{"id":922570,"date":"2026-07-26T07:14:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T12:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/26\/the-26-best-movies-to-watch-on-the-fourth-of-july\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T07:14:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T12:14:22","slug":"the-26-best-movies-to-watch-on-the-fourth-of-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/26\/the-26-best-movies-to-watch-on-the-fourth-of-july\/","title":{"rendered":"The 26 Best Movies to Watch on the Fourth of July"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Estimated11 min read<\/span><\/p>\n

We cozy up for Christmas and let our freak flags fly for Halloween. But on the Fourth of July<\/a>, we let freedom ring baby. Smack in the middle of summer comes Independence Day, when we Americans spend three days reveling the day-long sunshine in the only way we know how. Barbecues<\/a>, pool parties, cold drinks<\/a>, and yes, damn fine movies. Suck it, rest of the world. You may have socialized medicine and federally mandated paid time off, but we\u2019ve got fireworks.<\/p>\n

While you should totally get outside and breathe in the fresh summer air, it\u2019s also not a bad idea to crack open a cold one and fire up an old favorite. There\u2019s dozens, maybe hundreds of movies where \u201cAmerica!\u201d is the predominant theme\u2014some reverent, some scathing, all of it worth watching.<\/p>\n

With \u201cAmerica\u201d a broad cinematic theme, we decided to narrow things down for your movie marathon this weekend. An important rule we imposed this time is to not<\/em> list movies we just highlighted this past Memorial Day.<\/a> That means we\u2019re omitting some otherwise obvious mentions, like Saving Private Ryan<\/em>, Glory<\/em>, Born on the Fourth of July<\/em>, and both Top Guns<\/em>. Independence Day implies celebration of summer in America, not just saluting the troops. (Again, that\u2019s what Memorial Day and Veterans Day are for.) Tell us why we\u2019re wrong for doing this in the comments below.<\/p>\n

Whether you want refuge from the sun or you\u2019re not an American but want an easy way to relish in our explosive festivities, here are some of the best movies you can put on for the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

Jaws <\/em>(1975)<\/h2>\n

Are you still afraid to go in the water? Over 50 years later, Jaws<\/em> still rips as the greatest summer thriller ever made. In an idyllic beach town plagued by a mane-eating great white, a police chief (Roy Scheider) teams up with a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a hunter (Robert Shaw) to take down the shark terrorizing a New England beachgoers. You\u2019ve seen it before, but you know you\u2019re watching it again this weekend. Also, if you\u2019ve never done it, there are places in Texas and Massachusetts that host \u201cJaws on the Water\u201d screenings where you can watch the movie while floating on tubies\u2026 with swimmers lurking to scare you. You\u2019re gonna need a much bigger boat.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Miracle<\/em> (2004)<\/h2>\n

Sure, hockey season is over. But the legendary Miracle on Ice is primo American sports legend, and the 2004 sports drama Miracle<\/em> immortalizes our most impossible victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. You know the story by now: When the Cold War was at its hottest, the United States took on the dominant (and odds-on favorite) Soviet Union. Revisiting Miracle<\/em> can make you really believe in fairy tale endings.<\/p>\n

Disney+<\/a> Netflix<\/a> Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

All the President\u2019s Men<\/em> (1976)<\/h2>\n

Just four years after the Watergate Scandal made headlines, Alan J. Pakula\u2019s journalism thriller All the President\u2019s Men<\/em> set the standard for what speaking truth to power really looks like. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman co-star as real-life Washington Post <\/em>journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein respectively, as they investigate the Nixon administration\u2019s wiretapping of DNC headquarters. Putting aside the unsuspecting menswear inspo, All the President\u2019s Men<\/em> champions the fourth estate as an irremovable pillar to our democracy.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sandlot<\/em> (1993)<\/h2>\n

The kid\u2019s a square, Benny! Kid\u2019s a square! Besides the memorable baseball game that\u2019s played on the Fourth of July, The Sandlot<\/em> is just a perfect coming-of-age movie that captures the magic of long summer afternoons in America: baseball games, dogs, pretty lifeguards, and memories with your best friends you\u2019ll remember (say it with me now) for-ev-er.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Hulu<\/a><\/p>\n

