Platoon

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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Critics Reviews

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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

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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

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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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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

In terms of the day-to-day madness of combat, Stone’s vision is horrifyingly realistic, the reportage of someone who was there.

Rated: A-

Aug 31, 2022

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Audience Reviews

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Fep o Excellent narration of the wise man to whom the western world still had learned to listen. The movie should be watched by everyone willing to support war efforts of any world power. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/17/24 Full Review Gorptholemew T 🍅 9.2/10I love seeing a young Willem Defoe dude he’s always been oddly attractive. Platoon is a Great War film that isn’t one sided showing the dark side of the American troops, and the small community divided with in the platoon. The sets are great it’s entertaining and stratifying. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Ori S The most honest take on the horror of soldiers thrown into a war they cannot understand. The rapture between the convictions from home and absolute brutal reality and the torment it brings is captured and depicted through incredible cast, acting, shooting and directing. Platoon has remained in my personal top ten since it came out. It is a great movie. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/16/24 Full Review marcos o Talvez seja um dos melhores filmes com Willem Dafoe. Não é perfeito, mas conta muito bem um pouco da história. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/27/24 Full Review Sams K Oliver Stone is a genius. A very important piece of cinema history. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Audience Member This antiwar film depicts the atrocities of Vietnam, the struggle between good and evil, and the fine line that existed between them with the morality of the soldiers there. Overall this was one of the few times where a movie was technically excellent but I did not enjoy it and this was because this movie felt as confusing and pointless as the war itself. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Platoon

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Cast & Crew

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

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Platoon

Platoon: Official Clip - Pecker Hard, Powder Dry