The Greatest Vietnam War Films: 20 Highest Rated Movies

Bloodshed, horrors, thousands of deaths and ordinary people trying to fight for their homeland on a foreign soil – this is what Vietnam War was about. Here are the best gut-wrenching dramas that managed to capture the essence of this armed conflict.

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Rescue Dawn

Rating IMDB – 7.3
Genre: Biography, military, drama, thriller
Production: USA, Luxembourg/2006
Budget: $28,000,000
Worldwide gross: $7,177,143
Directed by: Werner Herzog
Cast: Christian Bale, Pat Healy, Evan Jones, Bonnie Z. Hutchinson, Toby Huss, GQ, Craig Gellis, Marshall Bell, Zach Grenier, Francois Chau, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies

The film was shot in 44 days in exotic Thailand landscapes. The story follows a harrowing experience that a German-born pilot named Dieter Dengler was forced to endure. This is a thorough adaptation of his biography based on a documentary movie.

Dieter dreamed of becoming a pilot, so he emigrated to the United States and joined the Navy. Dieter personally took part in the Vietnam War. After his plane was shot down over Laos, Dengler was taken prisoner.

During the production, stuntman Chris Carnel was almost killed. While shooting a scene with Dengler’s plane crashing, the pyrotechnicians made a mistake. As a result, Chris got severe burn injuries.

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We Were Soldiers

Rating IMDB – 7.2
Genre: Action, drama, military, history
Production: USA, Germany, France/2002
Budget: $75,000,000
Worldwide gross: $114,660,784
Directed by: Randall Wallace
Cast: Ryan Hurst, Greg Kinnear, Don Duong, Madeline Stowe, Chris Kline, Keri Russell, Mel Gibson, Barry Pepper, Sam Elliot

The screenplay for this movie was based on the novel of Joseph Galloway, who took part in Vietnam War as a military reporter. Together with the battalion commander Harold Moore, he participated in the Battle of Ia Drang.

They had to learn from the mistakes of the French soldiers and prepare as much as possible for the next battle with the enemy. In addition to the military action, the plot follows the stories of the soldiers’ wives and their loved ones.

Like many films about the Vietnam War, this film had a staggering budget of $75,000,000. After a worldwide cinema release, the movie grossed over $115,000,000 in the box office. It was never shown in Vietnam as it was banned by local authorities.

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Tigerland

Rating IMDB – 7.0
Genre: Drama, military
Production: USA, Germany/2000
Budget: $10,000,000
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Afemo Omilami, Russell Richardson, Tom Guiry, Matthew Davis, Colin Farrell, James MacDonald, Nick Searcy, Clifton Collins Jr., Kate Ewell, Shea Whigham

The movie starts in an American Army training camp where the soldiers are being prepared for war. Ruthless commanders create mindless robots with a sole objective – to kill enemy troops after being sent to Vietnam. They must obey orders, and if they don’t, the soldiers would be severely punished.

Despite all the horrors surrounding soldiers, there is a brave man among them who does not want to go against his personal principles. He is a born leader, so it is no wonder that his peers follow him. Their common struggle against the current system results in unforeseen consequences.

The Tigerland stars Colin Farrell, who received the Boston Society of Film Critics Award as Best Actor of the Year twice – in 2000 and 2002.

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Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

Rating IMDB – 6.8
Genre: History, military, drama, action
Production: Australia/2019
Budget A$: 15,000,000
Worldwide gross: $2,088,085
Directed by: Kriv Stenders
Cast: Richard Roxburgh, Matt Doran, Miles Pollard, Travis Fimmel, Aaron Glennane, Stephen Peacock, Mojian Aria, Luke Bracey, Danielle Webber, Emmy Dougall, Nicholas Hamilton, Uli Latukefu, Sean McCarthy, Alexander England, Ryan Hans, Richard Te Are

In the summer of 1966, young Australian soldiers were sent to a hotspot in Vietnam. This is a movie about the brutal realities of Vietnam War, following the stories of 108 young recruits who sought to return home safe and sound. It was directed by Kriv Stenders known for such movies as Blacktown and Red Dog.

The soldiers fought the enemy, facing real terror. They were able to rely on new attack tactics, which helped take the opposing force by surprise. But the most brutal confrontation in the history of this war still lies ahead, and Australian soldiers might not have what it takes to survive the upcoming battle.

