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Apocalypse Now

Play trailer Poster for Apocalypse Now R 1979 2h 27m War Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 150 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
In Vietnam in 1970, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) takes a perilous and increasingly hallucinatory journey upriver to find and terminate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a once-promising officer who has reportedly gone completely mad. In the company of a Navy patrol boat filled with street-smart kids, a surfing-obsessed Air Cavalry officer (Robert Duvall), and a crazed freelance photographer (Dennis Hopper), Willard travels further and further into the heart of darkness.
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Apocalypse Now

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Critics Consensus

A voyage to hell where the journey is more satisfying than the destination, Francis Ford Coppola's haunting, hallucinatory Vietnam War epic is cinema at its most audacious and visionary.

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Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 09/23/2024
4/4
Years and years from now, when Coppola’s budget and his problems have long been forgotten, “Apocalypse” will still stand, I think, as a grand and grave and insanely inspired gesture of filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune 09/23/2024
2.5/4
It's precisely in the last 25 minutes that Apocalypse Now dissolves into gibberish. I've seen the film three times with two different endings, and neither ending has been satisfactory. That's because the problem with the picture isn't at its very end. Go to Full Review
Bruce McCabe Boston Globe 09/23/2024
Some critics fault Coppola for not delivering a seamless, flawless film. But this is to misperceive and misread the film in a crucial way. The film by definition couldn't be flawless. It attempts too much. Go to Full Review
John Dodd Edmonton Journal Apr 15
The deeper it goes, the shallower it becomes. The realistic becomes the theatrical. The emotions of the viewer rebel and the remaining traumatic focus is shattered. For all its flaws, Apocalypse Now remains an amazing triumph. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Mar 19
5/5
‘…a punishing, poetic, beautiful, horrible film about man’s inhumanity to man…’ Go to Full Review
Carson Timar ClapperCast Dec 17
A projection of madness, Apocalypse Now is perhaps the most important text in Coppola's filmography and remains an incredibly worthy and relevant journey through the jungle, which looks at the nature of both power and chaos. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Christian R @RT90248046 15h 9.1/10 A haunting exploration into not only the horrifying shenanigans of the Vietnam War but also the insanity of those involved or in relation to it, Apocalypse Now is my personal favorite Francis Ford Coppola film. It just hits. See more ICUR M @icurmtheaded Jul 16 Transposed from Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" thematically, "the horror" was slow to reveal itself and once there, you realize it was there all along, from the first frame to the end. Soundtrack great match to the movie. M Sheen's voice over gritty enough without overdoing it. Milius & Coppola in this collaboration wrote some of the most memorable/quotable/multi-layered dialog. Charlie don't surf...napalm in the morning...how come you sit on your helmets? Those nabobs.. See more Ancient R @AncientRaygun Jul 15 This epic budget busting war epic is the gold standard for which all war films are measured by. Mesmerizing performances by Charlie Sheen, Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duval, a teenage Lawrence Fishburne as well as an excellent supporting cast turn this fever dream war epic into a visually stunning, emotionally engrossing expose on the horrors of war, the insanity it creates and the moral ambiguity that it creates. I've seen some reviews rating it a 3, to which I ask, what drugs have you been taking and can I have some too. It is nearly impossible not to give this film the highest of accolades. Hearts of Darkness, made by Francis Ford Coppola's wife is also a fascinating documentary into the sheer madness and economical peril this film was to make. It is an undeniable masterpiece. See more Mark B @Thelaser555 Jun 28 Coppola shook the world of cinema when he made this but now watching AN in 2026, the film is like some terrible, over-long bad dream. It's also depraved and disgusting. Spraying innocent Vietnamese villagers (women and children included) in the back with machine guns from the safety of their helicopters, rightly portrays the US as monsters- not to mention the use of widespread napalm. Duvall's notorious line 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning' as he walks around in a cowboy hat sizing up the swell of the sea for a surfing session with his tongue-wagging soldiers is just plain stomach churning. There is nothing nice about this flick. It's dirty and ludicrous as we watch the once-great Brando in the shadows (when he finally makes an appearance) mumbling and moving around like some tainted buddha. Sheen's mission is to kill him. Why bother? Almost 60,000 US soldiers and 2 million Vietnamese died in this ridiculous war. Apocolpyse Now still doesn't tell us why. See more Tristan B @tristan3 Jun 17 [BOT] Ambitious and mostly nails it. See more William L. @RT70826415 May 11 If you want a war film that makes you feel like you’re actually in it… this is the one! Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this epic about the Vietnam War is truly an experience that you’ll never forget. Amazing Cinematography, Excellent battle scenes, and the feeling of an LSD trip is what you’ll get when watching this. Amazing performances from Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper. If there was a war film that depicted the brutality of war and how it could affect a soul… this is it. Highly Recommended! See more Read all reviews
Apocalypse Now

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Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - The Photojournalist Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - The Photojournalist 2:20 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - The Horror Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - The Horror 4:18 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Colonel Kurtz Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Colonel Kurtz 2:20 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - The Smell of Napalm In the Morning Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - The Smell of Napalm In the Morning 2:43 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Do Lung Bridge Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Do Lung Bridge 3:09 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Ride of the Valkyries Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Ride of the Valkyries 4:14 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Saigon Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Saigon 3:40 Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Terminate With Extreme Prejudice Apocalypse Now: Official Clip - Terminate With Extreme Prejudice 2:50 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In Vietnam in 1970, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) takes a perilous and increasingly hallucinatory journey upriver to find and terminate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a once-promising officer who has reportedly gone completely mad. In the company of a Navy patrol boat filled with street-smart kids, a surfing-obsessed Air Cavalry officer (Robert Duvall), and a crazed freelance photographer (Dennis Hopper), Willard travels further and further into the heart of darkness.
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Producer
Kim Aubry
Screenwriter
Joseph Conrad, John Milius, Michael Herr
Distributor
United Artists, Miramax Films, Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Zoetrope Studios
Rating
R
Genre
War, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 15, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 29, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$74.4K
Runtime
2h 27m
Sound Mix
Surround