10 Vietnam Movies Better Than "The Last Full Measure," According To Rotten Tomatoes
Even before the conflict ceased, the Vietnam War was ripe fodder for filmmakers. Bonafide masterpieces like The Deer Hunter (1978) and Apocalypse Now (1979) captured the psychological toll of the war of those who fought it and the country as a whole, and pulpy actioners like First Blood (1982) used the event for cheap thrills.
Todd Robinson's The Last Full Measure (2020) is the latest movie to till this fertile cinematic ground and features an all-star cast, including Sebastian Stan, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, and the recently deceased Peter Fonda. Currently sitting at 60% on the Tomatometer, The Last Full Measure is no slouch ratings-wise, but here are ten Vietnam films with higher scores that you may have missed.
10 In Country (68%)
Samantha Hughes (Emily Lloyd) is supposed to join her mother (Joan Allen) in Lexington after her high school graduation, but chooses to remain with her Uncle Emmett (Bruce Willis) in their small Kentucky town. Having lost her father, Dwayne (Daniel Jenkins) in the Vietnam war, she hopes to connect with his battle-scarred brother and learn more about him.
Canadian Norman Jewison's slow-burn drama uses the clarity of its director's outsider perspective to tell a forceful story about the trauma of war.
9 Born on the Fourth of July (87%)
When suburban NYC teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, he sees it as his patriotic duty. But during a retreat, he accidentally kills a fellow soldier and is eventually injured in battle, resulting in permanent paralysis. Upon returning home, he becomes disenfranchised by the cold bureaucracy of the Veterans Administration and the lack of compassion he receives from politicians and civilians alike.
Peak Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July stars a best-ever Tom Cruise as a cog in the military machine who finds his voice as an activist forcefully demanding empathy and truth.
8 Casualties of War (84%)
Michael J. Fox stars as Max Eriksson, a private stationed in Vietnam. He begins to clash with Sergeant Tony Meserve (Sean Penn), when he orders that a young Vietnamese woman (Thuy Thu Le) be used by the company as a sex slave. Unable to stop the situation from escalating, Eriksson refuses to take part in the abuse, leading to tensions between him and the Sergeant that finally erupt violently.
One of Brian De Palma's departures, this is a harrowing picture about the evil that even seemingly good men are capable of and the shame of a nation.
7 Jacob's Ladder (72%)
After witnessing the atrocities of the Vietnam War, Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) does everything he can to keep sane. Gripped by hellish hallucinations and flashbacks, reality becomes indistinguishable from nightmare as he descends into paranoia and madness.
A complex and haunting journey to hell and transcendence, Adrian Lyne's provocative horror opus is one of the best films of the '90s.
6 Dogfight (78%)
Marine, Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix), who's shipping out for Vietnam in the morning, spends his last night in San Francisco with his pals attending a bar event called a "dogfight." The rules? Each guy must bring an unattractive date to be judged according to ugliness. When Eddie bumps into Rose (Lili Taylor), he thinks he's found the perfect girl for the event, but as the night goes on, he finds himself falling for her.
Less a film directly about the conflict than the young people it would chew up and spit out, Dogfight is a snapshot of youth culture in a time of profound upheaval.
5 Tigerland (76%)
Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell) is a draftee with no intention of actually going to war. When he does his best to get sent home as a troublemaker during basic training, his plan backfires on him, with his superiors recognizing in his independent spirit the raw material of an officer.
A compelling wartime drama featuring a breakthrough role for Colin Farrell, Tigerland is among Joel Schumacher's best films.
4 Green Dragon (61%)
In 1975 California, Vietnamese refugees are just entering the states as the war comes to a close. Tai Tran (Don Duong) pressures Sergeant Jim Lance (Patrick Swayze), to improve conditions in the camp.
Patrick Swayze gives one of his best performances in this film about those non-Americans whose lives were destroyed by a conflict that had nothing to do with them.
3 We Were Soldiers (63%)
Based upon Lieutenant General Herold G. Moore and journalist Joseph L. Galloway's true account, We Were Soldiers tells the true story of the first major battle that took place in Vietnam's la Drang Valley on November 14th, 1965 between the U.S. 7th Air Cavalry and the People's Army of Vietnam.
A somewhat hackneyed effort that still manages to rouse and put a human face on both sides of the conflict.
2 Rescue Dawn (90%)
Christian Bale stars as Dieter Dengler, a German-born U.S. pilot who is shot down and taken prisoner. Subjected to torture and starved until near death, Dieter makes a pact with fellow prisoners Duane (Steve Zahn) and Gene (Jeremy Davies) to escape at any cost. But, upon making their break, they discover that nature may be more dangerous and cruel than their torturers ever were.
Werner Herzog returns to the story he documented in 1997's Little Dieter Needs to Fly for a dramatic retelling of the events as only he could conceive them.
1 The Post (88%)
Based in truth, The Post recounts the story of a team of Washington Post journalists who struggle to publish classified documents details the United States government's decades long involvement in the Vietnam War.
A stellar ensemble cast (including Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks) anchors this stunning, timely thriller about the need for a free and honest press.