10 Movies To Watch If You Love Top Gun

Top Gun is one of those quintessential ’80s movies, and despite some admittedly dated moments, it still holds up as an exciting action film. Tom Cruise became an A-list actor playing Maverick, a cocky Navy fighter pilot in a competition to become the best of the best.

Cruise’s charming performance, Tony Scott’s stylish direction, and the intense flying sequences make the film stand out among imitators. While the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick will be hitting theaters soon, there are some other great movies that might satisfy that need for speed. Here are 10 movies to watch if you like Top Gun.

10 Pearl Harbor

Michael Bay’s World War II epic is one of his more derided films and that’s not totally unfair. The film is dubious in its historical accuracy, the central love story is a cheesy bore, and it suffers from the typical bloated feeling of Bay’s films.

However, those who enjoyed the fighter pilot aspects of Top Gun could find enough to like in Pearl Harbor. The dogfights and aerial missions are impressive and Bay predictably creates a memorable set piece with the central attack sequence.

9 Crimson Tide

Tony Scott returned to the Navy setting for a much quieter and more intense story. Crimson Tide stars Denzel Washington as a young commanding officer on a nuclear submarine. Tensions rise when he and his superior (Gene Hackman) battle over the decision to launch a warhead in an uncertain situation.

The movie uses the claustrophobic setting to increase the intense conflict at the center of the story. Washington and Hackman are fantastic squaring off against each other and they are backed by a stellar cast that includes James Gandolfini and Viggo Mortensen.

8 A Few Good Men

Following his rise to stardom in the wake of Top Gun‘s success, Tom Cruise also returned to the Navy in a very different film. A Few Good Men finds Cruise playing a brash military lawyer who is assigned to defend two soldiers who accidentally killed a colleague in a hazing incident.

The film bolsters an amazing cast with Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and, of course, Jack Nicholson as an intense commanding officer at the center of the controversy. With a taught and fantastic script from Aaron Sorkin, the movie makes for a highly entertaining courtroom drama.

7 American Made

Perhaps as a way of preparing himself for the Top Gun sequel, Cruise recently returned to the skies for American Made. The film is based on a true story about Bobby Seal, an American pilot who became a drug-runner for the CIA in the 1980s.

It’s not too often that Cruise plays morally dubious characters like this, and while Seal is certainly not presented as a villain, it’s fun to see the superstar step away from the hero role for a moment. It is a light, fun adventure with a winning performance from Cruise.

6 Captain Marvel

It’s hard for any movie that deals with fighter pilots not to owe a lot to Top Gun. Though it is not a massive aspect of the MCU film Captain Marvel, the movie certainly tips its cap to the iconic movie that came before, including the adorable and deadly “cat” named Goose.

The movie introduces Carol Danvers, a Kree warrior who discovers her mysterious past on Earth which could change everything she knows. The movie is pure comic book fun with Brie Larson perfectly falling into the title role and becoming perhaps the most powerful hero in the MCU.

5 First Man

While Top Gun deals with the excitement of flying at top speeds, First Man deals with the terror of it all. The movie focuses on Neil Armstrong and his career in the astronaut program. Like the pilots of Top Gun, these men were willing to push the envelope, but the reality of what they were doing is far less glamorous.

Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle creates a beautiful-looking film that will have you gripping your seat during the intense flying sequences. Ryan Gosling is great as Armstrong in a take on the man that we have never seen before.

4 Behind Enemy Lines

Despite being about fighter pilots, there really isn’t a lot of fighting in Top Gun save for the ending. So for those who are looking for a bit more straight-forward action in their fighter pilot movies, Behind Enemy Lines will likely satisfy that itch.

Owen Wilson stars as a pilot who is shot down on a surveillance mission during peacetime and must survive alone in very dangerous territory. Wilson makes a surprisingly effective action hero and the film manages to be an effective thriller with some great sequences.

3 Days Of Thunder

Tom Cruise and Tony Scott reteamed once again to pursue their need for speed in Days of Thunder. The movie is basically Top Gun with race cars as Cruise plays a cocky NASCAR driver who will stop at nothing to be the best of the best.

Though it might sound like a bit of a retread, the whole movie is worth it for the amazing race sequences. Scott films them with the same kind of skilled eye he uses in all his films and it makes for an unexpected action-packed flick.

2 Hot Shots!

Though Top Gun might be a beloved film, there is a lot about it that is ripe for parody. So it’s not a huge surprise it was soon followed by Hot Shots!, a hilarious take on the film from the makers of Airplane!.

Top Gun might be an easy target but Hot Shots! is comfortable going after a number of popular films. The result is a silly, outrageous comedy that will have you laughing out loud. For those die-hard Top Gun fans, the movie is a must-see for how it recreates those famous moments.

1 The Right Stuff

Top Gun and The Right Stuff are both movies that explore the heroism behind the people who strive to go higher and faster. The Right Stuff is the epic tale of the men who broke the sound barrier, the speed record and flew into space for the first time.

The movie is packed with young famous faces like Ed Harris, Sam Shepard, Jeff Goldblum and Dennis Quaid playing real-life legends like John Glenn and Chuck Yeager. The movie is funny, intense and inspiring to see the heights these people reached and the courage they had.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2027 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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