The Deer Hunter (1978) isn’t really a Vietnam War movie — it’s a film about the people war leaves behind. Instead of focusing on combat, Michael Cimino shows ordinary working-class friends before, during, and after Vietnam, making the emotional damage feel devastatingly real. The long first act matters because it builds the friendships and innocence that later collapse under trauma. The Russian roulette scenes remain some of cinema’s most intense, but the film’s real power is in its aftermath —

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025