War movies often focus on the action of war and the danger it poses to those who live through it. However, there are many movies that focus on the trauma that war inevitably causes and how people process this differently. Stories based on or inspired by true events are particularly resonate when it comes to looking at veterans' experiences and how they process what they have been through. Movies that follow fictional characters who are placed in real wars offer unique perspectives on these historical events.
Some movies, likeBorn on the Fourth of July, focus on the fact that many veterans who experience trauma and PTSD turn their experiences into activism. Other movies, likeCome and See, highlight the trauma of war that is inflicted on those living through it in real-time. The best movies about trauma and PTSD humanize those who experience war first-hand.Each of these movies offers a compassionate look at the impacts of war on individuals and how the effects of war last long after the fighting has ended.
10’Rambo: First Blood’ (1985)
Directed by George P. Cosmatos
Rambo: First Bloodis the first installment in the Rambo franchise. The movie starsSylvester Stalloneas Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Rambo: First Blood follows Rambo as he struggles to adapt to civilian life and grieves the loss of his friend, who died from the effects of Agent Orange. Rambo uses guerrilla tactics against police officers when he is arrested for resisting arrest and possession of a concealed weapon, which is his knife.
What makesRambo: First Bloodsuch an effective portrayal of PTSD is the fact that Rambo views the police as his enemies. From the way Rambo defies even the most basic orders from the police, it is clear that he sees them as a threat to his safety from the beginning of his interaction with them. As Rambo becomes progressively more violent, it is clear that a part of him remains in Vietnam, and he is still fighting the Vietnam War in his mind.
Rambo: First Blood
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Directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes
My Dead Friend ZoefeaturesStar Trek: Strange New World’sSonequa Martin-Greenas Merit, an American veteran returning to civilian life. Merit struggles to adjust to her life post-military service, as evidenced by the fact that she continues to see the ghost of her friend Zoe (Natalie Morales). As she faces her inner turmoil, she reconnects with her grandfather Dale (Ed Harris), also a veteran himself. While the movie premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, it is scheduled for a wide theatrical release in the US in 2025.
My Dead Friend Zoesucceeds in portraying the struggle that veterans face when their service is complete. The way Merit struggles to open up about her experiences, including the death of her friend, is an authentic portrayal of how often veterans find it challenging to describe their military experiences in a civilian context.The fact that Merit’s grief, loss, and trauma are represented through a ghost shows how physically real these experiences remain for veterans long after their service is done.
My Dead Friend Zoe
8’Coming Home' (1978)
Directed by Hal Ashby
Coming HomefeaturesJane Fondaas American housewife Sally Hyde, whose husband is deployed during the Vietnam War. Her husband’s deployment opens up new opportunities for her. Sally eventually reconnects with an old high school classmate, Luke Martin (John Voight), a wounded Vietnam veteran. The story focuses on Sally and Luke’s developing relationship and how Luke’s wartime experiences have left him struggling both physically and mentally.
Coming Homeeffectively captures the bitterness faced by so many veterans as they find themselves suddenly thrust back into civilian life if they are critically injured.The movie highlights how the physical and emotional wounds of war can cause an equal amount of damage. Ultimately,Coming Homeis a tragedy that unfolds without being overly sensational. This story is a deeply tragic portrait of two men who were left without adequate support after experiencing the horrors of war.
Coming Home
7’Born on the Fourth of July' (1989)
Directed by Oliver Stone
Born on the Fourth of Julyis based on the true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), a Vietnam War veteran who was paralyzed during the war. Kovic eventually became an anti-war activist and becomes involved in politics. Born on The Fourth of July focuses on how Kovic’s wartime experiences impacted him emotionally. The movie is the second entry in directorOliver Stone’s Vietnam War trilogy, which began withPlatoonand ended withHeaven & Earth.
Born on theFourth of Julycaptures how veterans often use their traumatic experiences to get involved in politics, specifically to protest war overall. There is a hopefulness in Kovics' story, as he uses his own pain to advocate for peace.Born on the Fourth of Julyalso authentically speaks to how the personal relationships of those who have lived through the war are often impacted. The movie compassionately highlights how much emotional support veterans need when they return from war.
Born on the Fourth of July
6’Brothers' (2009)
Directed by Jim Sheridan
Brothersis a thriller that starsTobey Maguireas US Marine Captain Sam Cahill. The movie is a remake of the 2004 Danish movie of the same name. The movie follows Cahill as he re-integrates into civilian life after being held as a POW in Afghanistan. He faces extreme PTSD in light of everything he’s been through. The story focuses on how Cahill’s experiences impact his relationships with his family, especially his wife and brother.
