Last year, Sundance gave us “by far the best war movie I’ve seen in a long time” with 2000 Meters to Andriivka, and now the festival has given us another war film masterpiece with Soul Patrol. It’s a completely different kind, though, not that visceral in-the-moment variety. Instead, it’s a historical documentary. But one thing they have in common, as do all the greatest war movies, is attention to characters. Soul Patrol introduces us to the surviving members of the first Black special ops team as they reunite to reflect on their experiences in the Vietnam War. Sadly, some of them didn’t live long enough to see the film, and after getting to know them and hearing their stories, you’ll be choking up seeing the notes on their passing in the end credits.
I tend to appreciate documentaries that contain micro and macro levels (and share that appreciation in my recommendations as a critic). Well, Soul Patrol feels like it does even more. It’s about Vietnam; then zooming in, it’s the story of Black America at the time; then zooming in further, it’s about Black soldiers in Vietnam, and then this particular group, and then each member of the group. The film reminds us that, beneath the generalizing, broad-scoped histories, each individual’s story is unique. Yet, every individual exists within the context of the world in which their story takes place. And there are multiple levels of context between the micro and macro extremes.
Soul Patrol flawlessly combines disparate documentary elements, including reenactments and judiciously selected archival footage. Plus, sequences of phantasmal encounters that could have easily come off as corny, but in the hands of director J.M. Harper, are stirring (I’m reminded of the “I Lied to You” sequence in Sinners, as it similarly shouldn’t work but does). Many people will think of Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods when hearing about, and maybe even while watching parts of Soul Patrol, which only proves we need more movies centered on Black experiences and perspectives. Personally, I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like this documentary.
This review of Soul Patrol was originally published as part of our coverage of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on February 2, 2026.