Director Oliver Stone (1946)

Oliver Stone’s biographical thriller Snowden (2016) follows the story of Edward Snowden, who in 2013 arranged a secret meeting in Hong Kong with documentarian Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald. During the meeting, they discussed releasing classified information regarding illegal mass surveillance conducted by the NSA. This meeting was later documented in Poitras’ film Citizenfour, which was also featured in the movie Snowden. Prior to this, in 2004, Snowden joined the U.S. Army with plans to join the Special Forces but was discharged due to a fractured tibia. He then applied for a position at the ...

Savages (2012) is an American action thriller film directed by Oliver Stone, based on Don Winslow’s novel of the same name. It follows best friends Chon and Ben, marijuana growers in Laguna Beach. After smuggling seeds out of Afghanistan, Chon, a former Navy SEAL, teams up with Ben, a University of California graduate in business and botany. With their unique strain of marijuana gaining popularity, the pair amass wealth while also dedicating time and money to charitable efforts in Africa and Asia. They are also both openly involved with Ophelia Sage. However, their ...

In 2012, filmmaker Oliver Stone released a groundbreaking documentary series called The Untold History of the United States (2012–2013). Alongside historian Peter Kuznick, director of American University’s Nuclear Studies Institute, Stone delves into the complex reasons behind the Cold War, the controversial decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan, and America’s evolving role in the world since the fall of Communism. This project, which began in 2008, was co-written by

Oliver Stone directed the American drama film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). After serving time for insider trading and securities fraud, former corporate raider Gordon Gekko is released from prison in 2001. In 2008, he begins promoting his book ‘Is Greed Good?’, warning of an impending economic downturn. Winnie, Gekko’s estranged daughter, runs a non-profit news website and is dating Jacob ‘Jake’ Moore, a top prop trader at Keller Zabel Investments (KZI). Jake is a protege of KZI managing director Louis Zabel and raises funds for Dr. Masters’ fusion research project that ...

W. (2008) is an American biographical comedy-drama film that tells the story of George W. Bush, directed by Oliver Stone and written by Stanley Weiser. In 1966, George endures an initiation into Delta Kappa Epsilon at Yale University with his fellow students. Despite having a famous political family, he has no interest in their legacy. However, after getting arrested for causing a scene at a football game in New Jersey, his father offers to help him one last time. After graduating from Yale, George takes a short-lived job at an oil patch in Texas before revealing his true ...

The American docudrama disaster film, World Trade Center (2006), was directed by Oliver Stone and written by Andrea Berloff. It portrays the harrowing experience of a team of New York City police officers during the September 11 attacks, when they became trapped in the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center. Dispatched to Downtown Manhattan on that fateful day, members of the Port Authority Police received news en route that both towers had been hit by planes. Led by Sergeant John McLoughlin, a veteran of the 1993 bombing, a group of volunteers including officers ...

The epic historical drama film Alexander (2004) is based on the life of the ancient Macedonian general and king, Alexander the Great. Narrated by Ptolemy I Soter, basileus and pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, the story follows Alexander’s journey starting from his childhood with his mother Olympias and mentor Aristotle. As he grows up, Alexander becomes interested in love, honor, music, exploration, poetry and military combat. However, his relationship with his father Philip II of Macedon takes a negative turn when Philip marries Eurydice, niece of Attalus who Alexander has disowned. This conflict leads to Alexander’s banishment from the palace. After Philip is ...

Directed by Oliver Stone, Any Given Sunday (1999) follows the struggles of fictional American football team, the Miami Sharks. The once-dominant team is struggling to secure a spot in the 2001 AFFA playoffs, under the leadership of long-time coach Tony D’Amato. However, tensions arise between D’Amato and young team owner Christina Pagniacci, as well as his expected successor Nick Crozier, who serves as offensive coordinator. In a pivotal game during the thirteenth week of the season, both starting quarterback Jack ‘Cap’ Rooney and backup player Tyler Cherubini are injured and unable to play. In ...

U Turn (1997) is a neo-noir crime thriller directed by renowned filmmaker Oliver Stone. The plot follows the story of Bobby Cooper, a struggling drifter who finds himself in a tough spot when his red 1964½ Ford Mustang Convertible breaks down in Superior, Arizona. Penniless and stranded, Bobby crosses paths with Jake and Grace McKenna, a married couple also facing their own financial struggles. Both Jake and Grace separately offer Bobby money to kill the other, leaving him desperate and filled with fear. Eventually, Bobby decides to pursue Grace’s proposition and eliminate Jake in order to start a new life ...

