When pulled off with the requisite levels of aplomb, there are few genres in cinema more engaging than the historical epic, with audiences being transported and fully immersed into the past by way of sweeping visuals, stellar performances, and the obligatory battle sequences so visceral in their depiction you’ll be ducking shrapnel in your living room. One of the best – which arguably doesn’t get held up as an all-timer anywhere near often enough – is director Edward Zwick’s Glory.
Set in the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam, Matthew Broderick is assigned command of the United States military’s first entirely African-American regiment, putting together one of the most capable units in the army regardless of the constant racism and backlash that inevitably follows them everywhere they go.
Initially deemed as somewhere between unnecessary and expendable, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry ultimately prove their worth, and end up playing a pivotal part in the heat of conflict. Despite rave reviews and three Academy Award wins from five nominations – including a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Denzel Washington – Glory somehow conspired to flop at the box office after earning only $27 million from theaters.
Thankfully, classic status was secured soon after, and more than 30 years on it can still draw in a crowd on Netflix, with FlixPatrol revealing the stunning war story to be one of the platform’s most-watched titles around the globe. They really don’t make ’em like they used to, and while Gladiator defined the historical epic for well over a decade at the turn of the millennium, this late 1980s gem shouldn’t be overlooked by any stretch.