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Full Metal Jacket

Rating IMDB – 8.3
Genre: Drama, military
Production: UK, USA/1987
Budget: $30,000,000
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, John Terry, Ed O’Ross, Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Kieron Jackkinis, Kevin Major Howard, Arliss Howard, Adam Baldwin, Dorian Harewood

The movie is set in the 1960s during the Vietnam War and focuses on the U.S. Navy base located in South Carolina. It meticulously shows the training process of soon-to-be soldiers, who are waiting for a real confrontation in the hotspots on enemy soil.

There are two stand out guys among them, Private Joker and Private Gomer Pyle. They got these nicknames due to their features, as Joker is known to be smart and witty, while Pyle is a stout oaf. Not long ago they lived in the comfort of their parents’ home, but now they face a ruthless adversary and see death.

Casualties of War

Rating IMDB – 7.1
Genre: Action, drama, crime, military
US production/1989
Budget: $22,500,000
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Cast: Michael J Fox, John C. Reilly, Tui Tu Le, Don Harvey, Sean Penn, John Leguizamo

The story revolves around a U.S. Army Private sent on a combat mission with his platoon. During the operation, he witnessed acts of violence and even murder of a young girl, all of which was committed by his fellow soldiers.

Wanting to get justice, he tells his commanding officer everything that took place there. But he didn’t know that this man has long forgotten what compassion means, preferring to cover for the criminals.

This gut-wrenching film was based on an article written by D. Lang, while Ennio Morricone wrote the original score for the movie. Thanks to the nuanced story and outstanding music, Casualties of War was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

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The Last Full Measure

Rating IMDB – 6.8
Genre: Drama, military, history
US production/2019
Worldwide gross: $3,364,426
Directed by: Todd Robinson
Cast: William Hurt, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, Peter Fonda, Diane Ladd, Linus Roach, Christopher Plummer, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Bradley Whitford, Michael Imperioli, John Savage, Alison Sudol, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Irwin, Owen O’ Brian

Scott Huffman works as the state attorney. He’s on a career fast track, driving by his ambition. He has yet another assignment to take on, which involves reviewing an application for the Medal of Honor for a soldier who accomplished a brave feat in the 1960s.

As a soldier, he fought in Vietnam in the ranks of the U.S. Army. Huffman initially refuses to take the case, but the situation changes and he meets soldiers who knew the hero in the past. This causes him to change his mind about the soldier. After all, he turned out to be the savior of more than 10 people.

While the film’s budget was over $20,000,000, it managed to gross only $3,000,000 in the box office.

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To the Ends of the World

Rating IMDB – 6.3
Genre: Drama, military
Production: France/2018
Worldwide gross: $245,034
Directed by: Guillaume Niclou
Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Guillaume Gouy, Gerard Depardieu, Jonathan Cousini, Kevin Janssens, Anthony Pagliotti, Francois Negret

This film directed by Guillaume Nicloux takes place in 1945, in the Vietnam jungles. A young soldier, Tassen, miraculously survives the encounter with local army guerrillas and briefly loses his consciousness. A few hours later, he wakes up.

He realizes that he lies in the pit with the bodies of his fellow soldiers. Wanting to avenge the deaths of his friends and his own brother, he builds a certain strategy. Fate sets him up with a young prostitute from Vietnam, who fascinates him so much that he forgets his primary mission.

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Air America

Rating IMDB – 5.8
Genre: Action, comedy, military
US production/1990
Budget: $35,000,000
Worldwide gross: $33,461,269
Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
Cast: Nancy Travis, Ken Jenkins, Art LaFleur, David Marshall Grant, Mel Gibson, Lane Smith, Robert Downey Jr.

Not every movie about Vietnam in the 60s leans heavily on the dramatic side of things. Air America for example, has a lot of comedic overtones. The events unfold in 1969 when the war was going on in Laos. A private firm, Air America, took on the responsibility of transporting soldiers and weapons.

Pilots Gene and Billy make dangerous flights every day, flying over the wild jungle. During one of the flights, they realize that they are working for an enterprise that moves drugs from Laos. Now they will have to deal with CIA agents.

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The Siege of Firebase Gloria

Rating IMDB – 6.8
Genre: Action, drama, military
Production: Australia, Philippines/1989
Budget: A$ 1,600,000
Directed by: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Cast: Wings Hauser, R. Lee Ermey, Robert Arevalo, Mark Neely, Garrison Hershberger, Clyde Jones

The story is set during the Vietnam War and follows a colonel leading a small unit. Together with the soldiers, he completed another mission and was ready to return to safety. But he had to reconsider his plans after the situation had drastically changed.

