This list includes movies about freedom, love for one’s country, antiwar movies, and the ones that show us the strength and force of one person or a group of people who would do anything to fight for the place where they were born and grew up. They are dramas that take us to various time periods and places but with one thing in common, their patriotism and love for the people and their country. This is the list of the 20 best patriotic movies on Netflix to stream right now.
Forrest Gump (1994)
One of the most beautiful movies of all time is this heartwarming drama about a simple young man named Forrest Gump who spends his childhood days with her only friend Jenny and his mother. His mother takes care of him, allowing him to make his own choices.
It results in his joining the army for service in Vietnam where he meets his new friends, Dan and Bubba, the ones for life. He will become one of the greatest inspirations there, with his creative ideas and big heart but he will never stop thinking about Jenny, the love of his life whose destiny wasn’t as optimistic as Forrest’s. But he won’t give up on her, wanting to prove that he can love in this way, as well.
The Outpost (2019)
This history war drama is set during the Afghanistan war when several outposts were placed to control the Taliban movement and their supply chain. This movie follows one of them, in camp Keating set somewhere in a valley surrounded by mountains.
It is a small team of U.S. soldiers who will one day simply have to face and battle against a group of 400 Taliban who were ready for a surprise attack. With the lack of ammo and manpower, these brave men will have to give their best if they want to return back home to their loved ones.
Tears of the Sun (2003)
Antoine Fuqua directed this action drama thriller about a soldier’s difficult choice of choosing between his duty and his humanity. A.K. Waters is a Navy SEAL Lieutenant who is dispatched to Nigeria to retrieve Dr. Lena Kendricks, a Doctors Without Borders physician when the country is taken by a ruthless military dictator.
But when he arrives to get her, she refuses to leave with him, determined to have the villagers delivered to a political asylum at the nearby border. Witnessing the cruelty towards these people, Waters and his men decide to stay and escort the villagers on a dangerous path through the jungle.
Dunkirk (2017)
This is another Christopher Nolan masterpiece where he takes us on a somewhat different journey than we are used to in his movies. It is the story of Dunkirk which happened in May/June 1940 when French, Belgian and British soldiers found themselves trapped there, surrounded by the German Army.
It is one of the most famous world War II battles seen through the eyes of one soldier among these trapped forces, two Royal Air Force fighter pilots, and a group of civilians on their evacuation boat.
Medal of Honor (2008)
This excellent documentary brings us the story of the Medal of Honour, the highest U.S. award for accomplishments and valor in combat. It is told through personal stories of bravery. It is an inspirational and touching documentary where we learn a lot about the story behind the medal and its history.
There are numerous stories about men who never considered themselves heroes but were honored with this medal in order to celebrate what they did for their country and nation.
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Another Antoine Fuqua movie deals with threats to one’s country and the ways that a common man can undertake to save it. This is the story of the attack on the White House (the secret service code is Olympus) and the kidnapping of the President.
The one who finds himself inside the building is former Presidential Secret Service Agent Mike Banning who becomes the only man everyone relies on. Since the national security team is not responding, Banning will have to share his inside knowledge to help save the President and stop an even bigger disaster.
Shooter (2007)
Directed by Antonie Fuqua, this action drama-thriller brings us the story of Bob Lee Swagger, one of the best shooters who has decided to resign and live quietly in the Rockies. But he will have to accept the plea to stop the shooting of the President of the United States in one of three cities in the next two weeks.
Even though he is convinced he has done his job, the shot is fired and he becomes the first suspect, becoming aware that he has been double-crossed and that his life might be in danger now. Going on the run, he is determined to find the real shooter and the secret behind his hiring, which seems to lead back to Ethiopia where he was part of a secret mission a few years ago.
Extraction (2020)
Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a mercenary who will become responsible for the rescue of a young boy who becomes a pawn in a war between infamous and dangerous drug lords. Rake is a skilled man fighting his own demons, with a deadly wish that might make this mission even more impossible.
He is a black market mercenary and the boy he has to save is the son of an imprisoned international crime lord. It is the most difficult and dangerous mission in his career, one that will bring out all his frustrations.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
One of the most famous war dramas in the last decade of the 20th century, this movie takes us back to 1944 and the events related to four brothers, three of whom are killed in action. When the United States Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall learns about this fourth brother, he decides to do everything to bring him back to his mother.
Private James Ryan needs to be found and Marshall sends eight of his men (including Captain Miller and chosen Rangers) to find him and bring him home safely to his mother. Steven Spielberg did an excellent job with this story, making it as realistic as possible, with the help of an incredible cast of some of the most talented actors of that time.
