Vincent D’Onofrio’s Best Movie Is Streaming On Netflix
One of the best war epics, which happens to be one of the best Vincent D'Onofrio films, is currently streaming on Netflix.
This article is more than 2 years old
While it’s been long rumored that Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox would be making their full-time way back into the MCU, we recently received the confirmation that the actors will both be appearing in the Disney+’s Hawkeye spinoff, Echo. And what better way to celebrate the news than by checking out one of Vincent D’Onofrio’s most celebrated performances in Full Metal Jacket, which is now streaming on Netflix? Are you a fan of Stanley Kubrick? How about heart-wrenching war films? Well, if you haven’t checked out the Academy Award-nominated film, now’s your chance!
Full Metal Jacket follows the story of a platoon of Marines as they prepare, and eventually head out to serve in the Vietnam War. The first half of the film takes place on Parris Island, South Carolina where the men run drill after drill and are under the watchful and terrorizing eye of their leader, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (Lee Ermey). It’s here that we meet our two main characters, J.T. Davis (Matthew Modine) and Leonard Lawrence (Vincent D’Onofrio), who go by Joker and Pyle. As the men progress through their training, it is soon made clear that not all of them have what it takes to fight in the war as mental illness runs rampant. The second half of the film transports viewers to Vietnam, specifically the cities of Da Nang and Huê during the Tet Offensive. As you can imagine, things get bloody and brutal quickly in a heartbreaking story about the atrocities and realities of the Vietnam War. While it’s an absolute classic, it certainly isn’t the happiest of Vincent D’Onofrio movies that could be streaming on Netflix.
Like another Vietnam-centered film of the decade, Platoon, Kubrick’s war epic took viewers and plopped them right into the thick of it all. From the battles in the barracks with their maniacal leaders to their mental health struggles, and the moral implications that came along with a war many of the troops were against, audiences were taken on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the wartime flick. For Vincent D’Onofrio’s part in the now Netflix available film, it was said that his part as Lawrence aka Pyle was the hardest one to cast. While we won’t spoil it for you, his character has perhaps the saddest storyline, something that Kubrick was searching for the right actor to portray.
Along with directing, Kubrick also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford. The story was an adaptation of Hasford’s 1979 novel, The Short-Timers. For their work on the feature, the trio would nab an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The harsh realities that played out during the nearly two-hour-long film were a quick hit between audiences and critics alike. As of right now, Full Metal Jacket (which was named after the bullets used by those U.S. troops fighting in the Vietnam War), holds a 92% critics rating and 94% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Along with the story, the acting also carries the film above and beyond. Starring not only Vincent D’Onofrio, but also Matthew Modine, Lee Ermey, Adam Baldwin, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, Dorian Harewood, and Tim Colceri, it’s no wonder why Netflix would want to get their hands on the film for their cinephile followers to watch.
Along with Full Metal Jacket, D’Onofrio has had a lengthy career in film and television leading him up to his portrayal of Kingpin on the original Netflix and Marvel series, Daredevil. The Primetime Emmy Award-nominated actor has also been seen in projects including Men in Black and The Cell, as well as long-running parts on television series including Law & Order: Criminal Intent. These days, he’s really sunk his teeth back into the supervillain crime lord, a part we’re happy to see him return to.
While it may be over 30 years since D’Onofrio stepped into his role in the Stanley Kubrick war epic, fans haven’t forgotten the performance the actor delivered. In what ended up being one of the biggest roles of his life and helped launch his career, D’Onofrio’s performance in Full Metal Jacket is absolutely not one to be missed. For those of you hoping to get a little bit more Vincent D’Onofrio in your life, or just wanting to see one of the most talked-about and celebrated Vietnam-based films, head to Netflix to stream the blockbuster hit now.
