21 Perfect Movies To Watch On The 4th Of July 2024 And Where To Stream Them

July 4 is Independence Day in the United States. It's a day where we all fire up our grills and drink all day until the sun sets and someone blows up some fireworks--hopefully without getting hurt. It's also a good day to watch some movies about Americana or the American experience.

Obviously, we're not just talking about Ken Burns documentaries--they're great, but we're all looking for something a bit more condensed. We're talking about movies that figuratively and literally get the audience screaming "America. F*** yeah!" Whether it's Nicolas Cage finding a pair of Ben Franklin's old, ridiculous sunglasses or a team of female baseball players during World War II stepping up to the plate, there are plenty of stories we love to watch over and over again.

Figuring out which movies are the perfect films to watch on July 4th was a very calculated decision which involved complex mathematics. Just kidding, this is basically just a bunch of movies that feel like classic Americana. Who doesn't love those? Also, it gives me yet another chance to talk about a robot giving Paulie a birthday cake in Rocky IV. Seriously, I talk about that moment on this site a lot.

There are plenty of movies out there that celebrate the American experience in fantastic ways, but we can't include them all, so we picked 17 of the most fun, awe-inspiring, and awesome movies to get you ready for your grillin' and chillin'. Also, you can find out where to stream them as well.

If you're interested in more hot takes on movies, check out all of Pixar's shorts ranked, horror movies based on true stories, and horror films that are way too sick and twisted.

Where to stream: Peacock, Starz

While Steven Spielberg's classic horror film might not scream "America" to most people, the film does take place over the Fourth of July weekend. If you're unfamiliar with the film, Jaws is about a great white shark that is terrorizing vacationers on Amity Island. A sea captain, marine biologist, and sheriff team up to take down this fish, so the vacationers can enjoy their holiday.

Where to stream: AMC+

In this classic Bill Murray movie, which has an insane plot, two friends find themselves in a rut. Life isn't going their way, and they're bored, so they join the Army. What follows are hijinks and tomfoolery, which Murray does best. Eventually, the characters have to become leaders in order to help out their friends. While silly, it's a movie that celebrates the American spirit and rising to the occasion.

Where to stream: Max

Since we've already been talking about the Cold War, why not mention the 1984 classic Red Dawn? In this tale, Soviet, Cuban, and Nicaraguan troops invade a small town in Colorado after parachuting in. A group of high school students band together to fight off the invaders for the good of the country. The movie stars Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey, and it still holds up.

Where to stream: Prime Video, AMC+

There's only one movie on this list that delivers the cinematic beauty of a robot presenting a birthday cake and a live James Brown performance, and that's Rocky IV. In this movie, Rocky Balboa's friend, Apollo Creed, dies in the ring while fighting Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. The Italian Stallion heads to the USSR and has an epic battle with Drago. Keep in mind, this released during the tail end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, so this was more than just a boxing movie for us in the U.S. It was the morale boost America needed. Also, it had a robot in it. Happy birthday, Paulie!

Where to stream: Paramount+

The classic Tom Cruise movie Top Gun follows students at an elite US Navy school, where the classmates are fighting to become the best. This was a fun movie for its time featuring memorable moments like Val Kilmer's "Iceman" clenching his teeth and everyone having a shirtless volleyball match. Overall, the movie embodies the spirit of competition, which will be a repeating trend on this list.

Where to stream: Roku

During World War II, millions of American men were drafted to fight the good fight. Back on American soil, women across the nation rose to the occasion to work in the factories across the country to keep America running. Additionally, this change in the cultural landscape applied to sports and entertainment. A League of Their Own follows the first all-women's baseball team and the rivalry between two sisters who were incredible stars of the sport. It also features Tom Hanks in one excruciatingly long urination scene.

Where to stream: Disney+, Hulu, Fubo

While The Sandlot isn't about American troops fighting a great war or historical figures embarking on landmark moments in history, it does capture the American spirit and culture exceptionally well. The movie is set in 1962 and follows Scotty Smalls, a new kid in town who makes friends with other kids who love baseball. He doesn't know much about the sport but learns a lot after misplacing his stepfather's signed Babe Ruth baseball.

Where to stream: Paramount+, Fubo, Pluto TV

The United States' greatest export isn't a physical thing. It's the country's culture. From our movies to television shows to music, the pop culture of the U.S. has had a tremendous amount of influence on the world. Tom Hanks' starred in Forrest Gump as the titular character, which is two and a half hours of pop culture references as the backdrop of the story of the Gump living his life and finding himself involved in landmark moments in American history. He does all of this while retelling his tale to random strangers on a bus stop bench.

Where to stream: Hulu, Fubo

The world comes together to fight a bunch of aliens during an American holiday. ID4, as some refer to it, is a movie about invading alien forces coming to Earth and blowing up all of our favorite landmarks. Military forces around the world have to come together to find a way to defeat them. They find a way to destroy the invaders, on Independence Day, as Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith's characters use an old Mac to hack the alien mothership.

