25 Best Movies Like Top Gun

Summary

• Movies like
  Top Gun
  offer a mix of war-based action, camaraderie, and competition that appeals to a wide audience.
• Top Gun
  ‘s legacy lives on through its storytelling, intense action, and captivating performances, especially from Tom Cruise.
• Similar films like
  Edge of Tomorrow, Unstoppable
  , and
  Flyboys
  capture the spirit of
  Top Gun
  with their thrilling action sequences.

Thanks to its resurgence in popularity after its sequel broke box office records, movies like Top Gun have become huge once again. With Maverick’s triumphant 2022 return and a new generation of pilots flying into action, fans of these movies might be looking to satiate their desire for more. When it comes to Top Gun, the movie appeals to fans of many genres. War movie enthusiasts enjoy Top Gun because it focuses mostly on fighter pilots. However, action movie fans love its explosions, daring rescues, and intense pressure-filled situations.

But there is more to movies like Top Gun than just war-based action. It is a movie about brotherhood and camaraderie; it is about loss and betrayal and the competition to be the best. With Tom Cruise in the lead, Top Gun offers a lot more than basic action movies, which explains its ability to live on as a beloved movie for audiences of all ages. It also opens up Hollywood to wanting to capitalize on everything that made the movie great, with several films that attempted to come close, or in some cases, surpass, the original.

Top Gun is available to stream on Paramount+

25 Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Tom Cruise Is Stuck In A Time Loop While Fighting Aliens

Top Gun star Tom Cruise stars alongside Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow, a time loop movie with a sci-fi action twist. In Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise plays Major William Cage, a career officer who has managed to avoid battle his entire career. However, when an alien force invades Earth, Cage is put on the frontlines and quickly killed in battle. However, instead of dieing, he wakes up the morning of the previous day, repeating the invasion over and over again.

Like in Top Gun, Cruise is a soldier, though in Edge of Tomorrow, his character has no interest in fighting a war until forced to do so. With the same light tone but grave stakes, Edge of Tomorrow is an action-packed, non-stop ride. Blunt and Cruise’s chemistry is as excellent as any he’s had, and how William slowly inspires his team to follow him on a dangerous mission echoes Maverick and the rest of the Top Gun Academy.

24 Unstoppable (2010)

Denzel Washington And Chris Pine Attempt To Stop A Runaway Train

One of the more satisfying aspects of Top Gun is the begrudging respect that develops between Iceman and Maverick. For fans of that dynamic, a similar one provides the backbone of Tony Scott’s Unstoppable. The 2010 movie directed by Tony Scott stars Chris Pine as Will, a greenhorn train conductor, and Denzel Washington as Frank, a veteran engineer, now relegated to an assistant position. At first at odds, Frank and Will have to quickly learn to trust each other to stop a runaway locomotive.

However, it’s Washington and Pine’s chemistry that gives the story the emotional heft it needs.

With some incredible stunts and action sequences, Unstoppable doesn’t stop moving from the first scene. Scott’s frantic direction makes it a propulsive and exciting ride from beginning to end while also being refreshingly cemented in practical effects and grounded characters. However, it’s Washington and Pine’s chemistry that gives the story the emotional heft it needs. Sadly, this ended up being Scott’s final movie before his death, but makes for a fitting last entry to his filmography.

23 Porco Rosso (1992)

A Veteran Pilot Is Turned Into A Pig

Tony Scott’s cinematography in Top Gun puts the audience in the world of the pilots, providing jaw-dropping aerial sequences that still hold up. Hayao Miyazaki is even more fascinated by aircraft and flying, and some of his most dazzling displays of plane art and flying animation come in Miyazaki’s criminally underrated movie, Porco Rosso. Michael Keaton voices a WWI ace enjoying post-war life as a bounty hunter who has inexplicably been changed into an anthropomorphic pig.

It’s a beautiful and calming movie and Porco is a fantastic protagonist, equal parts arrogant and sympathetic, and as talented a pilot as any in Top Gun. It is a funny, spirited, and imaginative animated movie that shows the magic of Studio Ghibli movies while also serving as a reminder that truly great animated movies can match live-action in terms of mesmerizing sequences.

22 Birds Of Prey (2020)

Harley Quinn Fights For Independence

Birds of Prey is the spin-off/sequel to the 2016 Suicide Squad, starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. The movie follows Harley in the aftermath of her breakup with Joker and attempting to establish her own independence while also fending off various enemies who come looking for revenge now that she is no longer protected by the Crown Prince of Crime.

