Where to Stream Top Gun?

Do you feel the need, the need for speed? Then all you have to do is watch ‘Top Gun‘, the 1986 action drama movie. Military movies have always drawn the audience’s attention since they want to know what life is like for those living on the edge. ‘Top Gun’ turns the attention towards hotshot naval aviators, and how they live their lives flying by the seat of their pants.

Notably, the movie was inspired by an article titled ‘Top Guns’, which was published in a California magazine. Ever since the movie released, it has garnered praise for the visuals, the aerial stunts, action sequences, and most importantly, the performance from the leads that holds the movie together, since the story is pretty straightforward. Moreover, since ‘Top Gun’ came out, it has been recognized as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and added to the National Film Registry.

However, all of this was a long time back. The fans of the movie would be delighted to know that a sequel, titled ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘, is slated to come out on June 26, 2020. If you feel like taking a highway to the danger zone, then let us tell you where to watch ‘Top Gun’, or if you have seen it, you know the film is so enjoyable as to merit a couple of rewatches at least. Either way, before we get to where you can view ‘Top Gun’, let us walk you through the plot of the movie.

What is Top Gun About?

‘Top Gun’ starts off with a hint of action right away as United States Naval Aviator, LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and his Radar Intercept Officer LTJG Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) fly their F-14A Tomcat from onboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). Along with them is another jet, flown by the best duo aboard that ship. What was supposed to be a routine flying exercise, soon turns into a thrilling game of cat and mouse, as they intercept two hostile MiG-28 airplanes.

Maverick manages to get a missile lock on one, while the other gets a missile lock on his wingman- Cougar. Maverick shoos off the other MiG in style, even giving the pilot the bird. While Maverick and Goose view this whole encounter as something lighthearted, Cougar is shaken up by the potentially deadly situation and is almost unable to land. Maverick, defying orders, guides him back to the carrier.

However, the encounter shakes up Cougar too badly and he resigns, citing that he wants to see his newborn baby. Despite disliking Maverick and Goose for their recklessness, Cougar’s resignation forces their commanding officer to send them to the elite Naval Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar, simply called Top Gun.

Even before the classes at Top Gun starts, Maverick hits on a woman at a bar, and they get along, but it does not result in anything. Of course, the next day, this woman is revealed to be Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood (Kelly McGillis), and it appears as though she is a civilian instructor at the academy. There is some tension between her and Maverick, but it turns out she is very taken in by the inverted maneuver Maverick pulled with the MiG, which disproves government intelligence on the craft.

Anyhow, all this is put behind us, as we see Maverick actually fly once again, this time against the best pilots in the US military. He manages to defeat his instructor LCDR Rick “Jester” Heatherly (Michael Ironside), but in the process, he breaks two rules of engagement. Not only is he chided by chief instructor CDR Mike “Viper” Metcalf (Tom Skerritt), but also manages to become the rival of a student, LT Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer).

Iceman and Maverick respect each other but they have different flying styles. While Mav rushes into battle, Iceman waits for his enemy to slip up. There is also some rift about who will graduate with top scores, and Iceman makes it clear that he finds Maverick’s flying ‘dangerous’. Charlotte backs up this assessment, but it turns out she leaves some parts about Maverick’s flying being impressive because she has feelings for him. The two soon begin a romantic relationship.

It is not like Maverick has nothing to learn at Top Gun. Viper and Jester team up to teach Maverick the value of teamwork and not leaving a wingman behind, just to go for personal glory. The best bit about ‘Top Gun’ is how it manages to pack so many emotions into two hours, and if you thought that graduating would be easy, you are dead wrong. Maverick finds this out at a heavy personal cost when a training exercise ends up in his flight malfunctioning and results in Goose’s death.

Although Maverick is cleared of all charges, and the event is deemed as an accident, he blames himself and appears inconsolable. He also considers retiring, which is when Viper reveals classified information about Maverick’s father, Duke Mitchell, who supposedly died due to a flying fault. Viper reveals how his father died heroically, and tells Maverick to regain his self-confidence while letting him know that he can still graduate from Top Gun. Obviously, there is no competition anymore, and Iceman wins the trophy, while Maverick manages to graduate. Their celebrations are cut short when they have a mission to provide air support to a rescue operation for a ship that has floated into hostile waters.

This is the second time the Tomcat airplanes go up against the faster and more maneuverable MiGs. However this time, the pilots are all graduates of Top Gun. Maverick teams up with Merlin, Cougar’s former RIO, despite Iceman having reservations about Maverick’s mental state. It seems Iceman is right, as Maverick does not show the same flair in battle and even gets scared when he faces a situation similar to the one where he lost Goose. However, he recovers and heads back into battle, which is where we see our old Maverick, and he manages to take out three enemy airplanes, with Iceman taking down one more. The other two hostile crafts flee, and Maverick and Iceman return as heroes, and with a deeper respect for each other.

The movie ends with Maverick choosing to become an instructor at Top Gun, and rekindling his relationship with Charlie. It remains to be seen what the upcoming sequel has in store, but now let us tell you where you can watch ‘Top Gun’.

Is Top Gun on Netflix?

Netflix has a fantastic collection of movies, and the platform is well stocked in terms of military movies as well, which not only have a lot of action but also go into the ramifications of war itself. While ‘Top Gun’ is not on Netflix, you can check out ‘Black Hawk Down‘ or ‘War Machine‘ to get your fill of war movies.

Is Top Gun on Hulu?

Hulu has a swift growing library, and they keep adding to their content all the time, which makes it an exciting platform to be on. While ‘Top Gun’ is not on Hulu, if you want to watch some aerial combat, you can check out ‘Air Strike‘.

Is Top Gun on Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime has one of the best libraries when it comes to content, perhaps beaten only by Netflix. While ‘Top Gun’ is not normally available to Prime subscribers, you can rent or buy the movie and watch it on the platform. It costs $2.99 and $7.99 to rent or buy the SD version of the movie, while it costs $3.99 and $9.99 to rent or buy the HD version. Check out ‘Top Gun’ here.

Where Can I Stream Top Gun Online?

No subscriptions with any of the major content providers? No worries. Head over to Sling, and you can stream ‘Top Gun’ there. Of course, you need to have a subscription to the platform.

Can I Watch Top Gun Online For Free?

I hate to disappoint you freeloaders, but there just isn’t an option that will allow you to watch ‘Top Gun’ for free. Considering the praise the movie has received, the best recompense I can offer is that you rent the film and watch it.

Read More in Movie Guides: John Wick 3 | Men in Black International