10 Most Horrifying Urban Nightmare Movies

Vietnam movies never show the war in a positive light. Films like Full Metal Jacket, Platoon and Apocalypse Now prefer to show the cruel reality of such a violent war instead of glorifying it. Combat Shock is no different, although whereas the previous movies showcase the horrors of the war, this movie shows the unfortunate reality of those that served.

This 1984 independent movie shows a day in the life of poor Vietnam veteran Frankie Dunlan as he suffers with unemployment, drug addicted friends, a broken apartment supplied by the government, an overbearing wife and a mutated child due to his exposure to agent orange. This is one of the few movies that shows the horrible reality of those who served in the Vietnam war after the fact, and the effects that the war had on them both mentally and psychically. It sheds light on the lesser known things about the war such as the PTSD, unemployment, and the devastating effects that agent orange had on their genetics. It’s a depressing horror that is made worse by the knowledge that this was the life of those who fought.

In the end, Frankie snaps. He kills his wife and child before killing himself; a grim reality that we’ve seen time and time again as events like the are still present in this day and age. As a result, Combat Shock never ages. It stays a grim portrayal of an urban nightmare.