5 patriotic movies to watch on Netflix for Fourth of July 2024

Who doesn't love throwing down on the grill, eating great food, and watching patriotic movies as we countdown to nighttime to shoot fireworks? I know that's a yearly tradition in the Valero household. With the fluid changes in the streaming titles that come and go, we wanted to share with you the five most patriotic movies to watch on Netflix this Fourth of July.

Defining a patriotic movie can vary across many different genres. But the ones we look at the most are those that represent what the holiday entails: values, unity, and sacrifice. As I sorted through the list of movies you could watch, I wanted to ensure they represented that and were also good movies.

Patriots Day

Directed by: Peter Berg
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Alex Wolff, Kevin Bacon, Michele Monaghan
Plot: Patriots Day follows the incredible true story of the tragedy that shook the world on April 15, 2013, as two bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon. Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), Agent Deslauriers (Kevin Bacon), and Commissioner David (John Goodman) face the race against time to hunt down the suspects and bring them to justice.

White House Down

Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Plot: After being rejected for his dream job of protecting President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx), John Cale (Channing Tatum) lies to his daughter to avoid disappointing her. So he takes her on a trip to the White House, which turns into a deadly ambush in an attempt to take down the President. Cale uses his abilities to attempt to save his daughter, the President, and the country.

Da 5 Bloods

Directed by: Spike Lee
Starring: Delroy Lindo, Chadwick Boseman, Clark Peters, Jonathan Majors
Plot: Four African American veterans battle man and nature when they return to Vietnam, looking for the remains of their fallen squad leader along with the gold fortune he helped them hide. This story is impactful, inspiring, and one of the decade's best films.

Hacksaw Ridge

Directed by: Mel Gibson
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Luke Bracey, Sam Worthington, Teresa Palmer
Plot: Based on the heroic story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Garfield) won a Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. Doss went on to earn the respect of his fellow soldiers, who criticized him for his stance by saving 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Garfield's masterful performance of Desmond Doss led to him receiving his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Born on the Fourth of July

Directed by: Oliver Stone
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry, Jerry Levine, Frank Whaley, and Willem Dafoe
Plot: It is based on the true story of Ron Kovic, a paralyzed war veteran who becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights activist after feeling his country betrayed him after fighting for them. Tom Cruise's performance as Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July garnered him his first Academy Award nomination. The film as a whole was nominated for eight Academy Awards, taking home two Oscars for Best Director (Oliver Stone) and Best Film Editing. It is widely considered one of the greatest War movies of our time.

Bonus TV pick: Band of Brothers

Starring Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor, and Donnie Wahlberg, Band of Brothers is a war drama miniseries based on Stephen E. Ambrose's nonfiction book of the same name. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks created the series, which follows the story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division on their mission in World War II Europe. By far, this is one of the greatest pieces of TV I've ever watched. This is the perfect thing to watch if you want to get in the patriotic mood.

Other notable films to watch: Thank You For Your Service, Unbroken, War Dogs