War is awful, but it is also the birthplace of heroes. The top Netflix Memorial Day movies tell both stories.
Some are Oscar winners with a somber tone, while others are regarded as action classics.
Some amp up the terror, while others amp up the heroism. But each film on this list celebrates individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their unique way.
Furthermore, there’s nothing wrong with throwing a Memorial Day party filled with delicious Memorial Day sweets.
Those activities, however, should not take precedence over the real purpose of the day.
Memorial Day quotations are emotional reminders of why this holiday is so significant and melancholy for many. But nothing compares to a well-made war film.
In addition, these Memorial Day-themed movies will stick with you long after you watch them. There are movies from biographies based on true heroes to dramatic reenactments of real-life events.
Although most are a bit too violent to enjoy with the whole family. Well, the top Netflix Memorial Day movies to honor our heroes are;
1. Sand Castle (2017)
Just before 9/11, a soldier enlists. He isn’t a brave man since he merely volunteers to preserve liberty. He arrived in Iraq with a few soldiers from his infantry platoon in 2003, shortly after the conquest of Baghdad.
Then, he is sent to bring water to a village whose infrastructure has been damaged. However, simple tasks like water transportation, distribution, and plumbing reconstruction become a struggle in a war setting.
The top cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Logan Marshall-Green, and Tommy Flanagan.
2. Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk is one of the top Netflix Memorial Day movies right now. In May/June 1940, 400,000 British and French soldiers were holed up in the French port town of Dunkirk.
Furthermore, the only way out is by water, and the Germans have overwhelming airpower, hitting British soldiers and ships with no resistance.
The situation appears to be wrong, so Britain dispatches civilian boats and its already overburdened Navy to try to evacuate the besieged forces.
Meanwhile, this is the narrative of a soldier among the trapped soldiers, two Royal Air Force fighter pilots, and a group of civilians on their boat, which was part of the evacuation fleet.
The top cast includes Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, and Harry Styles.
3. American Sniper (2014)
Chris Kyle grew up in Texas, dreaming of becoming a cowboy. Still, in his thirties, he realized that his life needed something more that would allow him to express his true potential and aid America in its fight against terrorism. So, he enlisted in the S.E.A.L.s to train as a sniper.
Furthermore, Kyle and the rest of the unit are called for their first tour of Iraq after marrying Taya (Sienna Miller). Additionally, Kyle’s difficulty isn’t with his missions but with his relationship with the realities of war and once home.
He also explains how he balances it with his urban life, wife, and children. The top cast includes Cooper, who plays Kyle, while Sienna Miller plays his wife, Taya. Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz.
4. Black Hawk Down (2001)
This action/war drama is based on the best-selling book about a near-disaster mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993.
On this date, over 100 US Army Rangers, led by Capt. Mike Steele was dropped by helicopter deep inside Mogadishu’s capital city to apprehend two top Somali warlord lieutenants.
This resulted in a significant and drawn-out confrontation involving Army Rangers, U.S. Special Forces, and hundreds of Somali shooters.
With two US Black Hawk helicopters being destroyed. Additionally, the film focuses on numerous Rangers’ brave efforts to reach the crashed helicopters, emphasizing S.S.G.
Eversmann led Ranger unit Chalk Four to the initial crash site and Chief Warrant Officer Durant, who was captured after being the only survivor of the crash.
The top cast includes Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, and Josh Hartnett.
5. Danger Close (2019)
Danger Close is also one of the best Netflix Memorial Day movies. Major Harry Smith and his dispersed company of 108 young and mostly inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers fight for their lives for three and a half hours in the pouring rain.
Amid the mud and shattered trees of a rubber plantation called Long Tan, holding off an overwhelming enemy force of 2,500 battle-hardened Main Force Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army soldiers.
However, as their ammunition runs out, their casualties rise, and the enemy prepares for a final assault, each soldier searches for an answer.
And the strength to face an unknown future with dignity, decency, and courage. The top cast includes Aaron Glennane, Travis Fimmel, Luke Bracey, Daniel Webber, and Alexander England.