The Patriot (2000)
This adventure drama The Patriot, tells the heartbreaking story of a french-Indian war hero Benjamin Martin and his family who live in 1776 in colonial South Carolina. His past haunts Benjamin and his only wish now is to live peacefully and completely detached from the current war against Great Britain.
His oldest sons, on the other hand, can’t wait to enlist in the army. When South Carolina decides to join the rebellion against England, his son Gabriel immediately signs up, without Benjamin’s permission. From this moment on, Benjamin’s life begins to change, leading from tragedy to tragedy and he will find himself torn between protecting his family and seeking revenge.
Sand Castle (2017)
Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green, and Henry Cavill play the leading roles in this action war drama about a soldier who decides to enlist just before September 11th. He is a man who simply wants to volunteer for his country and he finds himself in Iraq in 2003 where his courage will be tested numerous times.
Together with a few other soldiers from his infantry platoon, he will become responsible for bringing water to the village in need. But even some simple things, such as water transportation distribution and the reconstruction of the plumbing might become a challenge in the environment they are in.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
This brilliant war drama directed by Ridley Scott, with Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, and Eric Bana in the leading roles brings us the events from an almost disastrous mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993. Nearly 100 U.S. Army Rangers were dropped by a helicopter into Mogadishu with the task to capture two lieutenants of a Somali warlord.
This resulted in an extremely violent and dangerous shooting between the Army Rangers, US Special Forces, and Somali gunmen which led to the destruction of two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters. The rest of the movie focuses on the saving of those helicopters and the heroic mission and brave men who risked their lives to save their fellow soldiers.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
This is one of the most accurate and interesting retellings of the story of Pearl Harbour and it brings us the many details that preceded this tragic moment. Relations between Japan and the United States are getting more and more complicated due to the U.S. embargo of raw materials.
Air Staff Officer Minoru Genda is planning an attack on the United States and even though the American intelligence agencies knew about Japanese plans, they didn’t believe that an attack of a kind could happen on U.S. soil.
We Were Soldiers (2002)
This war drama takes us to 1965 to the la Drang valley in Vietnam and retells the story of the 1st Battalion, 7 Cavalry Regiment, seen through the eyes of the battalion’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore.
We witness his taking command of the battalion and preparing to go to Vietnam and at the same time see how the French have been defeated there a few years ago. This is not only the story about the soldiers on both sides of the battle but also the fears of their wives and families waiting for good or bad news at home.
Air Force One (1997)
Harrison Ford plays the President of the United States in this intense action crime drama directed by Wolfgang Petersen. He gives an inspiring speech in Moscow about the USA’s new Zero-tolerance policy regarding terrorism.
On his flight back home, his plane is hijacked and taken over by a few terrorists who make all the passengers on the Air Force One, including his wife and daughter, hostage. Their plan is to execute one hostage every half hour until their requirements are met. But the President is a former Medal of Honor winner who is not willing to let everything in their hands.
Swades (2004)
Harrison Ford plays the President of the United States in this intense action crime drama directed by Wolfgang Petersen. He gives an inspiring speech in Moscow about the USA’s new Zero-tolerance policy regarding terrorism.
On his flight back home, his plane is hijacked and taken over by a few terrorists who make all the passengers on the Air Force One, including his wife and daughter, hostage. Their plan is to execute one hostage every half hour until their requirements are met. But the President is a former Medal of Honor winner who is not willing to let everything in their hands.
Midway (2019)
Roland Emmerich directed this interesting historical war drama about the Battle of Midway, a fight between the American and the Japanese that is considered to be one of the most important turning points in the Pacific during World War II.
The movie is based on real events and it focuses on the leaders and soldiers who showed their bravery and went all in, completely unaware of what awaited them but ready to face everything. They used all their forces to overcome the odds.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
This excellent war drama was based on one of the greatest novels ever, written by Erich Maria Remarque and it takes us back to World War I where we witness a young German soldier’s horrifying experiences on the western front.
It is the story of teenagers Paul Bäumer and his friends Albert and Müller who voluntarily enlist in the German army, confident and ready to defend their country. But they soon learn that life on the front is so much crueller and more difficult than they could have ever imagined.
Free State of Jones (2016)
This interesting war western drama is set at the time of the Civil War and it tells the story of Newt Knight, a stubborn farmer, and his armed rebellion against the Confederacy. He joined forces with other small farmers and local slaves and created an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy.
It created the Free State of Jones and Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction which made him a compelling and controversial figure that was talked about long after the War.
Unbroken (2014)
This historical war drama inspired by true events and directed by Angelina Jolie focuses on the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who decided to join the armed forces during World War II. His plane crashed in the Pacific where he managed to stay alive in a raft with his two friends for 47 days.
They were caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Louis was now faced with a different battle and had to find all his courage and strength to survive the war.
