The Best Movies to Watch on Memorial Day
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What do you have planned for Memorial Day weekend? A trip to the beach? A relaxing staycation? A shopping spree? No matter what’s on your agenda, consider Memorial Day an invitation to unwind and celebrate your freedom. If you’d like to squeeze in a little patriotism—let's not forget what Memorial Day is about, people!—but don’t want to kill the fun, try a movie night.
Below, you’ll find the best patriotic films to celebrate Memorial Day in all its glory. Looking for something light? Check out The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a true story about one man’s mission to deliver ice-cold Blue Ribbons to his friends in Vietnam. If you’re a fan of unsung heroes, look no further than Da 5 Bloods, a Spike Lee joint that’s sure to spark a fire within you. There are also classics like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line. It’s all right here, folks—all you have to do is choose. What’s more American than that?
Top Gun: Maverick
We’ve long praised Top Gun: Maverick as one of our favorite action movies, but it bears repeating. Top Gun: Maverick is truly one of the best films of the decade so far. The film stars Tom Cruise as Pete Mitchell, a star aviator in the Navy. After 30 years of service, he becomes a teacher and trains a new class of recruits. The only issue? They’re about to be sent on Mitchell’s toughest mission yet. In order to keep himself and his team safe, Mitchell has to dig deep and face his greatest fears.
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The Greatest Beer Run Ever
In this you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it film, Zac Efron stars as John “Chickie” Donohue—a plucky New Yorker with a dream of cracking a cold one with his buddies in Vietnam. Cue a comedic journey across seas, fit with heartwarming reunions and harsh truths. Best of all, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is based on a true story.
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Da 5 Bloods
Da 5 Bloods follows four Black veterans. Long after the Vietnam War, they return to their old battlegrounds in search of the remains of their deceased squad leader. Before he died, he buried a gold fortune with their help—now, it’s up to them to find it.
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Blackhawk Down
It's 1993. The U.S. Special Forces unit has been sent to Somalia to bring humanitarian aid to a starving population. Their mode of travel? Blackhawk helicopters. They expect a manageable mission, but plans change when Somalian forces shoot two of the U.S. choppers down. In order to survive, they have to regain control of their helicopters while evading a wave of gunfire.
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M*A*S*H
Lighten the mood with M*A*S*H, a dark comedy about the medical unit of a U.S. encampment in the Koran war. Surgeons Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre make the best of their predicament with martini parties and incessant jokes. The film was such a hit it spurred a hit TV show that ran for 11 seasons—you can check it out on Hulu.
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The Thin Red Line
Think of The Thin Red Line as the film equivalent of eating your greens—a necessary nutrient for any cinephile. This war epic stars Jim Caviezel as Private Witt, a U.S. Army member living on a tiny island in the South Pacific. Life is peaceful there. It's much quieter than America, which, at that point, was embedded in World War II. When Witt’s hideout is discovered, he’s forced to leave the island and join the American troops in training for the Battle of Guadalcanal.
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Devotion
Devotion tells the true story of Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in the U.S. Navy. He’s the best of the best and has the skills to prove it, but when he’s assigned to assist in the Korean War, Brown’s leadership skills are put to the test. Can he complete the mission, protect his teammates, and make it home safely? You’ll have to see to find out.
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Saving Private Ryan
In Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller. One of his paratroopers, Private James Ryan, is missing, and his three brothers were killed. To find Ryan, Miller and his team breach enemy territory and forge a manhunt, displaying remarkable courage along the way.
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Glory
Glory, which is based on a true story, is an important history lesson. The film follows Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Mathew Broderick), who’s assigned to command America’s first Black regiment. The crew includes Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), a junior officer; Trip (Denzel Washington), a runaway slave; and John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), a clever gravedigger. Together, they climb the ranks and become key fighters in a legendary battle.
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Greyhound
Here’s another one for the Tom Hanks hive. In Greyhound, the actor stars as Navy Commander Ernest Krause. During World War II, he is tasked with leading an allied convoy across the Atlantic Ocean. Things get dicey when German boats catch on to their plan. To make matters worse, this is Krause’s first wartime mission, which went down as the longest naval conflict in history—you may remember it as The Battle of the Atlantic.
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