missed
 
 
Lucia and Jason rob a gas station with bandanas on, from the GTA 6 extended look
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 might be single-player but the coupled-up life changes everything
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A screenshot of the GTA 6 Extended Look. Jason looks out a car window while sitting next to Lucia.
    1
    GTA 6 "will be released on time," Rockstar North co-lead says
  2. 2
    Metro 2039 abandons the "moral grayness" from previous games, but the series' hidden Karma system is returning
  3. 3
    91.8% of Metal Gear Solid 4 players immediately got the achievement for ripping a statue's privates clean off
  4. 4
    Persona 4 Revival replaced the RPG's English voice cast after Atlus struggled to get everyone back
  5. 5
    People don't understand Steam player numbers, Palworld lead says: "Poor Marathon"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...