Selma<\/em> (2014)<\/h2>\n

Released on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 marches from Selma to Montgomery, Ava DuVernay\u2019s stunning historical drama details the events leading up to the marches\u2014and the tense fight for the right to vote that set it in motion. David Oyelowo stars as Martin Luther King Jr. as he gathers support to secure the Voting Rights Act in the heart, and heat, of Alabama. Not just another civil rights film, DuVernay\u2019s sharp direction and Oyelowo\u2019s masculine leading man performance give Selma<\/em> propulsive suspense that lend it the vibes of a political thriller.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Paramount+<\/a> Pluto TV<\/a><\/p>\n

1776 <\/em>(1972)<\/h2>\n

Way before Hamilton<\/em>, there was 1776<\/em>. Directed by Peter H. Hunt and adapted from the Broadway musical, the movie takes place in Philadelphia, 1776 (duh) to explore the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It\u2019s cornball cheesy and there ain\u2019t a number in the soundtrack that holds a candle to Lin-Manuel Miranda\u2019s work. But 1776<\/em> is the right sort of whimsy that the Fourth of July weekend calls for. And yes, if you\u2019re a millennial: That\u2019s Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World<\/em> as a singing John Adams.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> YouTube<\/a> Tubi<\/a><\/p>\n

Air Force One<\/em> (1997)<\/h2>\n

Of course Hollywood would make a movie where the President of the United States is a badass. And of course the man playing him is Harrison Ford. In this dumb but barrels-of-fun popcorn action flick, Russian terrorists hijack the world\u2019s most secure aircraft with the President (Ford) and the First Family aboard. With Harrison Ford hot off the heels from the Jack Ryan series, it was quite something to see him dressed up as the head honcho himself. All hail to the chief.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Pluto TV<\/a><\/p>\n

Transformers <\/em>(2007)<\/h2>\n

When Transformers<\/em> rolled into cinemas literally one day before Fourth of July in 2007, critics lamented the end of intelligent life. But nearly two decades later, Michael Bay\u2019s Transformers<\/em> hasn\u2019t lost any shine on its surface as it set the stage for big budget nostalgia-driven reboots to come. A teenager (Shia LaBeouf), driven to get his first car and impress girls (like Megan Fox\u2019s Mikayla), winds up in the middle of an ancient war between two factions of metamorphing aliens. Transformers<\/em> isn\u2019t more than meets the eye, but its jaw-dropping visual effects and Bay\u2019s kinetic direction are no disguise.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Paramount+<\/a> Pluto TV<\/a><\/p>\n

Wet Hot American Summer <\/em>(2001)<\/h2>\n

Does Wet Hot American Summer <\/em>even take place on the Fourth of July? No. But who gives a shit when you\u2019ve got an all-time ensemble laying the groundwork for the next decade of comedy? It\u2019s the final day of Camp Firewood when counselors and campers gets together for a talent show\u2026 and more. Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Meloni, Ken Marino, and actually so many other names I don\u2019t have room to type pack Wet Hot American Summer<\/em> to the gills with hormone-driven hijinks. (Never mind basically everyone in the cast are grown adults.) Pretty much every big comedy since 2001 owes a debt to Wet Hot<\/em>, which holds up after 25 years.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rock <\/em>(1996)<\/h2>\n

\u201cWelcome to The Rock!\u201d Michael Bay\u2019s hit \u201890s blockbuster The Rock<\/em> offers plenty of bombast with a pinch of anti-establishment commentary. Nicholas Cage teams up with Sean Connery to stop Ed Harris\u2014demanding reparations on behalf of fallen soldiers\u2014from launching chemical weapons out of Alcatraz onto all of San Francisco. A bit too exciting for a somber Memorial Day, the Fourth of July is the right time for The Rock<\/em> to rock your socks off.<\/p>\n

HBO Max<\/a> Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Prey<\/em> (2022)<\/h2>\n

America isn\u2019t even a sovereign nation when Prey<\/em> finds its story in the early 18th century Great Plains. But its tale of underdog heroism and depiction of Native war tactics is more American than most other movies you can name. Set in 1719, this standalone spin-off from the Predator<\/em> franchise sees a young Comanche warrior (grade-A badass Amber Midthunder) square off against a Predator alien armed with only her guts, her tools, and her intimate knowledge of her homeland.<\/p>\n

