21 Movies That Promote Real Masculinity

As an aunt of three nephews, I’m tired of movies that paint men as the villains in a woman’s story. I want stories for my nephews that illustrate the virtues of masculinity – virtues for which our world is in ever greater need. Whether it’s by defending his wife and children or by fighting for justice in a court of law, a real man won’t go along with the crowd of public opinion. Instead, he’ll use his masculine energy to defend the weak and fight for the right, no matter the cost to himself. And if we want to see more of that in the men in our lives, we need to share stories that honor those virtues.

Looking for movies that celebrate the virtues of true masculinity? Here are some of my favorites.

Braveheart

Let’s start with one of the most iconic, masculine men in the movies: Scottish rebel William Wallace (Mel Gibson). After his wife is killed by English soldiers, Wallace attacks an English garrison in revenge. But his action sparks a rebellion against the southern occupiers, which leads to a war for Scottish independence. 

Train to Busan

I’m not a big fan of zombie fiction, but I watched Train to Busan for the first time recently and was absolutely blown away. Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) works all the time and is missing more and more of his daughter’s life. But his priorities change drastically when a zombie outbreak strikes while they are on a train to Busan. Teaming up with a young baseball player and a soon-to-be father, Seok-woo fights to keep his daughter alive.

Secondhand Lions

When Walter’s (Haley Joel Osment) mother drops him off at his great uncles’ Texas home for the summer, Walter thinks his world has ended. Gruff Hub (Robert Duvall) and Garth (Michael Caine) aren’t thrilled either – until they realize that Walter’s presence bothers their frustrating relatives. Making an uneasy truce, the young boy begins to learn about his great uncles’ past lives – and how to be a real man in the process.

Sleeping Beauty

Hear me out. Sleeping Beauty isn’t just the story of a Disney princess – it's also the story of the man who fights to free that princess from the wicked witch’s spell. Only by wielding the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Virtue can the handsome Prince Phillip save his true love, Aurora. If you’re looking for a story to inspire the youngest knight-in-training in your home, look no further than Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.

Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise proves once again that people want men in the movies to be, well, masculine. In the top grossing film of 2022, Top Gun: Maverick brings ace pilot Pete Mitchell (Cruise) back to the screens. But this time, he’s older and training a new generation of fighter pilots to achieve an impossible mission, including hotshot pilot “Hangman” (Glen Powell) and his friend’s son “Rooster” (Miles Teller). Old-fashioned stories about patriotic men may not be in vogue everywhere, but in Top Gun: Maverick, they’re alive and well.

A Man for All Seasons

Sometimes, a real man shows his character by speaking the truth when others are silent. During the reign of Henry VIII, Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) is one of the most important men in the realm – an educated politician and a man of strong faith. His friendship with King Henry (Robert Shaw) is put to the test when Henry says he wants a divorce – and if the Pope won’t grant him one, he’s going to establish his own church in England. Caught in a dangerous political morass, More must stick to the principles of his faith – whatever the cost.

A Quiet Place

Monsters have overtaken earth. They cannot see, but they hear even the slightest noises. A father (John Krasinski) and mother (Emily Blunt) struggle to keep their family alive. But when they discover that they have another baby on the way, the race is on to find a way to keep their whole family safe from the monsters before the baby comes.

Cinderella Man

Boxing champion Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) used to be on top of the world, but since the Depression began, his family has fallen on hard times. He’s injured, struggling to find work every day, and fighting to put food on the table for his wife Mae (Renee Zellweger) and children. Jim is given one last chance to step in the ring, and with every fight inside the ring, Jim gets one step closer to winning his fight for survival outside it.

Devotion

Devotion tells a true story of fighter pilots during the Korean War. Lieutenant Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) meets African-American pilot Ensign Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors). As the pair strike up an unlikely friendship, each learns to see the world through the eyes of the other and, ultimately, the kind of sacrifices a real man makes for his friends.

American Sniper

Based on the life of sniper legend Chris Kyle, Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper tells a story of heroism through intense physical and psychological odds. Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) enlists in the Navy SEALs, where he is sent on several tours in Iraq and develops a reputation for always getting the job done. But the job takes a toll, both on Kyle’s mind and his relationship with his wife and family. Kyle must learn to strike the balance between being a hero on the field and being one at home.

