
Apocalypse Now
1979, War/Drama, 2h 33m
96 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Francis Ford Coppola's haunting, hallucinatory Vietnam War epic is cinema at its most audacious and visionary. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
Apocalypse Now Photos
Movie Info
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.
Cast & Crew
Marlon Brando
Colonel Kurtz
Colonel Kurtz
Martin Sheen
Captain Willard
Captain Willard
Robert Duvall
Lt. Col. Kilgore
Lt. Col. Kilgore
Frederic Forrest
Chef
Chef
Albert Hall
Chief
Chief
Sam Bottoms
Lance
Lance
Critic Reviews for Apocalypse Now
Audience Reviews for Apocalypse Now
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Jan 27, 2018A disturbing film, but a poignant character study and a brilliant depiction of the horrors of the Vietnam War... I loved it!Serge E Super Reviewer
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Jun 26, 2017In the 1970s Francis Ford Coppola directed four of the best films of the 20th century: The first two Godfather movies, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. From this canon of work my favorite is Apocalypse Now. This is a collision of sound, image, and obsession. The horror of war and the need to commit to that horror is the theme. After it's over it will echo in your mind... forever and ever.Aldo G Super Reviewer
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Aug 25, 2016Enjoyed the first two thirds of the movie more than the final third, but it was still very well done and well acted. Fat Brando is always nice, too.Spencer M Super Reviewer
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Apr 17, 2016Excellent camera work, an impeccably chosen sound track and legendary performances make for one of the greatest war epics of all time. Apocalypse Now captures the madness and terror of war and the darker elements of our existence, perhaps most perfectly in any scene not directly dealing with combat. The simple hunt for a surfing spot or the bizarre USO show scenes are more rattling than the movie's visceral gory moments. A viewer is inescapably left with a deep sense of unease and confusion throughout this film. The excellent Marlon Brando delivers a captivating and, evidently, mostly unscripted performance. He steals the final third of the movie. At every moment there is an engrossing sense of confusion, angst and simmering anger, all the essential ingredients of insanity. Col Kurtz crossed a line somewhere in his journey through combat from which he cannot return. War provides the canvass and catalyst for Col Kurtz to see the remarkable humbling reality of how precariously close we all sit to falling into the "horror". Seldom is a film so brilliant it cannot really be adequately summarized in words, Apocalypse Now is such a film. When you walk away after your first viewing, you cannot help but feel that you witnessed a crowning artistic achievement. Perhaps the subject matter of madness in war is what keeps this film so illusory and mystifying, yet, make no mistake, it is truly excellent.Shane S Super Reviewer
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