Hulu<\/a><\/p>\n

Nashville<\/em> (1975)<\/h2>\n

The 200th anniversary of America was the right time for Robert Altman to unleash Nashville<\/em>, a multi-faceted mosaic of a nation still suffering growing pains. Set against the country music industry in contemporary Nashville, Tennessee, Altman\u2019s movie follows over two dozen people for five days as a populist outsider seeks the presidency. (Hmm.) Altman\u2019s observatory eye gives the movie a documentary feel while its vast array of characters and hour\u2019s worth of musical numbers give it scope reserved only to treasured epics. Now, as America hits 250, Nashville<\/em> feels eerily relevant than ever. It almost looks like it was made yesterday.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Civil War<\/em> (2024)<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhat kind of American are you?\u201d The question chills to the bone both in the context of Alex Garland\u2019s Civil War<\/em> and in our own wicked reality. Set against a second American civil war between the remnants of the federal government and secession states, a group of journalists move from New York to Washington, D.C. to interview the third-term president before capital invasion. While its lore bends over backwards to not offend party lines, Civil War<\/em> is a somber and sober preview of a possible dark future.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Tubi<\/a> YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

The American President<\/em> (1995)<\/h2>\n

The late, great Rob Reiner could direct a rom-com like no other. Though it doesn\u2019t engender the same love as When Harry Met Sally\u2026<\/em>, his 1995 comedy The American President <\/em>is a winner. A predecessor to The West Wing<\/em> (with Aaron Sorkin as screenwriter), the films sees Michael Douglas play a widowed POTUS who falls in love with an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening). A few years shy of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal and a lifetime before, y\u2019know, everything else, the notion that a bachelor Prez dating a single, adult woman could be controversial is so quaint it hurts. But The American President<\/em>\u2019s warm hues soothe like a blanket. It\u2019s worthwhile counter-programming to the other weekend movies with explosions and killer sharks.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Lincoln<\/em> (2012)<\/h2>\n

Steven Spielberg\u2019s graceful 2012 biopic of Abraham Lincoln was the final performance of Daniel Day-Lewis, at least for a time. Upon its release, the significance of Day-Lewis\u2019 finality gave his 16th president added weight as a man confronting the end (even if Lincoln himself didn\u2019t know it was coming). Lincoln<\/em> takes place over the final months of Lincoln\u2019s life as he strove to abolish American slavery whilst navigating his era\u2019s politics and reconciling what is right from what is just. Sentimental and smart without being overtly mawkish, Lincoln<\/em> is a historical drama free from the cheap sepia filters of most other Civil War pieces to lend clarity to Lincoln\u2019s crisis of faith.<\/p>\n

Hulu<\/a> Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Captain America: Civil War <\/em>(2016)<\/h2>\n

Our rule for omitting films for Memorial Day means we\u2019re disqualifying Captain America: The First Avenger<\/em>, which we\u2019ll admit feels betters suited for Independence Day marathons. But there\u2019s something really, really American about the threequel, Captain America: Civil War<\/em>. It begins with American forces operating on foreign soil which kicks up a geopolitical shitstorm. Then, the big action set-piece centers on a clean divide between two sides who resort to violence. That\u2019s pretty damn American!<\/p>\n

Disney+<\/a><\/p>\n

Apollo 13<\/em> (1995)<\/h2>\n

Many \u201cAmerica!\u201d movies depict our hard-won victories\u2014but what about our losses? Ron Howard\u2019s towering Apollo 13<\/em> blasts an all-star cast of Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton to space as the crew of the ill-fated Apollo 13 lunar mission. In the shadow of the historic 1969 Moon landing, Hanks stars as astronaut Jim Lovell whose dreams of surfing the stars comes to an early end. The Space Race remains one of America\u2019s greatest triumphs, but Apollo 13<\/em> is a gorgeous reminder that dominance doesn\u2019t last.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Netflix<\/a><\/p>\n

Adventureland<\/em> (2009)<\/h2>\n

When Adventureland<\/em> opened in April 2009, it was grossly mismarketed as an R-rated romp like Superbad<\/em>. But Greg Mottola\u2019s melancholic movie about the crossroads of young adulthood is deeper than its bad trailers made it seem. Set during the summer of 1987, a college graduate (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to abandon his trip to Europe and work at a rinky dink Pittsburgh amusement park. Over corn dogs and rickety rides, he gets close to pretty yet enigmatic coworker (Kristen Stewart). It\u2019s a summer movie more than a Fourth of July film, but a pivotal scene set during July 4 fireworks<\/a> can make your heart explode.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Pluto TV<\/a><\/p>\n

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington<\/em> (1939)<\/h2>\n

In the same way we habitually watch It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em> every Christmas, we ought to put on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington<\/em> every Fourth of July too. Predating Wonderful Life <\/em>by a few years, this Frank Capra-James Stewart collaboration sees Stewart play an idealistic young man appointed to the Senate only to be met with cynicism and corruption rotting our democracy. The movie predates so many defining events of the 20th century, yet Mr. Smith Goes to Washington<\/em> is timeless in its portrayal of courage and justice.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Tubi<\/a><\/p>\n

