Full Metal Jacket (1987)

★★★★1/2

This riveting, brutal, honest and bloody story follows a group of newly recruited marines as they deal with the abusive and dehumanizing effects of basic training before they are shipped off to Vietnam. The second half of the story follows Pvt. Joker as an army journalist as he witnesses the bloody effects of the Vietnam war. Set in the 60’s in Hue, Vietnam. This was a particularly hard film to endure, especially the first half at basic training where you begin to feel how the recruits feel as their drill instructor harasses and abuses them. It’s a dark look into the eyes of war and is only strengthened by powerful performances, wonderful direction and apocalyptic atmosphere. This film is compelling and sticks with you the rest of your life and like any great film that shows the horrors of Vietnam, it’s a tough bite to chew.