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The Best Vietnam War Movies

Updated November 30, 2020 38.2k votes 6.7k voters 436.8k views83 items

List RulesMovies must take place during the Vietnam War.

Vietnam War movies can almost be counted as a genre on their own--there are so many of them. This Vietnam War movies list can be organized by cast, year, director, or more. It contains the best Vietnam War movies that were ever made, including popular classic like Full Metal Jacket and more recent films, like Tunnel Rats. The best Vietnam movies place the war in correct context and capture the ethos of the environment at the time. Many of the titles on this list are from the point of view of Americans, but international and independent films are included as well.

What are the best Vietnam War films? This list of of Vietnam war movies is thorough, but it is not complete. If you see that your favorite film is missing, please add it to the list. You can click on any of the Vietnam movie names for more details and change the dropdown info to display the release date, directors, and stars. So, what are the best movies about the Viet nam war? Vote on this list to display your preferences.

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Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally Field
Released: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic romantic-comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the... more on Wikipedia
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Platoon
Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen
Released: 1986
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Platoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone and starring Tom... more on Wikipedia
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1,794
1,242
Full Metal Jacket
Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey
Released: 1987
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 film directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay by... more on Wikipedia
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1,462
1,018
We Were Soldiers
Mel Gibson, Lyndon B. Johnson
Released: 2002
Directed by: Randall Wallace
We Were Soldiers is a 2002 film that dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965.... more on Wikipedia
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Apocalypse Now
Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford
Released: 1979
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic adventure war film set during the Vietnam War. Produced... more on Wikipedia
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The Siege of Firebase Gloria
R. Lee Ermey, Wings Hauser
Released: 1989
Directed by: Brian Trenchard-Smith
The Siege of Firebase Gloria is a 1989 film starring Wings Hauser and R. Lee Ermey that was... more on Wikipedia
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Hamburger Hill
Don Cheadle, Dylan McDermott
Released: 1987
Directed by: John Irvin
Hamburger Hill is a 1987 American film about the actual assault of the U.S. Army's 3rd... more on Wikipedia

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Bat*21
Gene Hackman, Danny Glover
Released: 1988
Directed by: Peter Markle
Bat*21 is a 1988 war film directed by Peter Markle, and adapted from the book by William C..... more on Wikipedia
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Casualties of War
Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox
Released: 1989
Directed by: Brian De Palma
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Flight of the Intruder
Willem Dafoe, David Schwimmer
Released: 1991
Directed by: John Milius
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The Boys in Company C
R. Lee Ermey, Michael Lembeck
Released: 1978
Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
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The Deer Hunter
Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro
Released: 1978
Directed by: Michael Cimino
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Uncommon Valor
Gene Hackman, Patrick Swayze
Released: 1983
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
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The Green Berets
John Wayne, George Takei
Released: 1968
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy, John Wayne, Ray Kellogg
The Green Berets is a 1968 American film set in Vietnam, featuring John Wayne, George Takei,... more on Wikipedia
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Good Morning, Vietnam
Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker
Released: 1987
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Good Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 American comedy film written by Mitch Markowitz and directed... more on Wikipedia
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Rescue Dawn
Christian Bale, Steve Zahn
Released: 2006
Directed by: Werner Herzog
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Born on the Fourth of July
Tom Cruise, Willem Dafoe
Released: 1989
Directed by: Oliver Stone
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The Hanoi Hilton
Jeffrey Jones, David Soul
Released: 1987
Directed by: Lionel Chetwynd
The Hanoi Hilton is a 1987 Vietnam War film which focuses on the experiences of American... more on Wikipedia
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Gardens of Stone
James Earl Jones, James Caan
Released: 1987
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
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China Beach
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Go Tell the Spartans
Burt Lancaster, Marc Singer
Released: 1978
Directed by: Ted Post
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Platoon Leader
Michael Dudikoff, William Smith
Released: 1988
Directed by: Aaron Norris
Platoon Leader is a 1988 Cannon Films film set in the Vietnam War and directed by Aaron... more on Wikipedia
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Tunnel Rats
Nate Parker, Michael Paré
Released: 2008
Directed by: Uwe Boll
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Air America
Mel Gibson, Robert Downey Jr.
Released: 1990
Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
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Jacob's Ladder
Macaulay Culkin, Tim Robbins
Released: 1990
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne. A Vietnam... more on Wikipedia
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