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Memorial Day is more than just an excuse to get out the grill. It’s also a day designed to honor those we’ve lost in combat, an important hallmark of the wars America has fought over its history.
In that context, we’ve pulled together three action movies that all focus on what it means to be a soldier in one way or another. Some of these movies are more serious than others, but each one should resonate on this particular long weekend.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
One of the best war movies of the past 25 years, Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down follows a platoon of U.S. forces attacked by local rebels in Somalia during the early 1990s. As the soldiers on the ground face relentless fire and are forced to fight to survive, we also come to appreciate the folly of U.S. forces assuming that they can bring peace to the world.
Black Hawk Down is filled with young actors who would eventually become stars, but what really makes the movie work is the fact that none of those actors are more important than the relentless pace of the story being told.
You can watch Black Hawk Down on Netflix.
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
A brilliant examination of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, Da 5 Bloods tells the story of a group of Black veterans of that war who reunite in the country decades later to find the treasure they buried there during the conflict.
As they argue about the state of modern America and discuss how they were abused by the country they call home, the men also find themselves forced to fight for their right to leave with the gold. Anchored by a remarkable central performance from Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods is one of Spike Lee’s more impressive and exciting efforts of the past decade.
You can watch Da 5 Bloods on Netflix.
The Great Escape (1963)
The Great Escape is an action movie that strikes an impressive tonal balance between comedy and drama. Set in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp, it follows a group of imprisoned soldiers who see it as their obligation to attempt to escape from the camp. As they slowly dig a tunnel to escape, a rogue amongst them keeps trying to break out in more reckless ways.
Although it might minimize some of the horror of living in a Nazi prison camp, The Great Escape is an effective, action-oriented depiction of how much soldiers can fight even after they’ve already been captured.
You can watch The Great Escape on Amazon Prime Video.
Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming…
3 great action movies on Tubi you need to watch right now
At this point, Tubi is not just "the free streaming service with ads." It's much more than that due to its well-stocked library of critical and financial hits. For example, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies are available on Tubi. Not paying a cent to watch Kill Bill should be illegal, but it's completely free with Tubi. Drive, Se7en, Platoon, and Apocalypto are several of the other high-profile selections.
One of Tubi's best genres is action. The page includes action stars like Sylvester Stallone, whose guilty pleasure from 1987 is one of our recommendations. The other two selections are a sci-fi epic with stunning visuals and one of Tom Cruise's better movies of the last 15 years.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Over the Top (1987)
Over the Top is aptly named because of the exaggerated premise and ridiculous plot. This is a compliment, by the way. Sylvester Stallone plays Lincoln Hawk, a truck driver who pulls in extra cash by arm wrestling. After his estranged wife, Christina (Susan Blakely), becomes ill, Lincoln must pick up his 12-year-old son, Michael (David Mendenhall), and take him on a road trip.
3 underrated movies you need to watch in February 2025
January has been a slow month for new theatrical releases. That's to be expected, considering the month carries the nickname "Dumpuary," which signals the movies in January and February that studios release without much hope for critical acclaim and box office returns. Flight Risk is the latest addition to the Dumpuary canon.
Dumpuary doesn't always mean "bad." Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is a solid heist movie, while Steven Soderbergh crafted a nifty ghost story in Presence. As we look toward February, Captain America: Brave New World is at the top of the slate for new releases. Beyond Captain America, there is a slew of underrated movies in February, including an A24 coming-of-age story, a Mubi thriller, and an end-of-the-world romance.
Parthenope (February 7 in theaters)
Parthenope | Official Trailer HD | A24
Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino has not directed a movie since 2021's The Hand of God, which received an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature Film. The movie was about a young male coming of age in 1980s Italy. His new film for A24, Parthenope, spotlights a young woman's search for love and happiness.
Parthenope (Celeste Dalla Porta) was named after the city in Naples. As she becomes a young woman, Parthenope garners attention from everyone in her orbit: teenagers, young adults, and old professionals. It's Parthenope's boyfriends who obsess over her the most. Like most of Sorrentino's films, Parthenope uses the picturesque Italian setting to his advantage in this coming-of-age tale.
Bring Them Down (February 7 in theaters)
BRING THEM DOWN | Official Trailer | Coming Soon
It's a showdown between Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott in Bring Them Down. Set in Ireland, Abbott plays Michael, a shepherd who takes over for his ill father, Ray (Colm Meaney). Michael becomes embroiled in a dispute involving a rival farmer, Gary (Paul Ready), and his son, Jack (Keoghan).
The ensuing conflict brings out the worst in both sides, especially Michael, who holds a dark family secret that could destroy his family. Keoghan is known for bringing chaotic energy to his characters, like he did in The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Saltburn. Combine that with the steadiness of Abbott, and Bring Them Down becomes a fascinating cat-and-mouse thriller.
When I'm Ready (February 7 in theaters, February 14 on digital)
When I'm Ready | Official Trailer
What would you do if the world was coming to an end? Who would you spend your final days with? Rose (June Schreiner) and Michael (Andrew Ortenberg) pick to experience humanity's impending doom together in Andrew Johnson's When I'm Ready. The last-ditch effort to destroy an asteroid hurling toward Earth fails, meaning humanity has less than a week until impact.
With extinction imminent, Rose and Michael embark on a road trip to experience the world's pleasures one last time. One of the tasks on Rose's list is to see her grandmother before dying. As the young lovers trek across the country, they interact with an eclectic group of individuals, including Julia (Lauren Cohan) and Keith (Dermot Mulroney). For those needing a little carpe diem inspiration, When I'm Ready feels like that kind of movie.
3 action movies on Max you need to watch in January
Every streaming service is working overtime to make sure that it can compete in what has become a pretty crowded streaming market. Few streaming services have as many movies worth checking out as Max, though, thanks to its combination of a deep archival library and plenty of new movies rotating regularly.
If you're looking for a great action movie available on the service, we've got you covered. We've pulled together three of the best action movies you should watch on the streaming service, no matter what you're looking for:
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