Oliver Stone’s American epic historical drama film, Nixon (1995), follows the events of the Watergate scandal. In 1972, members of the White House Plumbers break into The Watergate and are arrested. A year and a half later, Richard Nixon’s Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig, provides Nixon with audio tapes regarding the scandal. As they discuss the chaos that ensued from Watergate and the passing of J. Edgar Hoover, Nixon expresses his anger towards John Dean, James McCord, and others involved in the scandal. He even questions why he has not been given a pistol to end his own life like an honorable soldier. Most ...

Natural Born Killers (1994) is an American crime movie directed by Oliver Stone. One scene shows Mickey Knox and his wife Mallory stopping at a diner in the New Mexico desert. As she dances to music from a jukebox, two rednecks show up and begin harassing Mallory in a sexual manner. Despite initially seeming to enjoy the attention, Mallory eventually beats one of the men severely. Joining in on the violent act, Mickey and Mallory proceed to kill everyone else in the diner except for one customer, to whom they confidently reveal their names before leaving. Seeking refuge in the desert, the couple takes a moment to ...

Heaven & Earth (1993) is an American biographical war drama film written and directed by Oliver Stone. The story centers around Le Ly, a young girl living in a Vietnamese village during the time of political unrest. Her life is forever altered when communist insurgents arrive to defend against French and American forces. As the conflict escalates, Le Ly is taken prisoner by South Vietnamese soldiers who accuse her of being a spy for the North. This accusation causes her to lose the trust of her village, leading to her family’s relocation to Saigon. In Saigon, Le Ly finds work with a family where she becomes ...

The American epic political thriller film, JFK (1991), written and directed by Oliver Stone, delves into the investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The New Orleans district attorney, Jim Garrison, becomes convinced that there was a conspiracy to kill Kennedy and that Lee Harvey Oswald was used as a scapegoat. Outgoing President Dwight D. Eisenhower had warned about the dangers of the military-industrial complex in his 1961 farewell address. However, Kennedy takes over as president and is faced with challenges such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis before his tragic assassination in ...

The biographical film, The Doors (1991), was directed and written by Oliver Stone and Randall Jahnson. It tells the story of the influential American rock band and their impact on music and counterculture. In 1949, a young Jim Morrison and his family are driving through New Mexico when they come across a fatal car accident involving an elderly Native American. Years later, in 1965, Jim finds himself in California immersed in the Venice Beach scene. During his time at UCLA, he falls in love with Pamela Courson and meets future bandmates Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. Together they form The Doors, with ...

The American epic biographical anti-war drama film, Born on the Fourth of July (1989), is based on Ron Kovic’s 1976 autobiography. Directed by Oliver Stone and co-written by Stone and Kovic, the film follows Kovic’s life in Massapequa, New York. As a child in 1956, he spends time playing with friends in a forest before attending an Independence Day parade with his family and best friend Donna on his birthday. However, after being inspired by President John F. ...

The American drama thriller film, Talk Radio (1988), was directed by Oliver Stone. The main character, Barry Champlain, is a Jewish radio host in Dallas, Texas. Known for his sharp sense of humor and bold political opinions, he often talks down to his listeners. Despite this, Champlain’s show is gaining popularity and is set to go nationwide. Before becoming a radio personality, Champlain worked as a salesman under the name Barry Golden. He slowly made a name for himself through guest appearances on the Jeff Fisher show, using different aliases until settling on Champlain. As his fame grows, Champlain’s ...

Oliver Stone’s drama film, Wall Street (1987), tells the story of Bud Fox, a junior stockbroker at Jackson Steinem & Co. in New York City. Bud idolizes Gordon Gekko, an influential Wall Street player. Despite calling Gekko’s office 59 days straight in hopes of securing an appointment, Bud finally takes matters into his own hands and shows up at Gekko’s office on his birthday with a box of Cuban cigars – Gekko’s favorite forbidden indulgence. Impressed by Bud’s boldness, Gekko agrees to meet with him and listen to his stock pitches. However, none of them impress Gekko until Bud ...

Platoon (1986), an American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone, follows the story of Chris Taylor as he volunteers for the U.S. Army in South Vietnam in 1967. His assigned infantry platoon, part of the 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian border, is led by young and inexperienced Lieutenant Wolfe. However, the soldiers look to two older and more experienced members, Staff Sergeant Barnes and Sergeant Elias, for guidance instead. Taylor joins them for a night ambush against a North Vietnamese Army force and engages in a brief firefight when an NVA patrol appears. During a patrol, one new recruit is ...

Salvador (1986) is a war drama film, co-written and directed by Oliver Stone. Richard Boyle, a seasoned photojournalist with two decades of experience, has had his fair share of success. However, struggles with substance abuse and an air of arrogance have damaged his reputation and made it hard for him to find work. One day, he discovers that his wife has left him and taken their child. With no money or job prospects, Boyle turns to his friend Doctor Rock, a former radio host also facing unemployment. Together, they decide to venture to El Salvador, where Boyle believes he can freelance during the country’s ...