A powerful World War II drama is winning over viewers with its intense battle sequences, emotional storytelling and unflinching portrayal of the horrors of war. And some have even compared it to the legendary Saving Private Ryan.

The film is The Forgotten Battle, a gripping Dutch production released in 2020 that explores the largely overlooked Battle of the Scheldt in 1944.

Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., the film follows three young people whose lives become intertwined during one of the most important military campaigns of the Second World War.

There is Marinus, a Dutch soldier fighting alongside German forces; William, a British glider pilot involved in the Allied operation; and Teuntje, a young Dutch woman who becomes involved in the resistance. Although they come from very different backgrounds, their paths eventually cross as the battle intensifies.

The story unfolds on the flooded island of Walcheren, where Allied forces are fighting to gain control of the Scheldt estuary and open a vital shipping route to the port of Antwerp.

Featuring Gijs Blom, Jamie Flatters, Susan Radder and Harry Potter star Tom Felton, the film offers several perspectives on the conflict rather than focusing on a single group of soldiers.

Its combination of brutal combat, personal sacrifice and difficult moral choices has helped it attract comparisons with some of the most celebrated war films ever made.

Viewers have praised its realistic atmosphere and emotional performances, with some describing it as an unexpectedly moving account of a battle that deserves far greater recognition.

The film also achieved impressive success on Netflix, attracting millions of viewing hours after its release and becoming one of the platform’s most successful non-English-language films at the time.

For anyone who appreciates the intensity of Saving Private Ryan but wants to discover a different chapter of World War II history, The Forgotten Battle offers a compelling experience — and a reminder that some of the war’s most important stories remain relatively unknown.