I've always felt something similar to this phenomenon happened to Inglorious Bastards. The movie is about how easy it is to dehumanize people (nazis in this case) when you've got a handy reason...and yet I've always suspected its reception was as a badass WWII flick.

Scoresby

It's because the actors are all playing it straight and they win in the end.

Undisciplined

It’s funny to think of it this way: the troopers are getting their asses kicked; one of them dies even though it’s like 20+ troopers against one bug, they’re torn to pieces, snapped in half while being recorded; even the cameraman dies, and later their brains are literally sucked out, but it’s glorifying war haha

mostly_harmless

On Being the Right Size

It’s funny to think of it this way: the troopers are getting their asses kicked; one of them dies even though it’s like 20+ troopers against one bug, they’re torn to pieces, snapped in half while being recorded; even the cameraman dies, and later their brains are literally sucked out, but it’s glorifying war haha

https://youtu.be/yoXH09Ilo-4