--- title: "What military movies go harder than ‘Top Gun: Maverick’?" description: "“Top Gun: Maverick” is the highest-grossing military movie of all time, and it goes pretty hard. What other military movies go even harder?" date: "2022-08-30" modified: "2022-08-30" authors: - name: "Max Hauptman" job_title: "Breaking News Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/max-hauptman/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/military-movies-better-top-gun-maverick/" categories: - "Culture" - "Entertainment" --- # What military movies go harder than ‘Top Gun: Maverick’? ![]() *('Top Gun: Maverick'/IMDB)* It’s the [top-grossing]() movie of 2022 and the [top-grossing military movie]() of all time. Suffice to say, there are a lot of people who, after more than 30 years, were ready to watch another installment of Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell feeling the need for speed in the long-awaited *Top Gun: Maverick*. And when it comes to pure entertainment, the film [delivers](). It’s got fast motorcycles, even faster F/A-18 Hornets, and, of course, a beach football scene. It’s the kind of movie that makes kids think their [Navy parents are actually cool](), and has the Navy setting up [recruiting stands]() in theaters. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to shout out “America, fuck yeah!” while bald eagles fly down from a mountaintop and whisk you away into the cockpit of a Navy jet. In short, it goes hard. Not every military movie does that. Some are somber reminders of the nature of warfare and its aftermath. Some are [intensely realistic]() depictions of military service, while others seem to throw viewers into the midst of [hellish combat](). Some are the complete opposite of that, and make you wonder why [Samuel L. Jackson is wearing a cape]() with his Army uniform … or maybe why the cape isn’t part of the standard issue uniform, because it looks pretty badass. > [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily.** The quote “there is no such thing as an anti-war movie” is often attributed to French filmmaker François Truffaut, meaning that the filmic depiction of warfare will inherently glamorize it. Think of the scene in Anthony Swofford’s autobiographical book *Jarhead* where the Marines cheer while watching *Apocalypse Now*. That’s probably not the reaction Francis Ford Coppola was hoping for in a movie about the horrors of the Vietnam War. *Top Gun: Maverick* isn’t really like that. It’s pretty unapologetic in being about how badass it is to fly Navy fighter jets. And watching that can be an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours. So, what other movies go as hard as *Top Gun: Maverick?* What are the films that bring back your best memories, or — the horror — maybe even make you briefly consider reenlisting? Let us know in the comments, or email the author, [max.hauptman@taskandpurpose.com](), so we can add it to the streaming queue. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **The** **best energy drinks** **for life in the military** - **After 64 days, the Army’s** [**drone that wouldn’t die has died**]() - **2 Marines** [**skip out on Waffle House check**]()**, vandalize aircraft, get arrested** - **The** **best camping gadgets** **for your next outdoor adventure** - **US calls in** [**Apaches, AC-130s, and artillery**]() **to take on militants after Syria rocket attacks** **Want to write for Task & Purpose?**[ **Click here**]()**. Or check out the latest stories on**[ **our homepage.**]() ## Author Max Hauptman is a former breaking news reporter at Task & Purpose. He previously worked at The Washington Post as a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow, as well as covering local news in New England. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Instagram]()