What makesBrothersso effective is that it highlights the fact that PTSD often impacts those around the people living with this condition. While the story itself may border on the slightly unbelievable, there is truth in the fact that loved ones of those with PTSD often have their lives uprooted by trauma they may not have experienced themselves.Brotherscaptures the tragedy of PTSD, which is that people living with it need significant emotional support but can find this hard to come by in many cases.
5’The Deer Hunter' (1978)
Directed by Michael Cimino
The Deer Huntertells the story of three friends, Staff Sergeant Mikhail Vronsky (Robert De Niro), Corporal Nikanor Chevotarevich (Christopher Walken), and Corporal Steven Pushkov (John Savage) who return to their Pennsylvania community after serving in the Vietnam War.Each of them live with the trauma they experienced during the war, and deal with the resentment they face when trying to return to their hometown.
The Deer Hunter’s strength lies in its portrayal of the aftermath of war. While the movie’s portrayal of the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam War may not hold up, the movie compassionately portrays the realities that Vietnam veterans faced, which was made worse by lack of support systems.The Deer Hunteralso shows the complex relationships that form between people who experience the same trauma and how these relationships can be sources of both healing and pain.
The Deer Hunter
4’Thank You For Your Service' (2017)
Directed by Jason Hall
Thank You for Your Serviceis based on the 2013 book of the same name byDavid Finkel, a Washington Post reporter. Finkel chronicled the experience of the members of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment returning from a 15-month deployment in Iraq. In the movie,Adam Schumann (Miles Teller)is a returning Iraq War veteran with unresolved psychological issues caused by his deployment. He tries in vain to get help from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which lacks many necessary resources.
Thank You for Your Servicehighlights the fact that many individuals diagnosed with PTSD experience symptoms such as memory loss and other physical symptoms. The story also emphasizes the tragedy that many veterans earnestly want to seek help, but face systems that are overburdened. Additionally,Thank You for Your Servicealso provides a compassionate portrait of someone who’s judgement has been compromised by PTSD.
Thank You For Your Service
3’All Quiet on the Western Front' (1930)
Directed by Lewis Milestone
All Quiet on the Western Frontis based on the anti-war novel of the same name by German novelistErich Maria Remarque. The1930 version ofAll Quiet on the Western Frontwas the first movie adaptation of the story. The story was adapted again in 1979 and 2022. The 1930 version is a standout among the adaptations since it was released so close to the end of World War I, and in the years leading up to World War II. The movie follows Paul Bäumer (Lew Ayres), a young man eager to enlist in World War I.
All Quiet on the Western Frontshows the misplaced idealism that is quickly squashed by the actual violence of war. Through the eyes of the story’s protagonist, viewers get a close-up look at how the horrors of war impact people living through it in real time.All Quiet on the Western Frontnever shies away from showing how the brutality of war impacts soldiers quickly. Seeing the horror of war impact someone over time is an effective and tragic way to show how these events impact ordinary people.
All Quiet on the Western Front
2’The Best Years of Our Lives' (1946)
Directed by William Wyler
The Best Years of Our Livesfollows three US servicemen who return home from World War II. The movie starsMyrna Loy,Dana Andrews,Harold Russell, andFredric March. Each man faces physical and mental challenges when returning to their civilian lives. They must each confront the fact that their civilian lives bear little resemblance to the ones that they left behind. This includes their relationships with their families and friends.
The Best Years of Our Livesshowcases the day-to-day struggles faced by those returning from war. It also highlights the fact that it is possible to grieve a previous life that no longer exists.The Best Years of Our Liveshighlights the experience of so many veterans in that they experience difficulty when trying to explain what they lived through to anyone who was not there. Additionally, the movie showcases how much support veterans often find from one another.
The Best Years of Our Lives
1’Come and See' (1985)
Directed by Elem Klimov
Come and Seeis a Soviet anti-war movie that depicts the German invasion of Belarus during World War II. The movie follows Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko) who witnesses the invasion and is conscripted by partisans to repel the invading Germans. Throughout the war, Flyora witnesses unbridled brutality that impacts him personally. He finds himself in the middle of the chaos and horrors that engulfed Belarus. The experience impacts him mentally and physically.
Come and Seeis a particularly horrifying account of World War II from the Eastern Front. This movie is another example of a story focused primarily on one character and how they experienced the events of the war. What also makesCome and Seeso effective is the fact that it showcases the visceral nature of war, and how a person’s mental state can slowly come undone over time. Through this story, it is easy to see how repeated first-hand exposure would impact anyone so profoundly.
Come And See
If you or someone you know are suffering from PTSD and are in need of support, you can contact theNational Center for PTSD.