After an emergency landing at a small base, the soldiers find themselves in the middle of hostile lands. The colonel takes command of the territory in his own hands, as the acting captain is no longer capable of leading the soldiers. With great difficulty and considerable losses, they manage to repel the Vietcong attack on the base.

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Bat*21

Rating IMDB – 6.5
Genre: War, drama
US production/1988
Directed by: Peter Markle
Cast: Danny Glover, Clayton Rohner, Gene Hackman, Eric Anderson, Don Ruffin, Reverend Michael NG, David Marshall Grant, Joe Dorsey, Jerry Reid

Iceal Hambleton has never been in combat and spent his life working as a theorist with the rank of Colonel in the American Air Force. On his first combat assignment, he finds himself in Vietnam and encounters a plane crash.

Ejecting with a parachute, he finds himself in the middle of a wilderness where Vietnamese soldiers are hiding behind trees. He can only count on a rescue helicopter, but before it arrives, he has to find a way to survive.

The story of the film is based on the real events happened in 1972, during the war time. It was filmed entirely on location in Sabah, Malaysia.

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Hamburger Hill

Rating IMDB – 6.7
Genre: Military, drama, action
US production/1987
Directed by: John Irwin
Cast: Anthony Barrill, Michael Bortman, Don Cheadle, Michael Dolan, John James, Dylan McDermott, Michael A, Harry O’Reilly, Daniel O’Shea, Tim Quill, Tommy Swerdlow, Courtney B, Steven Weber, Tegan West, Q Chinh , Doug Goodman, J.D. Van Sickle

The American soldiers’ assault on Hill 937 lasted 10 days. It was called Hamburger because the mission took many lives, and the soldiers nicknamed it the Meat Grinder.

They were exhausted trying to climb to the top of the mountain. This is a truly captivating story full of bloody scenes and a thorough study of each character’s personality. They all have different thoughts about the war, and the only thing on their minds is that they want to live to see another day.

The story of the real battle for Hill 937 was adapted for big screen in this dramatic film, and its creators dared to show the Vietnam War as a ruthless conflict full of madness that made no sense.

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Platoon

Rating IMDB – 8.1
Genre: Military, history, drama
Production: USA, UK/1986
Budget: $6,000,000
Worldwide gross: $138,545,632
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Cast: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Oliver Stone, Forest Whitaker, Richard Edson, H. Gordon Boos, Warren McLean, Nick Nicholson, Peter Hicks, Paul Sanchez, Ivan Kane, David Nydorf, Reggie Johnson, Francesco Quinn, Kevin Dillon, Mark Moses, Johnny Depp, Eric Hahn, John C. McGinley, Tony Todd, Dale Dye, Charlie Sheen, Keith David

At the age of 25, Chris made the decision to go to war in Vietnam. He gave up his studies and his peaceful life to become a participant in the brutal bloodshed and volunteered to enlist himself in the ranks of the U.S Army.

Along with two new friends who are veteran soldiers, he leads a mission to eliminate a group of guerrillas who are rioting and going against the system. But as he carries out his orders, he realizes there’s more behind this fight.

Platoon received four Academy Awards and was included in the National Film Registry in 2019.

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Apocalypse Now

Rating IMDB – 8.4
Genre: Military, drama, history, action
US production/1979
Budget: $31,500,000
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, G.D. Spradlin, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Martin Sheen, Sam Bottoms

Based on Joseph Conrad’s novel titled Heart of Darkness, the story is set in 1969, when the Vietnam War took a brutal turn. Benjamin Willard meets on his doorstep a group of military men who escort an ex-special forces captain to their headquarters. The war veteran is assigned a special mission to find Colonel Kurtz, who has gone off the rails in the jungles of Cambodia.

The production crew filmed more than 200 hours of raw footage. This is why director Francis Coppola spent over three years editing the movie.

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The Deer Hunter

Rating IMDB – 8.1
Genre: Drama, military
US production/1978
Budget: $15,000,000
Worldwide gross: $48,991,826
Directed by: Michael Cimino
Cast: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Rutanya Olda, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, John Savage, Shirley Stoler, John Cazale, Chuck Espegren, Pierre Segai

The story follows a group of young friends who were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War and to leave their peaceful lives behind. As they participate in one bloodshed after another, deep down they know that they would never be the same as before. The comrades are captured by the enemy and have to find their way out. There they face the horrors of war that fundamentally change their views of the world.

Five years after the end of the Vietnam War, director Michael Cimino released this film about the fate of three soldiers of Russian descent who fought on the side of the United States. The movie received five Academy Awards and has been on the National Film Registry since 1996.

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