Where to stream: Prime Video, Paramount+, Pluto TV

Undoubtedly one of the best movies about World War II--this is a quick reminder Band of Brothers was an HBO series--Saving Private Ryan follows a group of U.S. soldiers who are on a mission to take a paratrooper out of battle and return him home after his brothers are killed in battle. One of Steven Spielberg's best films, the beaches of Normandy scene is horrifying and brilliantly shot and gives the rest of us an understanding of how terrifying war can truly be.

Where to stream: Disney+

Miracle recounts the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, as they took on what was thought to be the unstoppable team from the USSR. With the help of player-turned-coach Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, the team overcomes the odds as viewers around the world find a reason to believe in miracles. This against-the-odds tale is full of hope and based on an unbelievably true story.

Where to stream: Disney+

What do you get when you cross Indiana Jones with American history? Well, you get Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates in National Treasure. Gates is a mildly crazed treasure hunter in search of a war chest which he believes the founding fathers hid centuries prior. Of course, his adventures allow him to get into situations like stealing the Declaration of Independence and wearing magic glasses Ben Franklin made.

Where to stream: Paramount+

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the guys behind South Park, presented this ridiculous Thunderbirds-esque story about a Broadway actor who becomes part of a counter-terrorism organization. Most importantly, it stars puppets. That's right, the whole movie is about super-patriotic puppets trying to kill Kim Jong Il.

Where to stream: Disney+

Captain America's origin story is truly the adventure of the American spirit, standing up for what's right, and taking down fascism and crazy, red-faced dudes with super-powerful weapons. Chris Evans plays a scrawny, puny man who does whatever he can to fight for justice in World War II. However, the only way he can get in is through a secret super-soldier experiment, thus becoming Captain America.

Where to stream: Disney+, Fubo

America is a whole lot more than baseball, war, and punching Russians for killing your best friend. Hidden Figures takes place during the great space race when both Russian and the United States were trying their best to be the first to put a man into space. NASA enlists the help of a group of African-American women mathematicians who were pivotal in the mission to get astronaut John Glenn into orbit. It is truly an inspiring story that highlights the unsung heroes of the American space program.

Where to stream: Disney+

Everyone was talking about the Broadway play Hamilton for years, and then--during the pandemic--Disney+ released a filmed version of the play with the original cast. Written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical is about the life of Alexander Hamilton (Miranda): from his arrival in New York City to his work during the American Revolution to working for the American government to the duel with Aaron Burr.

Where to stream: Prime Video, Freevee

While The Tomorrow War is about the entire world fighting a scourge of alien beasts killing humans in the future, most of the movie is set in America. The movie features the everyman American Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) who is a really intelligent teacher, former scientist, former soldier, and current loving family man. He has to go to the future, shoot some weird beasts that eat people--and shoot spikes out of their tails--then find a way to save the future from this invasion. Although the movie was released in 2021, it is the most 1990s summer blockbuster you've ever seen. The film was released on Amazon Prime Video, so if you have a subscription, get watching.

Where to stream: Paramount+, Prime Video

Where to stream: Paramount+, Prime Video

Tom Cruise returns as Pete Mitchell, 30 years after the events of Top Gun. Yes, Mitchell is still a "Maverick," and hasn't risen as much in the ranks of the Navy as he should have. Mitchell is tasked with training the next generation of pilots, and the group's task is to destroy a uranium enrichment plant. Of course, Mitchell is successful at his task, with his students as his wingmen. Get it? Wingmen. Jets.

Where to stream: Netflix, Plex, Tubi

World War II wasn't just a moment that brought the world together; it brought America together, and the stories from those that fought in that battle are an important piece of history. Hacksaw Ridge follows the true story of combat medic Desmond Doss, who refused to carry a weapon in battle. He was only there to save lives. Andrew Garfield took on the role as Doss, and Hacksaw Ridge tells a story of what it's like to be a soldier whose purpose is to heal others.

Where to stream: AMC+

Get off my plane. That's probably the one thing you remember the most from Air Force One. The film follow Harrison "Indiana Jones/Han Solo" Ford as U.S. President James Marshall (Great name), and while on his titular plane, it's hijacked by communist radicals. Of course, there's a whole side-plot about the 25th Amendment and political drama, but the heart of this movie is America vs. communism, which is a repeating theme on this list.

Where to stream: For rent/buy at Amazon, Microsoft, Apple TV, and Fandango

In the ultimate escort mission, Gerard Butler plays former Secret Service agent Mike Banning. His job was to protect the President, but after an accident, he was removed from that job. North Korea shows up at the White House with a plan to capture the building. But that's not happening when Banning is on the case--even if he doesn't have that job anymore and is nowhere near the President. The leader of the country is held hostage and the Speaker of the House (Morgan Freeman) is now acting President. Banning escorts the acting President through the chaos, defeats the North Koreans, saves the President, and gets his old job back. Hell yeah.