A modern classic war movie is airing on TV tonight

Recently named the 26th best war movie of all time, the epic is from the same writer as Saving Private Ryan.

Set during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century, the film revolves around Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson, Braveheart), a French and Indian War veteran and a widower with seven children, who is now seeking a peaceful life as a farmer.

But after his eldest and rebellious son, Gabriel (a young Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight), enlists in the army to defend America against the British, he makes an enemy of the ruthless and sadistic British officer Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus).

When Tavington targets Martin's farm and family, the father reluctantly returns to his old life to protect his clan and seek vengeance, becoming swept up in the American War of Independence in the process.

The Patriot was directed by Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day) and was written by Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan).

Its cast also includes Chris Cooper (Breach), Joely Richardson (Event Horizon), Logan Lerman (Fury), Tcheky Karyo (The Missing) and Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton).

Upon release, The Patriot was a box office hit and was praised for its performances (particularly Isaacs' villainous turn), its revenge plot and its epic battle scenes, though many criticised its historical inaccuracies.

The movie was recently named the 26th best war movie of all time, according to the website Ranker.

The Patriot is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend at 9pm. It's also currently streaming on the service NOW.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

Rocketman - Channel 4 - 9pm

Taron Egerton is brilliant as Elton John in this fun and stylish musical biopic.

Plane - RTÉ2 - 9pm

A very solid action thriller in which Gerard Butler plays a commercial pilot who must save his passengers when his plane is struck by lightning and he is forced to land on a war-torn island.

See How They Run - Film4 - 9pm

This witty comedy mystery sees Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan investigating a murder in the ’50s London theatre scene.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - Comedy Central - 9pm

"Groovy, baby!"

The Sentinel - Legend Xtra - 9pm

Michael Douglas stars in this 2006 political action thriller.

Back to Black - RTÉ One - 10pm

The Amy Winehouse biopic that came out last year.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Sky Showcase - 10pm

The last Lord of the Rings movie to date.

Krampus - MTV - 10pm

Adam Scott and Toni Collette headline this fun and festive horror about Krampus, a demonic entity who punishes naughty people during Christmas time.

There's Something About Mary - TG4 - 10.30pm

Ben Stiller tries to reconnect with his old crush in high school (played by Cameron Diaz) in what is one of the funniest films ever made.

Passenger 57 - ITV4 - 10.30pm

The cult ’90s action flick that made Wesley Snipes a star.

Last Night in Soho - Film4 - 10.55pm

Director Edgar Wright's stylish horror about a young woman (Thomasin McKenzie) in London who discovers she can travel back in time to the city in the '60s.

As she becomes obsessed with an aspiring singer (Anya Taylor-Joy) from this era, her life starts to spiral.

The Enforcer - RTÉ2 - 10.55pm

The third entry in Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry action thriller franchise.

Not Another Teen Movie - Comedy Central - 11pm

A young Chris Evans stars in this hit spoof of teen films.

The Godfather Part III - BBC Two - 11.30pm

The divisive and, in our view, slightly underrated conclusion to The Godfather trilogy of crime films.

The Entity - Film4 - 1.15am

The terrifying '80s horror about a woman (Barbara Hershey) who is terrorised by an invisible poltergeist-like entity in her home.

Turn your home into a cinema with this projector 

Do you love movies? Have you ever dreamt of turning your home into your own cinema?

If so, then you may be interested in a home theatre projector we spotted on sale on Amazon with “impressive quality”.

The 4K projector has the likes of YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video built-in, so you can access thousands of films and shows without an additional TV stick, and you can also connect it to Bluetooth on your phone and laptop.

It’s currently priced at €53.52 in a limited-time deal on the Amazon website.

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