Memorial Day is more than just a day off. Instead, it’s a federal holiday in the United States, created to honor and mourn the lives lost while serving in the U.S. military. This holiday falls on the last Monday of every May and was first observed on May 30, 1868. To honor the lives lost and learn more about the U.S. military and wars (although dramatized). Click through the slideshow for 15 military movies to watch this Memorial Day.
“Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Stars: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D’Onofrio, Adam Baldwin, Dorian Harewood, and Arliss Howard
- Release Date: June 26, 1987
- Running Time: 116 minutes
“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, and Jeremy Davies
- Release Date: July 24, 1998
- Running Time: 170 minutes
“Three Kings” (1999)
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze
- Release Date: October 1, 1999
- Running Time: 115 minutes
“Braveheart” (1995)
- Director: Mel Gibson
- Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, and Catherine McCormack
- Release Date: May 24, 1995
- Running Time: 178 minutes
“American Sniper” (2014)
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O’Donnell
- Release Date: December 25, 2014
- Running Time: 132 minutes
“Crimson Tide” (1995)
- Director: Tony Scott
- Stars: Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, and James Gandolfini
- Release Date: May 12, 1995
- Running Time: 116 minutes
“All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930)
- Director: Lewis Milestone
- Stars: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray, Slim Summerville, and William Bakewell
- Release Date: April 21, 1930
- Running Time: 152 minutes
“Hacksaw Ridge” (2016)
- Director: Mel Gibson
- Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, and Hugo Weaving
- Release Date: November 4, 2016
- Running Time: 139 minutes
“Pearl Harbor” (2001)
- Director: Michael Bay
- Stars: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Colm Feore, and Alec Baldwin
- Release Date: May 25, 2001
- Running Time: 183 minutes
“Black Hawk Down” (2001)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, and Jason Isaacs
- Release Date: January 18, 2002
- Running Time: 144 minutes
“The Longest Day” (1962)
- Directors: Andrew Marton, Ken Annakin, and Bernhard Wicki
- Stars: John Wayne, Kenneth More, Richard Todd, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Steve Forrest, and Sean Connery
- Release Date: October 4, 1962
- Running Time: 178 minutes
“Midway” (2019)
- Director: Roland Emmerich
- Stars: Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, and Mandy Moore
- Release Date: November 8, 2019
- Running Time: 138 minutes
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” (2016)
- Director: Michael Bay
- Stars: James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, David Denman and Dominic Fumusa
- Release Date: January 15, 2016
- Running Time: 144 minutes
“Fury” (2014)
- Director: David Ayer
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal
- Release Date: October 17, 2014
- Running Time: 135 minutes
“Clear and Present Danger” (1994)
- Director: Phillip Noyce
- Stars: Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, and James Earl Jones
- Release Date: August 3, 1994
- Running Time: 141 minutes
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