24 Years Later, This Iconic Vietnam War Epic Still Holds Up

Some war movies aim for spectacle. Some are much more interested in exhaustion, dread, and the cost of leadership under impossible pressure. Released in 2002, this film dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang and follows Lt. Col. Hal Moore as he leads American troops into one of the first major clashes of the Vietnam War. It’s a large-scale combat movie, but it’s also deeply focused on the emotional strain that comes with that level of responsibility.