Like Maverick, Harley learns to work with a team of other talented operators despite preferring to go it alone.

Like Top Gun, Birds of Prey features an overconfident protagonist who defies the odds and learns the value of cooperation along the way. Also like Maverick, Harley learns to work with a team of other talented operators despite preferring to go it alone. It could be argued that Birds of Prey is the best DCEU movie for its combination of chaotic action and stylish cinematography. Robbie’s performance as Harley is once again excellent. The themes of getting over deep hurt and finding a family with like-minded individuals are very well-written.

21 Speed (1994)

Keanu Reeves Attempts To Save A Bus That Can’t Slow Down

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock star in Speed, a ’90s action-drama that still stands up as a classic of the genre as well as one of the best Die Hard ripoffs. Reeves stars as a hotshot cop who must save a bus full of passengers when the vehicle has been rigged to explode if the speed drops below 50 mph. Bullock plays one of the innocent passengers who finds herself unexpectedly becoming the driver of the bus.

As thrilling and fast-paced as Top Gun, Speed is a white-knuckle ride that expertly uses tension and danger. Speed, like Top Gun, could have suffered from some of its cliched action movie moments, but it manages to overcome them through its confident direction and star-making performances from Reeves and Bullock. The movie led to the deeply unpopular Speed 2, but Speed ranks alongside any other action film from the ’90s for its strong characters and incredible action.

20 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Maverick Returns To The Top Gun Program As An Instructor

After years of rumors followed by even more release date delays, Top Gun: Maverick somehow managed to exceed all expectations and become a sequel better than the original. The movie sees Tom Cruise return as Maverick, the daring and inspiring pilot now teaching a new generation at the Top Gun program. Among the new Top Gun recruits is Rooster, the son of Maverick’s late co-pilot Goose.

Maverick manages to capture a lot of the elements that made movies like Top Gun so iconic

Maverick manages to capture a lot of the elements that made movies like Top Gun so iconic, including Tony Scott’s directing style (though this film was helmed by Joseph Kosinski). However, the way Maverick far outshines Top Gun with its amazing aerial footage and stunts. The practical approach to the movie is incredibly engrossing and puts the audience into the action in a way the original movie never could.

19 Devotion (2022)

Two Pilots Form A Bond In WWII

In the same year that Top Gun: Maverick blew audiences away, it isn’t surprising that the aerial combat movie Devotion was overshadowed, even if it did star Maverick‘s Glen Powell. He and Jonathan Majors star as fighter pilots during the Korean War whose fearless and courageous efforts make them some of the best wingmen in the US military. It details the intense fighting of the pilots as well as some of the prejudices faced by some of these heroes.

While it doesn’t come close to reaching the heights of Top Gun: Maverick, Devotion is another solid action movie centered on daring heroes. It is interesting seeing these two stars earlier in their careers, especially after Majors’ fall from grace and Powell’s incredible rise to fame. However, once again, it is the impressive aerial combat scenes that are the real stars of the show.

18 Flyboys (2006)

American Pilots Join Frances Fight Against Germany In WWII

While Top Gun and its sequel stand out as the best aerial combat movies of all time, the genre does feature more entries than some people might be aware of. However, some of these movies were overlooked upon their release and are still waiting for fans of the genre to discover them. A group of brave pilots wanting to prove themselves is a big part of the charm for movies like Top Gun and the World War II adventure movie Flyboys.

The level of cheesiness helps just as it does with Top Gun.

Flyboys tells the story of American pilots who volunteered to fight in the skies for the French military before the United States entered the war. The film is relatively low budget compared to others of its kind, and the action sequences can also seem silly at times. However, the level of cheesiness helps just as it does with Top Gun.

17 Red Tails (2012)

The True Story Of The Trail-Blazing Tuskegee Airmen

Many movies like Top Gun follow the successful model of its ensemble of elite airmen looking for glory and thrills in the skies. While Red Tails has a similar vibe, it is also a look at a groundbreaking historic crew. The George Lucas-produced movie follows the Black pilots of the Tuskegee training program who face racism from their own military before being given a chance to prove themselves in World War II.

