Leading up to the country’s birthday this summer, I’ve been thinking about all of the movies and TV shows I’ve seen that explore different eras of the United States of America, not just its founding. I’ve tried to compile a personal list that I would recommend to anyone for either first-time viewing or repeat watching, and since there are plenty that I know I’ve missed already, please let me know what your favorites are! I’m always looking for films and shows to watch that I haven’t seen yet!

Part 4: 2000s to the 2020s

Black Hawk Down

Based on the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, the movie Black Hawk Down came out in 2002 and takes place during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. The film follows the crew of a shot down Black Hawk helicopter and the various ground forces tasked with defending the crash site and rescuing the survivors. Despite a large ensemble cast of many unmistakable faces, everyone blends in, and it becomes a blur of soldiers deep within the fight, much like the real men who served. Black Hawk Down is an intense, brutal movie that marks a shift in war movies and arguably sets the precedent for ones made post-9/11.

National Treasure

On the silly side of the spectrum comes National Treasure, released in 2004, which literally revolves around stealing the Declaration of Independence. The main character is named after Benjamin Franklin, and the movie sweeps us from locations such as Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, with winks and nods to many aspects of America’s founding. National Treasure is easily the most kid-friendly film in this series; if you have older children with any kind of interest in U.S. history before they take a class on it, and they like action and heist movies, then this one isn’t a bad place to start at all!

Jarhead and The Hurt Locker

Both Jarhead and The Hurt Locker came out in the mid-2000s, as one follows U.S. Marines during the Gulf War and the other follows an Army EOD team in the Iraq War, respectively. They take different directions; Jarhead chronicles real-life sniper Anthony Swofford’s experience during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Hurt Locker, meanwhile, draws on war correspondent Mark Boal’s embedded access to make a story about a fictional bomb disposal team. But both of these movies share similar themes about the more cynical aspects of the U.S. military and how our country fights its wars.

Lone Survivor and American Sniper

Lone Survivor and American Sniper were both movies released in the mid-2010s centered around two now-famous U.S. Navy SEALs, the former about Marcus Luttrell and the latter Chris Kyle. Luttrell is the titular lone survivor of Operation Red Wings, and Kyle was and still is regarded as the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history. Each of these films shows the more tragic, sacrificial side of military service and its devastating effects on our veterans. They’re also powerful reminders of America’s “leave no man behind” philosophy in enemy territory and how we can be better about acting on that philosophy here at home.

Top Gun and Top Gun 2

Surely responsible for jumps in U.S. Navy enlistment numbers in 1986 and 2022, Top Gun and Top Gun 2 might still be the best examples of aerial combat ever put to film. Other things about these movies outside of the dogfights could leave much to be desired. Yet, for me personally, Tom Cruise as Maverick and Val Kilmer as Iceman ham it up and chew the scenery in the first film and then actually bring a lot of heart and maturity to the second. The sequel coming out 36 years later and being as successful as it was only proved that audiences continue to enjoy these movies, and they can show America’s military at some of its best.