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Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now

Drama · War · 1979

At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.

Movie details

Apocalypse Now

“This is the end...”

1979 Drama · War 2h 27m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

8.3 / 10

Community rating

At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Apocalypse Now?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Birdy

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Two young men are seriously affected by the Vietnam War. One of them has always been obsessed with birds - but now believes he really is a bird, and has been sent to a mental hospital. Can his friend help him pull through?

The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields

Drama · 1984

New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran and American photojournalist Al Rockoff. When the U.S. Army pulls out amid escalating violence, Schanberg makes exit arrangements for Pran and his family. Pran, however, tells Schanberg he intends to stay in Cambodia to help cover the unfolding story — a decision he may regret as the Khmer Rouge rebels move in.

Casualties of War

Casualties of War

Drama · 1989

During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.

First They Killed My Father

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Heaven & Earth

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In a small Vietnamese village torn apart by war, a young woman faces unimaginable horrors before deciding to escape to the city. There, she encounters a compassionate Marine who offers her hope and a chance at a new life, igniting the possibility of a future together.

Go Tell the Spartans

Go Tell the Spartans

War · 1978

A unit of American military advisors in Vietnam prior to the major U.S. involvement finds similarities between their helpless struggle against the Viet Cong and the doomed actions of a French unit at the same site a decade before.

12 Strong

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A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Francis Ford Coppola

Written by

John Milius · Francis Ford Coppola

Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen

Captain Benjamin Willard

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando

Colonel Walter Kurtz

Frederic Forrest

Frederic Forrest

Jay 'Chef' Hicks

Albert Hall

Albert Hall

Chief Phillips

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne

Tyrone 'Clean' Miller

Sam Bottoms

Sam Bottoms

Lance B. Johnson

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore

Court is in session

Put Apocalypse Now on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.