6. Defiance (2008)
On the run and hidden in the dense forests of German-occupied Poland and Belorussia during World War II, the four Bielski brothers face the daunting job of searching for food and weaponry to ensure their lives.
However, they must live in terror of being discovered, deal with surrounding Soviet partisans, and figure out who to trust. Still, they also have to look after many Polish Jews fleeing the German war machine.
In the darkest moments of German-occupied Eastern Europe, women, men, children, the elderly, and the young are all sheltering in improvised dwellings in the dark, cold, and ruthless forests.
The top cast includes Tuvia Bielski, played by Daniel Craig, Zus Bielski, Liev Schreiber, and Asael Bielski, played by Jamie Bell.
7. 12 Strong (2018)
Next on our list of top Netflix Memorial Day movies is 12 Strong. After getting an assignment to staff duty under Lieutenant Colonel Bowers, Mitch Nelson, a U.S. Army captain with Green Berets Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 595, moved into a new home with his wife and daughter on September 11, 2001.
Nelson pledges to lead 595 into Afghanistan as news of the catastrophic terrorist assaults breaks that day. Bowers initially refuses.
However, veteran soldier CW5 Hal Spencer, who had been slated to retire, persuades Bowers to relinquish leadership of 595 and volunteer for the deployment.
On October 7, 2001, 595 people traveled to Uzbekistan after leaving their families. The top cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pea, Navid Negahban, Trevante Rhodes, and Geoff Stults.
8. Unbroken (2014)
Louis “Louie” Zamperini is flying as a bombardier of a United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator bomber when his plane is destroyed in combat.
A number of the crew are injured during an April 1943 bombing operation against the Japanese-held island of Nauru. Despite a burst tire, the pilot draws the plane to a stop at the end of the runway.
Furthermore, Louie misbehaves as an Italian-American boy in Torrance, California, in a flashback to his early years. Additionally, he steals, drinks liquor, and smokes. Others frequently target him because of his Italian ancestry.
Furthermore, when Louie’s brother Peter notices how fast he can run, he intends to coach him to become a runner. In addition, Louie develops discipline and develops into a distance runner, gaining the moniker “The Torrance Tornado.”
Furthermore, Louie finished 8th in the 1936 Summer Olympics and set a new 5,000-meter race record in the penultimate lap. The top cast includes Louis “Louie” Zamperini, an American Olympian, and Army officer Jack O’Connell plays.
9. Ghost Of War (2020)
Near the close of World War II, five battle-hardened American soldiers are ordered to hold a French chateau. Furthermore, this unexpected reprieve, formerly occupied by the Nazi high command, swiftly devolves into chaos.
When they confront a demonic foe far more terrifying than anything encountered on the battlefield, the top cast includes Brenton Thwaites, Theo Rossi, Skylar Astin, Kyle Gallner, and Alan Ritchson.
10. The Siege Of Jadotville (2016)
In 1961, the United Nations dispatched an Irish peacekeeping force, led by Commandant Pat Quinlan, to Katanga, Congo, to safeguard residents of the mining town of Jadotville during a civil conflict.
Meanwhile, U.N. advisor Dr. Conor Cruise O’Brien launches Operation Morthor, a military operation against mercenaries from France and Belgium.
Additionally, many Katangese and mercenary forces soon besieged Quinlan and his men due to the mercenaries’ retaliation.
Furthermore, will the Irish soldiers be able to stave off the attack? The top cast includes Jamie Dornan, Mark Strong, Mikael Persbrandt, Jason O’Mara, and Danny Sapani.
11. Battle Ground (2013)
Last on our list of top Netflix Memorial Day movies is Battle Ground. One man finds himself stranded in No Man’s Land after an Allied push on the German lines goes wrong.
Reuniting with two other survivors, they must work together to survive as they charge into the unknown over the muddy wasteland as the Germans close in on them.
As they are surrounded by grenade blasts and the continual roar of machine guns in their ears, tensions increase between the soldiers.
However, time runs out as they return over enemy lines because an oncoming attack could wipe them out. The top cast includes Martin Copping, Johan Earl, and Tim Pocock.
