Platoon

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Platoon

R

Released Dec 19, 1986

2h 0m

War

Drama

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Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

122 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle of battle, his idealism fades. Infighting in his unit between Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), who believes nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), who has a more sympathetic view of the locals, ends up pitting the soldiers against each other as well as against the enemy.

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Critics Consensus

Informed by director Oliver Stone's personal experiences in Vietnam, Platoon forgoes easy sermonizing in favor of a harrowing, ground-level view of war, bolstered by no-holds-barred performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe.

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David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

This is a great American movie -- easily the most powerful film of the year.

Aug 23, 2022

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Marsha McCreadie

Arizona Republic

I didn't take a single note during the screening of Platoon: It's that engrossing, that overwhelming.

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It's a powerful, painful, must-see film -- an impassioned and riveting dispatch from the front that's at once a battle cry and a lamentation.

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Oliver Stone's harrowing war picture was the first movie that felt like a genuine depiction of that terrible war, and brought collective catharsis for America's tragedy in Vietnam.

Rated: 5/5

May 26, 2025

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

One of the most visceral and authentic war films ever made.

Jun 14, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Platoon may not be the best Vietnam war film ever made -- I still prefer both Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket by a healthy margin -- but I wouldn't care to argue with any veteran who states that it's the most honest depiction of that insane skirmish.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 11, 2022

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Kenneth L

I watched this as a teenager and it had a huge impact on me. Watching it again, almost 40 years later, it still delivers.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

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Mitch B

This movi made me appreciate what the Vietnam era soldiers went through. A hard to watch movie in some scenes, but it makes you realize that violence is ugly and that war is a Hell on Earth, but between the two War is worse, because innocents are in the crossfire.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

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Britton O.

Oliver Stone’s Platoon stands out as one of the most unfiltered, visceral, and authentic portrayals of the Vietnam War. It's a film that draws you in with its intense realism and powerful storytelling. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it—prepare for an unforgettable experience!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Audience Member

An absolute tour de force in cinema. We become fully invested in each character and find ourselves immersed in their world as if we were drafted as well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

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Leprechaun K

A classic. Movie accurately captures the horror of the Vietnam War, and the atrocities committed by the US military. An all star cast. The theme music borrowed from Barber is perfect.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/20/25

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Lobo T

a powerful, painful, must-see film -- an impassioned and riveting dispatch from the front that's at once a battle cry and a lamentation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

Full Review

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Oliver Stone

Director

Tom Berenger

Staff Sgt. Bob Barnes

Willem Dafoe

Sgt. Elias Grodin

Charlie Sheen

Pvt. Chris Taylor

Forest Whitaker

Big Harold

Francesco Quinn

Rhah

Platoon: Official Clip - Pecker Hard, Powder Dry

3:02

Platoon: Official Clip - Retribution

4:16

Platoon: Official Clip - I Am Reality

2:06

Platoon: Official Clip - The Death of Sgt. Elias

3:09

Platoon: Official Clip - Elias is Betrayed

2:09

Platoon: Official Clip - Burning the Village

3:05

Platoon: Official Clip - We're Gonna Lose This War

1:13

Platoon: Official Clip - Barnes Crosses the Line

2:40

Platoon: Official Clip - Hell Is the Impossibility of Reason

1:30

Platoon: Official Clip - Dance!

2:04

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Synopsis

Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle of battle, his idealism fades. Infighting in his unit between Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), who believes nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), who has a more sympathetic view of the locals, ends up pitting the soldiers against each other as well as against the enemy.

Director: Oliver Stone
Producer: Arnold Kopelson
Screenwriter: Oliver Stone
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Orion Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Hemdale Film Corporation [us]
Rating: R
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $138.5M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround

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