Approximately 36 years separate Top Gun (1986) from its sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Tom Cruise took to the sky as Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, now a teacher at his alma mater, the U.S. Navy-Fighter Weapons School.
Flying inverted along with other wild aerial stunts, Bradley's (Miles Teller) rendition of the "Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire!", and the crew of pilots enjoying a game of football against the backdrop of a sunset are only some Top Gun's references that appeared in Top Gun: Maverick. Those who enjoyed watching every minute of Top Gun movies might want to check out other films about fighter pilots.
'Aces High' (1976)
Malcolm McDowell portrayed Major Gresham in the 1976 film Aces High. Major Gresham is the leader of the 76th Squadron, a group of pilot including Lieutenant Croft (Peter Firth). These pilots are unaware of the risks that they are taking by joining the force. Lt. Croft idolized Major Gresham until he learns about his questionable habits during flights.
The film showcases the tensions of World War I with the fight against the Germans. Aces High focuses on the British perspective of the war along with the brutal events that the soldiers encountered in the war. Aces High is available on Roku Channel, Tubi, and PLEX.
'Hot Shots!' (1991)
Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) is the son of renowned pilot Leland "Buzz" Harley. Topper is trusted with a mission to take down a nuclear plant, despite not wanting to participate in this mission since he's enjoying life living in a Teepee. As he joins the rest of the pilots, who all have their quirks, he comes across a few familiar faces that are tied to his past.
As Top Gun is the ideal film to represent the 80s, Hot Shots! is the ideal parody to accompany it. Fans of the Top Gun films might recall some iconic scenes from the film that have been altered in Hot Shots! to add to the comedic effect such as some stunt scenes. Hot Shots! is available on YouTube.
'The Tuskegee Airmen' (1995)
"Tuskegee Airmen" was a name given to the airbase where the first African Americans joined the US Army Corps to become pilots. Before they became pilots, they had to pass a rigorous training program and endure the discriminatory remarks from other soldiers. The film centers on Hannibal Lee (Laurence Fishburne), a pilot in training destined to become a member of the US Army Corps.
Similar to most war films depicting the wars, The Tuskegee Airmen is based on real events. The first squadron of African American pilots was part of the 332nd Fighter Squadron that fought during World War II. The film captures their determination to show that they're strong soldiers. The Tuskegee Airmen is available on HBO Max.
'Pearl Harbor' (2001)
Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) join the war as Air Corps Pilots. They are separated when Rafe is assigned to fight with the British forces whereas Danny is assigned to Pearl Harbor. Yet prior to their separation, they both met the nurse Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale) who both started developing feelings for her.
The film doesn't solely focus on the attack on Pearl Harbor but on the relationships between Rafe and Danny and their competing love for nurse Evelyn. These two best friends, Rafe and Danny, shared their interest in flying planes ever since Rafe and Danny snuck into Rafe's father's plane and accidentally started it up. Pearl Harbor (2001) is available on Amazon Prime Video.
'Behind Enemy Lines' (2001)
Some pilots, like Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson), grow tired of flying and no longer see the thrill of it. Chris Burnett and his friend, Lieutenant Jeremy Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht) were assigned to fly over Bosnia. They flew over an area designated as a "No Fly Zone," where they discover a well-kept secret about mass graves sites in the area.
Behind Enemy Lines (2001) is one of Wilson's few movies that isn't a comedy. As Chris and Jeremy were both spotted entering the enemy's territory, they were forced to eject from their planes. Now they landed on the enemy's ground, and they had to sneak their way past the enemy fire. Behind Enemy Lines is available on YouTube.
'Flyboys' (2006)
The Lafayette Escadrille is an operational unit in the air force that is part of the French military. Ambitious young men from different backgrounds take their chances and join the Lafayette Escadrille becoming pilots and fighting for the French. Among those pilots in training included Blaine Rawlings (James Franco), who was raised on a farm in Texas, as well as a boxer, Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis), and Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) whose father forced him to join.
Flyboys (2006) is set years before the onset of World War I; therefore, the planes aren't as advanced as those seen in the Top Gun movies. Yet the movie does include aerial attacks and stunts as if it were a Top Gun film as the new pilots dodged the enemy's attack. Flyboys is available on PlutoTV and Peacock.
'Dunkirk' (2017)
Dunkirk is a French town where British and French soldiers await their turn to evacuate from the German forces. The film is divided into three parts to tell the stories that occurred on land, water, and air. These soldiers were not necessarily "sitting ducks," but were targets for Germany, who dropped bombs on those who walked on land and shot from their fighter planes at the British and French pilots.
Dunkirk (2017) is one of Christopher Nolan's films that doesn't evoke time-bending illusions but focuses on the tragedies of World War II from the perspective of Dunkirk's soldiers. The soldiers that didn't lose their lives, saw one of their comrades lose theirs in front of them. Dunkirk is available on Netflix.
'Midway' (2019)
After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942 which killed many, the United States commanders believed that the Japanese force's next target would be Midway. The Battle of Midway becomes the focal point of the film Midway (2019), as now the United States broke its neutrality towards World War II after Japan attacked them.
The events that unfold in Midway are based on the historical details of the Battle of Midway that took place between June 4 and June 7, 1942. In the film and in history, the battle took place over the Pacific with a naval ship and fighter planes. Dick Best (Ed Skrein) intended to train the next group of pilots despite the hazardous conditions that the young pilots take flight in. Midway is available on YouTube.
'Greyhound' (2020)
Set in 1942, Captain Krause (Tom Hanks) leads a ship that is carrying supplies to Great Britain. The ship is exposed to the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, but Captain Krause has no choice but to command the ship over the territory known as the "Black Pit," where the storms are treacherous.
The film focuses on the ship, but it isn't safe from enemy fighter planes that fly over the ocean and attempt to shoot torpedoes at the ship. Besides overhead attacks, there is also the threat of U-boats attacking underwater. Greyhound (2020) is available on Apple TV.