One Of The Greatest War Movies Ever Is Streaming On Prime Video

Before the various controversies that would dull Mel Gibson's shine in recent decades, he was one of the biggest and most beloved movie stars around in the 1980s and '90s. He also intended to become one of the best filmmakers, though his directorial output would end up being fairly small — likely due to those aforementioned controversies — and quite inconsistent quality-wise. But in 1995, the Venn diagram of Mel Gibson the actor and Mel Gibson the director saw its ultimate intersection with the release of "Braveheart."

Dramatizing the events of the First War of Scottish Independence, Gibson plays William Wallace, a real Scottish knight who was a key figure in that battle. Gibson is firing on all cylinders in the role, showcasing his dramatic acting chops, ability to do action scenes, and his undeniable charm in spades. It's also a great example of how strong Gibson can be as a director, delivering an old-fashioned Hollywood war epic that plays fast and loose with the real story but does so in service of a crowd-pleasing action adventure romp.

"Braveheart" is currently available to stream for subscribers of Amazon Prime Video, and should be prioritized if you're a fan of war movies and pine for the bygone era of pre-problematic Mel Gibson. 

Critics might have taken issue with how violent "Braveheart" is and just how many creative liberties it takes, but the overall consensus was that it was still a satisfying war epic that checks all the right boxes for the genre. And when Oscar season rolled around, the movie's ten nominations proved that "Braveheart" ultimately won the battle for the hearts of the Hollywood community. 

In addition to taking home several technical and creative awards, "Braveheart" — and Gibson — won for best director and best picture (shared with the other producers on the film). Those are thus far Gibson's only two Academy Award wins, since adding only one more nomination for his directing duties for 2016's "Hacksaw Ridge." However, he would later join the club of actors with both an Oscar and a Razzie when he earned the latter "award" for his performance in "Daddy's Home 2." Suffice it to say, his best and most acclaimed work in the last 20 years or so has strictly been behind the camera.