It is interesting to look at the similarities between the two movies despite the fact that they take place decades apart and explore a very different era in the United States military’s history. However, Red Tails is much more serious in tone as it attempts to honor these pilots who had the courage and conviction to fight for America even when it wasn’t fighting for them. The movie boasts an impressive cast that includes David Oyelowo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Michael B. Jordan.

16 Memphis Belle (1990)

A Bomber Squad Prepares For Their Final Mission In WWII

Coming out a few years after Top Gun, Memphis Belle feels like a direct attempt to capitalize on its success. While it didn’t come close to matching the cultural impact or popularity of the Tom Cruise movie, it is still a solid aerial military movie. Instead of focusing on the modern airborne military, Memphis Belle is a World War II movie focusing on the Eighth Air Force as they set out to complete their final bombing mission after a perfect record thus far.

There is a similar energy to movies like Top Gun, including an ensemble of young up-and-coming actors

Once again, despite the period setting, there is a similar energy to movies like Top Gun, including an ensemble of young up-and-coming actors, including Billy Zane and Sean Astin with ’80s star Matthew Modine in the lead role. It makes for a fun ensemble with the incredible true story adding an emotional punch to the movie that does not necessarily exist in Top Gun.

15 Only The Brave (2017)

A True Story Of Hot Shot Arizona Firefighters

There is an excitement to movies like Top Gun where all these characters put go through arduous training and throw themselves into incredibly dangerous situations just for the chance to be the best. That is a sentiment behind the real-life disaster movie Only the Brave. Josh Brolin stars as the leader of a “hot-shots” firefighting team with Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller as the determined new recruit.

The movie is a celebration of the bravery and dedication these men had to protect their community from disaster. From the brutal training program to the lack of support from other fire departments, they make for an inspiring team that pushes to be the best. It is also a tragic story of heroism as the movie builds to the devastating event that befell the team in June 2013.

14 Midway (2019)

A Retelling Of The Key WWII Battle

Despite countless great World War II action movies, dogfighting warfare is almost always worth a watch and not depicted as often as some of the other combat methods. Midway looks at one of the most famous battles of this kind in which the American fleet clashed against the Japanese Navy, which resulted in a turning point in the Pacific Theater.

Midway offers the kind of big CGI battle sequences to be expected from director Roland Emmerich.

Though Top Gun: Maverick delivers its share of mind-blowing aerial sequences, Midway offers the kind of big CGI battle sequences to be expected from director Roland Emmerich. There is certainly an overblown theatricality to the movie that makes it pale in comparison to the fun of Top Gun: Maverick, but it is a big and exciting epic war movie. It also features an impressive ensemble including Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, and Patrick Wilson, many of them playing real military figures.

13 The Guardian (2006)

Kevin Costner Oversees A Coast Guard Academy

One of the most interesting things about the Top Gun sequel was seeing Cruise’s Maverick change from the arrogant young pilot with something to prove to an older and wiser mentor figure. There is a similar relationship between the two lead characters in the action movie The Guardian. Kevin Costner plays the head instructor at a Coast Guard academy who has to contend with the new trainee (Ashton Kutcher) who is looking to prove he is the best.

Just as the Top Gun program was a unique world to explore in that original movie, The Guardian look at the Coast Guard Academy offers an interesting glimpse inside what it takes for these people to become heroes. This is combined with the compelling battle between the two generations that turns into a mentorship. While Kutcher doesn’t have the same charisma as Cruise, Costner adds a lot of gravitas and the rescue sequences make for some thrilling moments.

12 G.I. Jane (1997)

Demi Moore Plays A Female Navy SEAL Trainee Facing An Uphill Battle

There is something about the intensity of military training that is shown in movies like Top Gun that fascinates fans. Another movie showing someone pushing themselves in this kind of scenario and proving their strength is G.I. Jane. Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie stars Demi Moore as a woman who is given the opportunity to enroll in the brutal Navy SEALs training program. Though everyone expects her to fail, she is determined to prove them all wrong and be the toughest there is.

Tony Scott’s famous director brother, Ridley Scott, steps in to helm this engrossing and intense drama.

Tony Scott’s famous director brother, Ridley Scott, steps in to helm this engrossing and intense drama. Moore gives one of her best performances, committing to the physicality of the role and really selling the determination of this main character. While the movie’s climax feels tacked on in a similar way to Top Gun’s final and convenient combat mission, the exciting training sequences leading up to that are what the movie is really about.

