Top Gun

Tony Scott's 1986 film follows Maverick, a pilot sent to a naval flight school. He does not follow the rules and wants to be the best. Rivalry through the training and a loss give the narrative its frame. The film shot its flying sequences with real aircraft; the story is kept simple and the weight is in the images and the music. Tom Cruise leads. It was made with the support of the United States navy and is said to have increased recruitment. Its songs became known apart from the film. Who it's for: those who like eighties studio cinema and flying sequences. Who it's not for: viewers expecting the military account questioned; the film does not do that.