Vietnam vets take on the Mafia in a guerrilla war across the streets of Los Angeles.
ZEBRA FORCE
The war followed them home. This time, they chose the enemy.
Lieutenant Dan reunites his surviving platoon for a new mission: rob the Mafia, frame its rivals, and turn the Los Angeles underworld into a battlefield.
Quick Answer
Zebra Force is a 1976 American action-crime film directed by Joe Tornatore about a group of Vietnam veterans launching a private war against organized crime in Los Angeles.
Programmer's Pick
Where else do you get Vietnam vets pulling off casino heists in blackface and using guerrilla tactics to outwit the mob? Zebra Force is a grindhouse cocktail of urban crime, low-budget bravado, and exploitation swagger that never lets up on the mayhem.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Why This Matters
This film is cited as part of the 'vetsploitation' subgenre, reflecting 1970s cinema's engagement with Vietnam War veterans and vigilante themes, and it later spawned a sequel by the same director.
Cast & Crew
View all →
Why Cult
A squad of ex-soldiers takes their battlefield skills to the streets, targeting organized crime with military precision.
The veterans use blackface and subterfuge to manipulate rival gangs and sow confusion among their enemies.
Expect machine guns, snipers, and commando raids as the vets unleash their war-time knowhow on the criminal underworld.
All the hallmarks of '70s exploitation: urban crime, drive-in action, and a wild, psychotronic style.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Veterans' campaign against Mafia
Mafia and criminal retaliation
Escalating urban violence and gang warfare
Los Angeles criminal underworld
Questions from the Vault
When was Zebra Force released? +
Zebra Force was released in 1976.
Who directed Zebra Force? +
Zebra Force was directed by Joe Tornatore.
How long is Zebra Force? +
Zebra Force has a runtime of 100 minutes.
What genre is Zebra Force? +
Zebra Force is an action-crime film.
Where can I watch Zebra Force? +
You can watch Zebra Force on SassyFlix.
How do the Vietnam veterans spark gang warfare in Los Angeles? +
They rob Mafia operations while disguised as black gangsters, provoking rival criminal factions to turn on each other.
Who leads the vigilante squad of veterans? +
The group is led by their former platoon leader, known simply as the Lieutenant, who was disfigured during a Vietnam War ambush.
