SOFREP Movie Review “Once A Marine” (2020): A Raw, Unfiltered Look at the Aftermath of War

In October 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks, launching what would become America’s longest war.

Almost two decades later, “Once A Marine,” a gripping 2020 documentary, gives viewers an unflinching look at the toll this conflict has taken on a group of young Marines who fought in it.

Directed by Stephen Canty, a Marine veteran himself, the film dives deeply into the psychological aftermath of combat, providing a rare, candid insight into the lives of these veterans as they navigate Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and the loss of their comrades.

“…but as time goes on you kind of start to realize basically that something is different and you know you’re not really the same anymore.”

—Once A Marine Documentary, 2020

Raw and Unfiltered Combat Footage

The documentary features a group of Marines, including Darren Doss (Mortarman)—who is also one of the producers of the documentary—Donahue (Machine Gunner), Heath (Platoon Sergeant), Rood (Mortarman), Zipay (Machine Gunner), Mirza (Point Man I), Schiano (Assaultman), Zell (Saw Gunner), and Chuck (Assualtman).

Through raw, mostly unedited footage shot by the Marines themselves, “Once A Marine” paints a vivid picture of what it’s like to be on the ground in Afghanistan, where every day is a battle for survival, and every moment is marked by the constant threat of death.

The film touches on their first deployment, which was relatively smooth. There were no major firefights, and everyone made it home safely.

But the second deployment is where things took a dark turn—intense battles and heartbreaking losses left a mark on these young Marines that would haunt them long after they returned home.

The Struggles of Returning Home

“Once A Marine” doesn’t shy away from the difficult conversations.

The documentary takes us into the uncomfortable reality that many veterans face when they return to civilian life.

You are not the same, and you might as well not bother talking to anyone at home about it because they can’t understand. It’s not that they don’t want to, but they don’t have the frame of reference. It’s frustrating. Your family and loved ones are frustrated as well. Only your brothers understand, and the band has been broken up and gone their separate ways. You become unhappy, and this breeds resentment. You seek that next adrenaline rush in a world with none.

In our story, Donahue, a machine gunner featured in the film, expresses the profound disconnect he feels from those who haven’t shared his experiences, highlighting the isolation that many veterans feel.

“Here people just kind of give you that… ‘I think you should see somebody,'” he shares, pointing out how difficult it is to discuss these experiences with people who can’t truly understand them…and it’s like, f*ck you. What, so they can hear my war stories?” Donahue would go on and add candidly. “They don’t deserve to hear about fucking war stories.”

The film captures the essence of this alienation, showing how veterans often find solace only among those who have walked the same path.

“The disconnect with the human population is really hard. Fortunately for me, I live in an area where a lot of these people are either Marines or were Marines or military (veterans) … and they understand,” Heath, a Platoon Sergeant, explains.

The Psychological Toll of Combat

The psychological toll of combat is laid bare in this documentary.

Viewers are confronted with the harsh realities of PTSD, hypervigilance, and the dark, intrusive memories that plague these veterans. For a veteran who got his shit together, it’s not easy to watch this and go back to that dark place again. Wounds are re-opened. You feel pain for your brothers again, watching them struggle with their demons. The fact that these are strangers matters little. You feel their pain and remember those who could not make it through.

The film doesn’t hold back in showing the struggles with substance abuse as these men grapple with the trauma they’ve endured, often resorting to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain.

It’s a raw, unfiltered look at the destructive paths some veterans find themselves on as they try to escape the horrors of their memories.

A Parent’s Perspective

The film also touches on the helplessness felt by the families of these veterans.

Joseph Schiano’s mother, who participated in the interviews, provides a heart-wrenching perspective on what it’s like to watch a loved one suffer in silence.

Her emotional account of her son’s struggles and the lack of support from the VA really hits home, showing just how tough it can be for families when their loved ones come back from war.

Here’s an excerpt from her candid thoughts that really struck a cord with me:

“I don’t know how you live with that,” Schiano’s mother says to the producer, who was also a Marine vet behind the camera. “I don’t know… and it hurts … It’s not a good thing […] to watch your kids go through that, and yes, he (Joseph) was a man, and yes, he chose this, but our government made the rules, and they’re not there, and it’s wrong. You make them feel guilty, and then you don’t help them after.”

“You know, you go to the VA, you get diagnosed before you get out of the Marines, and you call the VA, and the VA says, ‘Oh, send us an email.‘ So you sent them an email, and two weeks later, they sent you an email saying ‘you’ll hear from us in eight to ten weeks,'” she continues.

“Well, eight weeks later, he was dead. Where were you?”

Joseph Schiano died in an auto accident in 2011, not on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He was 23.

Resilience and Finding Purpose

Despite its heavy themes, “Once A Marine” is also a story of resilience and finding purpose amidst pain.

The unfiltered documentary highlights how important it is for these Marines to honor their fallen brothers by pushing on and finding purpose after the war.

As Donahue puts it, “They didn’t die for no reason. They didn’t die for Afghanistan. They didn’t die for America. They died for us.”

This really shows the deep bond and sense of duty that these Marine veterans hold onto, even in their darkest times.

“I’ll never say that they died for no reason,” Donahue says, “… ’cause you know what, they died to keep the people next to them alive. I guarantee you, they would say that they would—I know I would rather get killed and see one of my friends get killed and I’m sure they felt the same way.”

A Personal Mission for the Director

Stephen Canty’s dedication to stitching up these unfiltered stories is evident throughout the film.

In a Reddit post he wrote back in 2020, the director said that he spent over seven years bringing this project to life, driven by a desire to share the unvarnished reality of what it means to be a Marine coming home from war.

His personal connection to the subject matter and his relationships with the Marine veterans featured in the documentary add a layer of authenticity that is both compelling and heartbreaking.

“After the war, socializing and keeping up with people has been pretty hard for me so it would mean the world if y’all can help spread the word in any way,” Canty wrote, talking about spreading the word and getting the documentary in front of the right audience when it came out almost four years ago now.

A Must-Watch Documentary

“Once A Marine” is a must-watch if you want to get a real sense of the psychological impact of war on those who serve.

It’s a strong reminder that for many servicemembers veterans, the battle isn’t over when they come home—it’s just getting started.

This documentary is a powerful tribute to the strength and resilience of these veterans and a call for more support and understanding from the public and the organizations meant to help them.

“Once A Marine” (Documentary, 2020) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Don’t miss this raw and honest exploration of what it means to come home from war. Check it out, and let’s talk about it in the comments.

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Disclaimer: SOFREP utilizes AI for image generation and article research. Occasionally, it’s like handing a chimpanzee the keys to your liquor cabinet. It’s not always perfect and if a mistake is made, we own up to it full stop. In a world where information comes at us in tidal waves, it is an important tool that helps us sift through the brass for live rounds.