War films can transport us back to tumultuous times in history. Whether you lived through them yourself or not, they are gritty and powerful reminders of our collective past. Although they can be difficult to watch because of their harrowing nature, they are important reminders of battles hard-fought and those who gave their lives in the line of duty. With that in mind, here are 27 war films worth rewatching or seeing for the very first time.
#1: Apocalypse Now – 1979
Often considered the best Vietnam War film ever made, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now can be a hard watch. Starring incredible actors like Laurence Fishburne, Martin Sheen, and Marlon Brando, it can also be hard to look away. It centers Sheen as Captain Willard whose terrifying and often hallucinatory adventure to find Brando’s Col. Kurtz reveals many of the hardships faced in the Vietnam War.
If you’ve ever read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the story may seem familiar. That’s because Apocalypse Now is a loose adaptation of the novella. Although the film didn’t win Best Picture at the Academy Awards that year, it won Best Sound and Best Cinematography — two elements that remain strong to this day.