12 Angry Men

12 men have been selected at random to serve on a jury. The charge: murder. Locked away to deliberate, most of them rush to make a decision so they can get back to their regular lives. But Juror 8 (Henry Fonda) feels that something is missing, and begins to talk through the case. As Juror 12 refuses to bow to pressure for the others to hurry a decision, he increasingly becomes the group’s leader – and increasingly butts heads with belligerent Juror 3 (Lee Cobb).

1917

In the middle of World War I, Lance Corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are sent on a daring mission to reach a pocket of British soldiers that is about to advance into a trap – a pocket that Blake’s brother will lead into battle first thing in the morning. Crossing enemy lines and evading bombs and German fliers, the two race against time through the dangers of No Man’s Land. 

On the Waterfront

Who pushed Joey Doyle from the roof? Everyone wants to know: the police, local priest Father Barry (Karl Malden), and Joey’s sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint). Only ex-boxing champ and waterfront bum Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) knows the truth, and the better he gets to know Edie, the more tempted he is to tell. Torn between loyalty to his brother Charley and his growing feelings for Edie, Terry must decide what it truly means to be a man.

Interstellar

As humanity nears extinction due to an ongoing famine, ex-NASA astronaut Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is convinced to man a mission into space that could save humanity, including his two children. Accompanied by Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), Cooper races against the physics of time to find a safe place for humanity before his children age too much and lose hope that he will ever return. Interstellar is a science-fiction which centers on the power of a father’s love.

The Bourne Identity

Imagine if James Bond woke up with amnesia one day, and you’d have the first film in one of my favorite action franchises: The Bourne Identity. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is found on a boat with bullets in him – but he has no idea how he got there or who he really is. When Jason realizes he is a secret CIA assassin, he decides he wants to be a new man and cut ties with his former life. With the help of a pretty young German girl, Bourne goes on a quest to earn his freedom and fill in the gaps in his memory.

Children of Men

In a dystopian future where all of humanity has become infertile, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) reconnects with his estranged, activist wife Julian (Julianne Moore). Julian wants a favor – transit papers for a young woman named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) who is, miraculously, pregnant. Theo becomes responsible for getting Kee to safety, and works to protect mother and child for the sake of all humanity.

The Lake House

In 2006, doctor Kate Forster (Sandra Bullock) moves out of her house on the lake, leaving a note for the new tenant in the mailbox. But this mailbox is magical, and the note travels two years back in time to when architect Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves) moves into the lake house. The two begin to write to each other, and as Kate and Alex slowly start to fall for each other, they wonder if they will ever be able to bridge the time between them and meet up in real life.

A Knight’s Tale

In A Knight’s Tale, chivalry and honor are the work of real men. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is a poor squire from London stranded in France when his master dies. But when William pretends to be a knight to earn passage back home, he and his friends realize they might be able to keep the ruse going. All seems well until William becomes a rival suitor for the hand of the Lady Jocelyn, which threatens to bring the entire secret to light.

High Noon

Does a man back down from a fight when everyone else abandons him? Marshall Will Kane (Gary Cooper) has just married Amy (Grace Kelly), a fervent Quaker pacifist. He’s hanging up his badge, but then he finds out that Frank Miller – an outlaw Kane sent to prison – is arriving back in town on the noon train. Everyone wants Kane to run away before Miller arrives, but Kane’s sense of duty won’t let him leave until he knows the town is safe.

The Last of the Mohicans

A historical romance that will sweep you off your feet. When Alice and Cora, the daughters of a British commander, are ambushed in the woods during the French and Indian War, they’re rescued by Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his adoptive Mohican family. As the group skirts the enemy French forces and the villainous Magua (Wes Studi), Hawkeye and Cora try to avoid their increasing attraction.

Rocky

Lastly, we can't forget to include the iconic Rocky movie released in 1976 where Rocky (Sylvester Stallone), a small-time boxer from Philadelphia, is chosen unexpectedly to take on the reigning world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers.) It's a serendipitous love story and a message about true masculinity, all wrapped up into one iconic movie.

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