BBQ and fireworks aren't the only way to celebrate the Fourth. Once you're off the grill, you can chill with these five movies on Netflix to celebrate Independence Day. Science fiction may be involved, but not the way you're thinking.
Let's clarify a few things at the start. No, you won't be watching Independence Day, at least not on Netflix. Thankfully, you won't be able to see the atrocious sequel, either. No chance to see The Patriot or Glory, either. Netflix isn't your choice for The Right Stuff or Hamilton, either. I'll cover those another time. None of these are exactly coming attractions, either. Look here for those.
That doesn't mean the top streaming service doesn't have a great selection of films for the Fourth. Instead of the usual saber-rattling flag-waving fare, I think it's worth a deeper look into what independence truly means. So no Patton, no Top Gun, no Yankee Doodle Dandy. There will be plenty of courage on display, though. On that, you can rest assured.
The Six Triple Eight
I am leading off with a war movie, but it's certainly one with major differences from the standard John Wayne jingoistic affair. There are no pitched battles, unless you count the frequent verbal battles. There's only one explosion, outside of some very tense confrontations. But the story of The Six Triple Eight, the only Black woman unit to serve in the European theater in World War II, is as compelling as any film in this list.
Some might be inclined to belittle the mission assigned to the battalion. Yes, this is based on a true story. As with any other group of the Women's Army Corps, no member of the 6888 saw combat. But the support they provided, ensuring mail was finally delivered between troops and their families back home, truly was essential to the soldiers' morale and the war effort. Kerry Washington and Ebony Obsidian truly elevate the material. It's not a perfect film, but it is a must-watch.
V for Vendetta
I'm sure you're thinking, wait a minute. How does a comic book movie about an anarchist battling fascism in a dystopian England that never was qualify as a Fourth of July film? Well, what exactly do we celebrate on the fourth day of the seventh month every year? The declaration that the former colonies of Great Britain would no longer bow to the rule of tyrants. And that is precisely what this film is about.
The Britain of V for Vendetta is very much an Orwellian nation. Ruled through terror and propaganda by the High Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt), freedom is only a memory in Britain. One man, known only as V, stands against the tyranny and wages a one-man campaign to overthrow the government.
Hugo Weaving is amazing in the title role, especially as he remains masked throughout the film. Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, and Stephen Fry are all excellent in supporting roles. Hurt, of course, played Winston Smith in the greatest version of1984. It was brilliant casting to see him in essence, play Big Brother in this.
America: The Motion Picture
Now we journey from the sublime to the absurd. And I mean, like, wacked-out. I'm letting you know right now that if you're not a fan of Team America: World Police, Sausage Party, or Borat, you'll want to skip this one. But if the idea of George Washington with chainsaws strapped to his hands, Samuel Adams as a frat house party animal, and a Chinese female Thomas Edison all battling the Redcoats to establish America appeals to you, this is your movie. Oh, and there's a lot of cursing. And sex.
The fact that the animated movie opens with Washington and Abraham Lincoln hanging out as best buds tells you a lot. Benedict Arnold is the main villain, but you probably didn't expect him to also be a werewolf. Washington is a pretty boy with not that much upstairs, but at least he's smarter than Adams. Luckily, they have Edison and Geronimo around to do the heavy lifting when it comes to stuff like thinking.
The cast is terrific, with Channing Tatum as Washington, Olivia Munn as Edison, and Andy Samberg as Arnold. Screenwriter David Callaham also brought us Zombieland: Double Tap and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Good stuff. This demo reel is the only video I could find that isn't a red-band trailer. So don't say you weren't warned.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Again, not a movie that immediately comes to mind when you think of celebrating American independence. But the very foundation of the republic lies in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Sorry for the history lesson, but it's important, and not just for this film. For those who are unaware, a group of Vietnam War protestors were arrested and charged with conspiracy with the intent to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. If you don't know the story, you'll have to watch the film to see how it played out.
Aaron Sorkin (screenwriter of The Social Network and showrunner of The West Wing) wrote and directed the tense drama. The cast is phenomenal, led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Michael Keaton,
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, and Jeremy Strong, among others. Sacha Baron Cohen, in particular, is excellent as Abbie Hoffman. The film was nominated for the Oscar as Best Picture and won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. Fighting for the right to free speech is as patriotic as it gets.
Born on the Fourth of July
You knew this was coming, right? I could have gone with The Deer Hunter or Da Five Bloods (both on Netflix), but the holiday is in the title. This is one of the great anti-war films ever, along with Platoon, Coming Home, and Apocalypse Now. All three focus on the Vietnam War or its aftermath, but the biography of veteran-turned-protester Ron Kovic is the most personal of all.
Oliver Stone directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic. It took more than 10 years to bring it to the screen. That turned out to be a lucky break for Tom Cruise, who received his first Oscar nomination for his work as Kovic. The film follows Kovic through some harrowing action in Vietnam, the injury that paralyzes him, and the aftermath of his care.
Disillusioned by his superiors' indifference to the atrocities in the war and the terrible state of veterans' healthcare, Kovic became active in the antiwar movement. Cruise gives one of his best performances, tracing the arc of the gun-ho Marine to the heartfelt war protester. Stone won the Oscar for Best Director, his second after Platoon.
I'll add one bonus for those who crave more traditional Fourth of July fare. The Liberator is a four-part miniseries that debuted on Netflix, quite appropriately, on Veterans Day, November 11th, 2020. The animated series follows the 157th Infantry Regiment on their 500-day journey through World War II. They encountered some of the fiercest fighting in the war as they traveled from Italy through France and on into Germany. Finally, they participated in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp.
The series looks absolutely amazing. It was filmed as live action, but then animation was overlaid on the footage in a process similar to rotoscoping. If you've ever seen A Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, or Loving Vincent, you've seen the technique. But frankly, this is another level entirely. The script, the direction, and the acting are all superb. It may not be Saving Private Ryan, but it's pretty darn close.