Only a few weeks after its premiere, Top Gun: Maverick has already become the highest-grossing movie of 2022 and there are plenty of reasons audiences find it enjoyable. Apart from the basic human stories, the movie has some of the best training scenes where Maverick (Tom Cruise) drills a group of young Navy pilots for a mission to bomb an unnamed foreign country's uranium enrichment plant.
Throughout the history of Hollywood, there have been multiple other movies about basic or advanced military training too. And while some simply summarize the whole learning process, others really get into the details like the latest Paramount blockbuster. Fans have taken to Reddit to choose the best of the best military training-based movies.
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Stream On HBO Max
In what is undoubtedly one of Stanley Kubrick's best movies, an abusive drill instructor drags new recruits through hell as he prepares them for a mission in Vietnam. Redditor jupiterkansas describes it as "the ultimate boot camp movie," adding "nothing has topped it since."
Full Metal Jacket is a blast because it serves heavy doses of both training and war. It's perfectly divided into two parts, the first depicting the grueling drill exercise at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, and the second depicting the horrific mission in Vietnam. And it has the ultimate villain in drill instructor, Sergeant Hartman, who harrases the platoon members for no good reason and fails to be sympathetic even during the direst of circumstances.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Stream On Max Go
Prior to the events of World War II, a recruit refuses to bear arms, citing religious reasons. PatrickBateman429 totally loves the Mel Gibson project, calling it "a very serviceable war film."
Based on a true story, the protagonist's courage throughout the movie is what makes it a wholesome viewing experience. He is neither shaken when his fellow recruits turn against him nor when he is court-martialled and threatened with jail time. And during the war, he wins over the hearts of viewers even further by rescuing many of those who hated him without ever holding a gun.
Beau Travail (1999)
Stream On Criterion Channel
A Foreign Legion officer's career is ruined after he is suspected of harming a new recruit that he was jealous of. ZorroMeasFox describes the French film as "remarkable, hypnotic, and metaphorical."
Fans strictly interested in the training process and not the mission itself will love the adaptation. Everything is covered, from assault courses to the manual on how to secure buildings. But what truly enthralls is the conflict between the two skilled soldiers. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ themes are also explored which is unusual to see in the war genre, even today, as it's implied there are feelings between the two.
Jarhead (2003)
Stream On Tubi TV
Based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford's memoir, Jarhead follows his experiences during the Gulf War. Redditor vanrainblacksox notes the movie "has one of the most intense training sequences."
Though it isn't one of Sam Mendes' best movies, the biographical war drama shines in many areas, Honesty is emphasized a lot as none of the training practices are shown to be enjoyable to the men who engage in them. And apart from war, the soldiers have plenty of personal problems to deal with too, including infidelity from spouses back at home.
Child's Play 3 (1993)
Stream On Netflix
Events in the slasher movie follow a killer doll as it causes havoc at a military academy. About it, LegsareLava simply comments: "Holy smokes is it wild!"
Child's Play 3 isn't the best in its franchise, but it differentiates itself from other entries in the list by strictly being all about scares and placing the enemy right within the training camp. Horror fans will definitely enjoy it more thanks to the supernatural events and the high number of victims that are mostly caught off-guard by the doll.
Taps (1981)
Stream On Paramount+
Students of a military school decide to stage an uprising when it's revealed that the institution will soon be demolished by a real estate company. Redditor redditwascoolbefore says "it's pretty dope."
Despite being a military tale, Taps counts as one of Tom Cruise's best non-action movies because it's more about drama and politics than violence. There are plenty of tense moments for fans to enjoy, including one where the cadets face off against the police and the National Guard who get called in to deal with the revolt.
Megan Leavy (2017)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
After being taken through basic training, a US Marine corporal is paired with a military working dog during several missions in Iraq. About the biographical film, tylerawn says "it has an uplifting story."
Megan Leavy comes off as refreshing because it has a female lead in a genre characterized by male machoism. And the fact that a dog also gets to be the star feels cool too. Like humans, the dog goes through several challenges that affect its career, including a facial palsy diagnosis. Even better is that the events are entirely factual.
Stripes (1981)
Stream On fuboTV
After struggling to find success everywhere else, two men join the military but find life harder than expected. Chazzyphant recommends the movie because it "has a more humorous look."
Most projects in this particular category are dark but Stripes packs in laughs by the minute, making it worthy of repeated viewing. Audiences are forced to laugh and feel sorry for the trainees all at the same time as they botch several basic tasks. Luckily, there is a happy ending in the final minutes.
The Boys From Company C (1978)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
A group of 5 Marine inductees gets to realize just how tough life is in the military after passing their training. MoviesVeteran describes it as "a good and truly forgotten one." And although not ranked as one of the best Vietnam war movies, this hard-hitter still gives an emotional punch that makes it worth a watch.
Apart from its unforgettable scenes, including one where a soldier throws himself onto a grenade to save some children, The Boys From Company C glows by highlighting bureaucratic incompetence and the frustrations of those who have to follow orders. From their days at the USMC induction center to the Vietnam battlefields, the soldiers never get a reason to have smiles on their faces.
An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)
Stream On Hulu
Tired of dealing with his drunken father, a man joins the Navy where he aspires to be a pilot. There he finds a new father figure and ertzog thinks of it as "one of the most emotional training movies.
Though it's structured around Naval training, An Officer And A Gentleman is mostly a brutal tale about romance. The main characters are forced to juggle their careers and love, with each of these areas affecting the other. Those that fail the training end up getting rejected by their love interests too while that who excel get to live happily ever after.