Glory

Play trailer

1:23

Glory

R

1989

2h 2m

War

History

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States' first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. With junior officer Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), Shaw puts together a strong and proud unit, including the escaped slave Trip (Denzel Washington) and the wise gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). At first limited to menial manual tasks, the regiment fights to be placed in the heat of battle.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington, Glory remains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made.

Read Critics Reviews

Michael H. Price

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Jul 26, 2022

8/10

Washington, in his best performance since the black-story-white-viewpoint misfire of Cry Freedom, is exceptionally good as a fugitive slave whose tense relationship with Matthew Broderick charges the film's emotional core.

Go to Full Review

Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Jul 25, 2022

This is a sad and gallant chapter, and a first-rate movie.

Go to Full Review

John Pym

Sight & Sound

Jan 16, 2020

The film's chief virtue is its spectacular choreography. The final battle... is a striking combination of dynamism and clarity.

Go to Full Review

Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

Feb 6, 2026

4/5

I really liked this film and think they did an amazing job with it. Matthew Broderick's performance aside, it was great to see legends Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and Andre Braugher in scenes together.

Go to Full Review

Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

Feb 6, 2026

4/5

Despite being disappointed by Matthew Broderick's performance, all of the other actors were working at 100%. There's a reason Denzel won an Oscar for this.

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Mar 30, 2025

3/4

...compelling subject matter that’s employed to somewhat uneven yet mostly entertaining effect by Zwick...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Grecia C

@RT48760178 3 days ago

You know a movie is great when you have to watch it for homework and you actually end up watching it all the way through. Great movie, must watch.

See more

Fro T

@frothizzlereviews Sep 18, 2026

Hits me in the gut every time. The entire ensemble is fantastic, with wonderful acting from Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Andre Braugher. Great direction from Edward Zwick, and an amazing score done by James Horner. 10/10

See more

Dranreb A

@CinemaRot Aug 18, 2026

Great movie, it mixes action and story greatly, and most of the scenes are historically accurate. I rated it 4.5/5 because some scenes can feel a little slow, but overall, it’s still a really good movie.

See more

Judah S

@Judah3963 Jul 4, 2026

It was the best executed Civil War movie I have ever seen.

See more

Adelay C.

@27adeco Jun 18, 2026

While I appreciate how historically accurate this film seemed to be, I found the acting somewhat dry, the plot slow throughout the first half, and the music was at times too loud or inappropriate for the on screen content. However, I thought the final attempt to capture the fort was well done and did redeem this movie for me, to an extent.

See more

Porter 0.

@phas7 May 30, 2026

Great Civil war movie.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Edward Zwick

Director

Matthew Broderick

Col. Robert Gould Shaw

Denzel Washington

Pvt. Trip

Morgan Freeman

Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins

Cary Elwes

Maj. Cabot Forbes

Jihmi Kennedy

Pvt. Jupiter Sharts

Glory: Official Clip - The Worst Soldier in this Whole Company

2:08

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - Rawlins Confronts Trip

2:10

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - Trip Gets Flogged

2:11

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - Prayers of the 54th

2:13

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - The Battle of Antietam

2:12

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - Shaw vs. the Quartermaster

2:13

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - Breaching Fort Wagner

2:12

Now Playing

Glory: Official Clip - Shaw and Trip Fall Together

2:11

Now Playing

View more videos

Full Metal Jacket

89%

94%

Full Metal Jacket

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Full Metal Jacket

A Midnight Clear

88%

79%

A Midnight Clear

Watchlist

Europa, Europa

95%

90%

Europa, Europa

Watchlist

The Thin Red Line

80%

80%

The Thin Red Line

Watchlist

Saving Private Ryan

94%

95%

Saving Private Ryan

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Saving Private Ryan

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

John David Washington’s Five Favorite Films

Rank Morgan Freeman’s 10 Best Movies

Denzel Washington’s 10 Best Movies

Glory: Trailer 1

1:23

Now Playing

Glory 30th Anniversary (1989) presented by TCM: Fathom Events Trailer

0:29

Now Playing

Denzel Washington Coolest Lines Mashup

2:00

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States' first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. With junior officer Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), Shaw puts together a strong and proud unit, including the escaped slave Trip (Denzel Washington) and the wise gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). At first limited to menial manual tasks, the regiment fights to be placed in the heat of battle.

Director: Edward Zwick
Producer: Freddie Fields
Screenwriter: Kevin Jarre
Distributor: TriStar Pictures, Columbia Tristar
Production Co: TriStar Pictures, Freddie Fields Productions
Rating: R
Genre: War, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.5M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings