10 movies you can watch in honor of the Fourth Of July 2025

Picking Fourth of July movies is harder than it looks. American Independence Day has always felt like a patchwork quilt, stitched together with fireworks, barbecues, the mighty parade, and the feeling of quiet gratitude. So if you're looking for something to match the mood: the messy, warm, beautifully American kind, here are 10 movies to curl up with this Independence Day. Because, if nothing else, American cinema knows how to be loud, layered, and unapologetically itself.

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Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Born on the Fourth of July is proof that Tom Cruise is more than just high-octane action scenes because his portrayal of Ron Kovic is nothing short of incredible and gut wrenching. This is the story of a young man who enlists in the Vietnam War full of pride, only to return home paralyzed and disillusioned. What follows is a raw, deeply personal journey from blind loyalty to anti-war activism. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an essential one, especially on Independence Day. It reminds us that freedom comes at a cost, and questioning your country can be its highest form of love.

Available to watch on: Netflix

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Lincoln (2012)

Next up we have Steven Spielberg's Lincoln- a biopic on the man who is frequently referred to as the greatest president the United States has ever had. Daniel Day Lewis plays Abraham Lincoln with such precision that you almost feel like you're in a documentary. From his leadership during the Civil War, to his revolutionary abolition of slavery- the film unpacks all of Lincoln's strengths and weaknesses and why he is the legendary man he is.

For Fourth of July, Lincoln is the perfect watch as you watch the man's life who built the roots of America and it's strength. Spielberg's direction is flawless and the film rightly bagged twelve Academy Award nominations, winning one for Lewis as Best Actor.

Available to watch on: Prime Video

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The American President (1995)

The American President feels like a warm hug from a version of politics we wish existed, one where decency, charm, and actual backbone live in the Oval Office. Directed by Rob Reiner and written with all of Aaron Sorkin’s signature sparkle, it gives us President Andrew Shepherd, a man trying to do the right thing while figuring out how to be a human being in the public eye. It’s romantic, idealistic, and quietly powerful. And on the Fourth of July, a day wrapped in reflection, hope, and hot dogs, it’s the perfect film to remind us what leadership could look like.

Available to watch on: Prime Video

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Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger combines all the right elements of heroism, patriotism and Americanness. Marvel's first Avenger reinstated the meaning of a superhero, and for Fourth of July, this Chris Evans starrer is the perfect watch as you sit through his Steve Rogers' grand monologues.

Available to watch on: Disney+

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Team America: World Police (2004)

We're changing gears here and trading patriotism and parades for a little bit of parody. Team America: World Police, created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady, is a chaotic, foul-mouthed, puppet-powered satire that pulls no punches. Using marionettes and miniature sets, it mocks American exceptionalism, Hollywood activism, and global politics with outrageous humor.

The story follows Gary, a Broadway actor roped into a counterterrorism unit, as they clumsily save (and blow up) the world. It’s crude, clever, and completely unfiltered. For the Fourth of July, it’s the perfect anti-patriotic patriotic film, one that asks us if we’re the heroes we think we are. Spoiler: maybe not.

Available to watch on: Prime Video

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National Treasure (2004)

National Treasure, directed by Jon Turteltaub and starring Nicolas Cage at peak treasure-hunting intensity, is pure popcorn patriotism. Cage plays Benjamin Franklin Gates, a history-obsessed adventurer who believes there’s a secret map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence, and naturally, he decides to steal it (for justice, of course).

What follows is a wild ride through American history, packed with riddles, ancient clues, founding father lore, and just the right amount of chaos. It’s the perfect Fourth of July watch because it turns dusty history into a high-stakes adventure and somehow makes it cool. You might also wanna watch out for it's iconic quote:

"I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

Available to watch on: Prime Video

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Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures tells the true story of three brilliant Black women who helped get America to space, and were almost erased from the story entirely. Long before high-tech computers, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were doing the math by hand, breaking barriers at NASA while also fighting racism and s**ism every step of the way.

Played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, their stories hit hard because they’re real, and because history tried to forget them. This film doesn’t just celebrate their genius, it corrects a silence that went on for far too long.

Available to watch on: Prime Video

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Jaws (1975)

Another very obvious Steven Spielberg pick for Fourth of July is Jaws- the film that has gone down in history as one of the best American films ever made. It might not wave a flag or play the national anthem, but it’s arguably the perfect Fourth of July movie, and not just because it’s set during the holiday weekend. The film captures summer in full swing: beaches packed, kids screaming, grills sizzling. Then it turns that sunny Americana on its head with one iconic dorsal fin. If anything, watch it for the Indianapolis monologue and for Robert Shaw's brilliant acting.

Available to watch on: Prime Video

Also Read: One of the most iconic Jaws moments was not originally in the script

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Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day is everything we love and kind of laugh at about American blockbusters, cranked all the way up. Aliens invade Earth, and naturally, it’s a wisecracking fighter pilot played by Will Smith, a quirky scientist played by Jeff Goldblum, and the President himself played by Bill Pullman who leads the charge to save the world.

It’s big, loud, and more than a little absurd, but somehow, it works. The speeches are cheesy in the best way, the action is wild, and the vibe is pure Fourth of July chaos. It’s not subtle, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s patriotic fun, alien-style.

Available to watch on: Prime Video

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The Sandlot (1993)

The Sandlot doesn’t need to shout “America,” it just is America, in the best, most sunburnt, firecracker-under-your-sneaker kind of way. It’s summer as it lives on in our memory: endless afternoons, scraped knees, too much soda, and the magic of baseball with your best friends and quite frankly one of the best American coming-of-age films in cinema.

The Fourth of July scene, lit by fireworks and innocence, is pure movie nostalgia, that moment when the night feels too big and beautiful to explain. The Sandlot is less about plot and more about feeling: that sweet spot between childhood and growing up. Watching it on Independence Day just makes sense.

Available to watch on: Prime Video