D-Day will be celebrated Thursday, June 6, marking the 80th anniversary of the 1944 Invasion of Normandy.
The land, air and sea forces of the Allied armies in World War II ambushed German soldiers and led to the Nazi’s defeat.
The invasion included 7,000 ships manned by more than 195,000 naval personnel and almost 133,000 troops from the Allied countries. It became known as the most ambitious military invasion in history, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library said online.
The historic battle became widely popular and has been depicted on the big screen and in Hollywood.
Here are some of the D-Day movies to watch and where you can stream them.
“Saving Private Ryan”
One of the most popular and acclaimed D-Day-related movies is “Saving Private Ryan.” The star-studded film was released in 1998 and follows a group of soldiers on their mission to locate Private James Francis Ryan and bring him back to the U.S. after his three brothers were killed fighting.
The movie was inspired by Stephen E. Ambrose’s books and real-life accounts of families affected by the war. Steven Spielberg directed it, and it won best Drama at the 1999 Golden Globe Awards.
It’s currently streaming on Peacock and Paramount+. If users have a premium subscription to YouTube and Amazon Prime Video, it is also available there.
“The Longest Day”
The filmmakers employed several people who participated in D-Day and had their role in the invasion reenacted in the film.
It won Best Cinematography and Best Special Effects at the 35th Academy Awards.
The movie is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV and Google Play.
“Overlord” (1975)
The 1975 film “Overlord” follows a British soldier’s experiences preparing for D-Day. The film follows the soldier from being called up to the East Yorkshire Regiment to his training and participation in the war machinery and his premonitions about his death.
The film won the Silver Bear Special Jury Prize at the 25th Berline International Film Festival. It was written and directed by Stuart Cooper.
Overlord was the codename given to the operation.
In a 2008 column, Cooper said the movie was not about military heroics, but rather “the bleakness of sacrifice.”
It’s available with a Max subscription, a premium subscription on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube and for rent on Apple TV.
“Overlord” (2018)
In the 2018 film “Overlord,” described as an alternate history action horror movie, a group of American soldiers behind enemy lines the day before D-Day and discover Nazi experiments.
It was directed by Julius Avery and written by Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith. The movie won Best Cinematography and Best Sound Design at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival.
It’s available for free on Tubi and Pluto TV and for rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and YouTube.
“Band of Brothers”
“Band of Brothers” is a miniseries based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 nonfiction book. It was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who worked together on “Saving Private Ryan.”
The series follows the “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. It follows a paratrooper’s training and participation on the Western Front.
The 10-episode series won the Emmy and Golden Globe awards for best miniseries.
It’s available with a Netflix and Max subscription, or a premium subscription on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and YouTube TV.
“Masters of the Air”
“Masters of the Air” is a 2024 miniseries created by John Shiban and John Orloff exclusively for Apple TV+.
It follows the 100th Bomb Group in eastern England during World War II. It follows the bombing crews on their missions to destroy targets inside the German-occupied areas in Europe.