National Treasure <\/em>(2004)<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s become a meme these days, but National Treasure<\/em> lives up to its title as a priceless piece of Hollywood magic. Nicholas Cage is at the peak of his powers as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian and \u201ctreasure protector\u201d who steals the Declaration of Independence to decode a map to a legendary relic. For a blockbuster rooted in history, National Treasure<\/em> isn\u2019t terribly smart. But it succeeds as a family-friendly affair that throws it back to classic swashbucklers, elevated by 21st century razzle dazzle courtesy of producer Jerry Bruckheimer.<\/p>\n

Disney+<\/a><\/p>\n

Hamilton<\/em> (2020)<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s hard to think of Hamilton<\/em> as a \u201cmovie\u201d when it\u2019s a taped production of Lin Manuel-Miranda\u2019s zeitgeist-seizing rap musical (strung together by three performances from 2016). But it helps that Hamilton<\/em> is a triumphant tale that\u2019s less a hagiography of a forgettable Founding Father and more about the American spirit within us all. When Disney acquired the distribution rights in February 2020\u2014and scheduled its theatrical release for October 2021\u2014they did not see the summer of quarantine ahead. On July 3, 2020, Disney hit the Hamilton<\/em> button and put it out on Disney+ to make up for the year without fireworks.<\/p>\n

Disney+<\/a><\/p>\n

American Graffiti <\/em>(1973)<\/h2>\n

Before George Lucas took off to a galaxy far, far away, he went back to his own halcyon youth with hot rods and hotter girls in Modesto, California. Set in the final day of summer vacation in 1962, American Graffiti<\/em> explores the lives of several different teenagers against the backdrop of rock \u2018n roll music and aimless drives around town. Even if George Lucas never made Star Wars<\/em>, American Graffiti<\/em> would be celebrated as a forerunner to the teen movie genre and how generations can and will cast the greatest days of their lives in amber.<\/p>\n

Didi<\/em> (2024)<\/h2>\n

It isn\u2019t a \u201cJuly 4\u201d movie in any real way, but Sean Wang\u2019s feature debut from 2024 interrogates 21st century American youth and restlessness in a way most films still have not. Set in the summer of 2008, Didi<\/em> follows rebellious 13-year-old Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) who defies his Taiwanese immigrant family with YouTube skateboarding videos and other hijinks. On the brink of high school, Chris navigates crushes, friendships, and identity in the formative years of social media. Didi<\/em> is a sublime and raw retrospective of growing up American, in America, even when you don\u2019t feel like you belong anywhere.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

The Way, Way Back <\/em>(2013)<\/h2>\n

Fresh from The Office<\/em>, Steve Carrell puts on his bad guy face in this coming-of-age comedy from directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Liam James plays an introverted teenager on summer vacation with his mom and her new rude boyfriend (Carrell). Over the course of many weeks at their beach house in Massachusetts, James\u2019 Duncan learns to come out of his shell and embrace a bigger world. Not only did the movie hit theaters on July 5, 2013, but a key scene takes place during an Independence Day cookout.<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Independence Day<\/em> (1996)<\/h2>\n

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in this history of mankind. \u201cMankind.\u201d That word should have new meaning for all of us today.<\/p>\n

We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it\u2019s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution. But from annihilation. We’re fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We\u2019re going to live on. We\u2019re going to survive. Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!<\/em><\/p>\n

Hulu<\/a> Prime Video<\/a> Tubi<\/a><\/p>\n

Team America: World Police <\/em>(2004)<\/h2>\n

AMERICA!!!! Fuck yeah!!! Comin\u2019 again to save the motherfuckin\u2019 day, YEAH!!!<\/p>\n

Prime Video<\/a> Pluto TV<\/a>
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Arden Lanz
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

11 min read We cozy up for Christmas and let our freak flags fly for Halloween. But on the Fourth of July, we let freedom ring baby. Smack in the middle of summer comes Independence Day, when we Americans spend three days reveling the day-long sunshine in the only way we know how. Barbecues, pool<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":922571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1309,451],"tags":[11759,5442],"class_list":["post-922570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","category-watch","tag-movies","tag-watch"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/922570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=922570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/922570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/922571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=922570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=922570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=922570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}