11 An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

A Rebellious Navy Recruit Finds Romance And Respect

The thrills of movies like Top Gun come from Maverick’s adventures within the flight academy and the challenges he faces there. However, that is also balanced with an effective love story that helps to round out the movie. An Officer and a Gentleman pulled off a similar feat a few years before Top Gun. Richard Gere stars as a new cadet at a Navy aviation school with a bad attitude. However, through his challenging drill sergeant and his new girlfriend (Debra Winter), he learns to push himself more than he ever did.

The movie is mostly remembered for its romance which is very effective, but it is the military aspects of the movie that are the most entertaining. Lou Gossett Jr. won an Oscar for his performance as Gere’s tough but inspiring drill sergeant. Seeing the confrontational relationship between these two gives way to a growing respect that is very much the heart of the movie.

10 Pearl Harbor (2001)

Ben Affleck Plays A Pilot During The Infamous WWII Attack

While Michael Bay’s movies have never been regarded as masterpieces, his WWII epic Pearl Harbor is considered by many as one of the worst movies of the 2000s. Among the problems are Pearl Harbor‘s dubious historical accuracy, the cheesy central love story, and the typical bloated feeling of Bay’s films. However, those who enjoyed the fighter pilot aspects of movies like 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.

The movie stars Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett as two childhood friends who realize their dream of being military pilots only to find themselves in Pearl Harbor on the day of the fateful attack. While they are fictional characters, the movie bases them on real-life pilots who were about to get to their planes and fight back against the Japanese pilots on that day. The dogfights and aerial missions are impressive and Bay predictably creates a memorable set-piece with the central attack sequence.

9 Crimson Tide (1995)

Denzel Washington And Gene Hackman Butt Heads On A Nuclear Sub

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 between him and his commanding officer (Gene Hackman) given their very different styles of leadership. However, those differences truly come to a head when their submarine receives an uncertain order to launch a nuclear weapon.

The movie uses the claustrophobic setting to increase the intense conflict at the center of the story. While the action is kept to a minimum, the movie never loses its steam with intensity and excitement. Washington and Hackman are fantastic squaring off against each other with both Oscar winners delivering powerhouse performances. They are backed by a stellar cast that includes James Gandolfini, Steve Zahn, and Viggo Mortensen.

8 A Few Good Men (1992)

Tom Cruise Plays A Military Lawyer Facing Off With Jack Nicholson

Following his rise to stardom in the wake of Top Gun‘s success, Tom Cruise also returned to the Navy in a very different kind of 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. However, the more he digs into the case, the more he sees that the incident may have been larger than just an accident between soldiers.

It is a testament to Nicholson’s performance that he is not featured in the movie as much as viewers may think, but his presence is unforgettable.

The film bolsters a spectacular cast with Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Jack Nicholson as an intense commanding officer at the center of the controversy. It is a testament to Nicholson’s performance that he is not featured in the movie as much as viewers may think, but his presence is unforgettable. The movie is based on the stage play by Aaron Sorkin who adapts the screenplay into this taught courtroom drama.

7 American Made (2017)

Tom Cruise Plays A Pilot Serving As A Drug Runner For The CIA

Before Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise 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. The movie tracks his criminal operations and ability to stay out of prison with his arrogant and reckless behavior feeling like a criminal version of Maverick

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. It is a light, fun adventure with a winning performance from Cruise. The movie reteams Cruise with his Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman, proving that he is yet another director who makes for a great partner for Cruise.

6 Captain Marvel (2019)

Pilot Carol Danvers Becomes A Powerful Superhero

It’s hard for any movie that deals with fighter pilots not to owe a lot to movies like Top Gun. The MCU’s Captain Marvel certainly tips its cap to the iconic movie that came before, including the adorable and deadly “cat” named Goose. The movie introduces Carol Danvers, an ex-US Air Force pilot and Kree warrior who discovers her mysterious past on Earth which could change everything she knows.

Oscar-winner Brie Larson brings a powerful performance to the role while also making for a formidable new hero in the cinematic universe.

Oscar-winner Brie Larson brings a powerful performance to the role while also making for a formidable new hero in the cinematic universe. Captain Marvel quickly establishes herself as one of the most powerful heroes around while also filling in some interesting backstory of the overall MCU with the movie’s 1990s setting. Samuel L. Jackson is also great showing off his comedic side as a younger and less experienced Nick Fury.