The 11 Best Movies to Watch on the 4th of July

LianEntertainment2025-07-057040

While the 4th of July is traditionally marked with fireworks and explosive displays of celebration, there are plenty who’d rather curl up on the couch and celebrate another one of America’s favorite pastimes: movies. There have been a number of films made that tie into the Independence Day holiday, whether you want to spend your 4th of July watching a musical about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence or a thriller about Nicolas Cage stealing it decades later, but we’ve gone through and put together a curated (and varied) list of some of the best movies to watch for the occasion. Here’s a list of Independence Day-themed movies that hit the spot.

National Treasure

Photo credit:Disney

What’s more patriotic than stealing the Declaration of Independence? In this light-hearted action-adventure film, Nicolas Cage uncovers a hidden cypher on the back of the Declaration of Independence with a hairdryer, outruns his enemies in Philadelphia and miraculously evades criminal punishment despite stealing one of the most important documents in American history. Aside from its obvious laughs, “National Treasure” might spark reflection on who holds the secrets of our country — and who should benefit from its treasures. (Answer: Everyone.)

Top Gun & Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” (Paramount)

When it comes to quintessentially American movies, “Top Gun” is at the top. But the magnificent 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” is right there with it, making this a perfect double feature on the Fourth of July. Director Tony Scott’s original “Top Gun” catapulted Tom Cruise to movie stardom in the story of pilots chosen to train as part of an elite program. “Top Gun: Maverick,” steered by director Joseph Kosinski, impossibly captures the magic of the original while upping the emotion as Miles Teller stars as the son of Goose, played by Anthony Edwards in the first film. These movies are dynamite.

Stream “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick” on Paramount+.

Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian

Photo credit:Disney

The second installment in the “Night at the Museum” series takes viewers to the nation’s capitol as Larry attempts to save the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, which enables his friends at the museum to come to life. Amy Adams joins the film as Amelia Earheart and the pair tour the monuments, befriending Abraham Lincoln along the way. This family-friendly flick stays true to its comedic nature while showing you Washington, D.C.’s — and our history’s — highlights.

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Stream on Disney+.

1776

Photo credit:Columbia Pictures

50 years after this jubilant, hilarious musical hit theaters, we’re still arguing about what the Founding Fathers intended for this nation. But surely we can all agree that in between hotly debating issues of slavery and states’ rights, John Adams (William Daniels), Declaration of Independence drafter Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) and Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva) danced and sang wonderfully.

“1776” is available to rent.

Independence Day

Photo credit:20th Century Fox

People of all faiths around the world work together to defeat homicidal aliens in this rousing, eminently rewatchable blockbuster. Stuff blows up, aliens get punched, and people actually listen to scientists to help save the planet.

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Stream “Independence Day” on Hulu and FuboTV.

Harriet

Photo credit:Focus Features

In the first feature film about abolitionist Harriet Tubman, Kasi Lemmons paints a vibrant picture of the legendary conductor of the Underground Railroad and the suffering she faced as a slave before her heroic escape. “Harriet” also features the original song, “Stand Up,” by the film’s Oscar-nominated star, Cynthia Erivo. This film looks our country’s history square in the eye and pays tribute to a courageous American icon.

Stream “Harriet” on Hulu.

Lincoln

Disney

If “Saving Private Ryan” was Steven Spielberg’s ode to American military veterans, his 2012 film “Lincoln” was his love letter to U.S. lawmakers. The filmmaker’s long-in-the-works film about Abraham Lincoln finally clicked when he and screenwriter Tony Kushner decided to focus on the January 1865 effort to abolish slavery, told from Lincoln’s point of view (played in an astounding, Oscar-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis). But the film dives deep into American legislative process — the messy, passionate and complicated path that Lincoln and his cohorts paved to get the 13th Amendment passed. “Lincoln” doesn’t paint the past with rose-colored glasses either, as the film puts forth a conflicted man at a breaking point for our country. This movie is also, it must be said, funny as hell.

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“Lincoln” is currently only available to rent.

Jaws

Photo credit:Universal

Both a terrific thriller about a man-eating shark and three guys named Brody, Hooper, and Quint who set out to stop it, and a smart satire on politics-as-usual. Close the beaches? On the 4th of July? It’s going to be Amity’s best summer in years!

Stream “Jaws” on Peacock.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Photo credit:Marvel/Disney

The first big mission for the supercharged Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)? Putting on a patriotic stage show to sell war bonds instead of going into battle. At least when he disobeys orders to fight the real bad guys in person, he has the experience of having knocked out Hitler over 200 times. Hey, let’s hear it for Captain America!

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Stream “Captain America: The First Avenger” on Disney+

Hamilton

Photo credit:Disney+

The ultimate. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s zeitgeist-dominating musical was filmed one last time on Broadway before the original cast departed, and the complete filmed version of “Hamilton” is a sight to behold whether you’ve seen the stage version or not. The musical recontextualizes the period of the American Revolution while staying accurate to historical events, resulting in a thrilling, urgent and timeless story of America’s birth through the lens of one man’s life.

Stream “Hamilton” on Disney+.

The post The 11 Best Movies to Watch on the 4th of July appeared first on TheWrap.

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