Da 5 Bloods

Four African-American Vietnam veterans go back to Vietnam to recover the remains of their fallen squad leader and the legend of a buried treasure. The mission drags them through dense jungle, rusted ruins, and a landscape filled with danger and memory. As they move, past and present collide through flashbacks and shared jokes that mask deep hurt. They must decide what they are willing to risk for each other, for a promise kept long ago, and for a country that often failed to honor their service. The search exposes both personal wounds and the enduring costs of war. Along the way they confront a complicated web of allies, profiteers, and the ghosts of comrades who never returned.

Directed by Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods released on Netflix in 2020 with a screenplay by Spike Lee, Kevin Willmott, Paul De Meo and Danny Bilson. It marks a high profile collaboration between a renowned filmmaker and a strong ensemble.

Da 5 Bloods received notable recognition with a Best Original Song nomination at the 93rd Academy Awards for Fight for You by H.E.R. The nod highlighted the film's emotional through line and its effort to fuse memory, music, and politics on screen.

The film sparked discussion about how a Black veteran story fits into the broader memory of Vietnam and the era's ongoing racial reckonings. Its presence on a streaming platform helped reach new audiences, while Delroy Lindo's provocative performance prompted wide debates about representation and trauma. These discussions echo in classrooms.

Critics praised the film for its ambitious mixing of action, memory and social critique, especially the ensemble chemistry and Lindo's standout turn. Thematically it probes memory, loyalty, economic exploitation of war, and the scars left by a conflict that continues to shape American society for many viewers around the world.